Watching live TV
Pick a channel and it starts, usually in under a second. Kastideo then keeps you in control: stream health, timeshift, a version matched to your connection.
Starting a channel
Playback starts as soon as you select a channel. While it opens, the channel logo and name are shown, then a “Ready in x s” badge tells you the start time. Controls appear on hover: pause, volume, cinema mode.
A double-click switches to cinema mode: the window goes full screen and only the video stays. Esc leaves it.
Knowing if the stream is good
A health pill shows reception quality: green (Excellent), orange (Fair) or red (Unstable), with the picture definition (SD, HD, Full HD or 4K). On hover you see the bitrate, frames per second, dropped frames and interruptions from the last minute.
On Mac, an Information panel shows the current and upcoming programme, the audio track (language, audio description) and subtitles.
Live timeshift
Pause a channel: Kastideo keeps receiving the stream and stores it. When you resume, you watch time-shifted, shown by a yellow indicator (for example “DELAYED −2:34”).
- A timeline runs from the moment you paused (left) to live (right). Drag the cursor right: playback speeds up to the chosen point, then returns to normal speed.
- Speeds ×1.25, ×1.5 and ×2 let you eat into the delay. The Catch up button speeds up to live without skipping anything.
- Back to live returns to the broadcast immediately.
- The maximum timeshift length is set in the playback settings.
Timeshift is stored in a temporary folder of the app, cleared when you change channel. Allow 1 to 4 GB per hour depending on stream quality.
One connection at a time
Most IPTV subscriptions allow only one simultaneous stream. Kastideo always closes the current stream before opening the next: you can zap without risk of exceeding your limit. Before interrupting a recording, it asks for your approval.
If a channel does not start, check that no other device (TV, phone) is using the same subscription, and turn off any VPN.
Several versions of one channel
Many providers offer a channel in several versions (4K, FHD, HD, SD). In the themes view, Kastideo shows only one and picks the best fit for your connection: it steps down after an unstable playback and steps up after three smooth ones. A right-click on the channel lets you choose another version.
Finding and fixing your channels
- Favourites and recents: a star or a right-click adds a favourite. Recents keep the last 60 items watched, with multiple deletion and an Undo button.
- Search: one field searches channels, movies and series.
- Categories: reorder, hide or rename your provider's categories, or hide by keyword. No more country categories you never watch.
- Fix a channel: a right-click lets you change its name, number, logo and the TV guide channel it matches.