By Kemo IPTV Support Desk (Setup & streaming technicians). Published . Written and checked by the Kemo IPTV support technicians who answer setup questions on WhatsApp every day. Steps are re-tested on real devices when apps update.
What is an IPTV connection?
A connection is one stream playing at a time. With one Kemo IPTV connection, one device can watch at any given moment. Installing the player on extra TVs, phones and tablets costs nothing; the limit applies only to how many of them play at the same moment. Kemo IPTV offers 1 to 5 connections on every plan.
It helps to stop thinking in devices and start thinking in moments. The question isn't "how many screens do we own?" but "how many different things are we watching at the same time on a busy evening?"
What counts toward the limit?
Any device actively playing a live channel, a movie or an episode counts as one connection while it plays. Paused or closed apps don't count once the stream stops. Browsing the guide doesn't count either. If you go over the limit, the newest stream usually stops or refuses to start.
A few details people often miss:
- Picture-in-picture or multi-view in apps like TiviMate plays two streams at once, so it uses two connections.
- Casting or mirroring from a phone to a TV uses one connection: the phone's.
- A player left running on a bedroom TV still holds a connection. Press Back or Home to stop it properly.
- Recording in TiviMate while watching another channel uses two connections.
How many connections does a typical household need?
Most couples need two connections, a family with children usually needs three or four, and shared houses need one per adult who watches separately. One connection suits people living alone, or a household that only ever watches the living-room TV. The table below covers common setups.
| Household | Typical peak viewing | Recommended connections |
|---|---|---|
| Living alone | One TV, sometimes a phone (not at the same time) | 1 |
| Couple | Two different things at once a few nights a week | 2 |
| Couple + sports fan | Main TV + a second game on tablet | 2–3 |
| Family, 1–2 children | Living room + kids' room + parent's phone | 3 |
| Family, teenagers | Several bedrooms streaming at once | 4 |
| Shared house / multi-generation | One per adult, plus a common TV | 4–5 |
Buy for your busy evenings rather than your average one. If a big final means two TVs and a phone at once, that's three connections.
How much does each extra connection cost?
Each extra screen costs less than the one before, and longer plans make every screen cheaper. On the 12 months plan, one connection is $69 and five are $199. On a 1-month plan, the range is $13 to $41. Every connection gets the full channel, movie and series library.
| Connections | 1 month | 12 Months | Per screen per month (12 months) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | $13 | $69 | $5.75 |
| 2 | $20 | $109 | $4.54 |
| 3 | $27 | $139 | $3.86 |
| 4 | $34 | $169 | $3.52 |
| 5 | $41 | $199 | $3.32 |
The 3- and 6-month prices are on the Kemo IPTV plans page.
Is your internet fast enough for several connections?
Multiply the per-screen speed by the number of screens playing at once, then add about 20% headroom. Two Full HD screens need roughly 40–50 Mbps, and three screens with one in 4K need about 70–80 Mbps. Most cable and fibre plans of 100 Mbps or more handle four or five HD screens comfortably.
| Quality | Per screen | 2 screens | 3 screens | 5 screens |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| HD | 10 Mbps | 20–25 Mbps | 30–40 Mbps | 50–60 Mbps |
| Full HD | 15–20 Mbps | 35–45 Mbps | 50–70 Mbps | 80–100 Mbps |
| 4K | 25–30 Mbps | 55–70 Mbps | 80–100 Mbps | 130–160 Mbps |
Speed isn't the only limit. A single Wi-Fi router can struggle with several HD streams in far-apart rooms even on a fast plan. If bedrooms buffer while the living room is fine, see our buffering guide on mesh Wi-Fi and Ethernet.
Is it better to buy two single accounts or one account with two connections?
One account with several connections is almost always better. It costs less than separate single-screen plans, and everyone shares one login, favourites list and renewal date. Separate accounts only make sense when different people pay for themselves or want different renewal dates.
Compare: two separate 12-month single-screen plans cost $138, while one 12-month plan with two connections costs $109.
Can you change the number of connections later?
Yes. You can add connections at any time. Send support your order ID and the number you want. A technician quotes the difference for the time left on your plan and upgrades the same login, so nobody has to re-enter details. To reduce connections, change the number when you renew.
That makes it safe to start low. Many households begin with two connections, notice a pattern of evening clashes in the first few weeks, and add a third.
How do you avoid connection errors in practice?
Most "too many connections" errors come from a forgotten stream rather than too many viewers. Close the player properly with Back or Home instead of turning the TV off, avoid multi-view unless you have spare connections, and give each device a clear owner so you know who's watching where.
- Stop, don't switch off. Turning a TV off with the player open can keep the stream alive for a few minutes.
- Set expectations. "The kids' room TV and the tablet don't play at the same time" is an easy rule on a three-connection plan.
- Use favourites per device. Each player keeps its own favourites list, so the living-room list stays tidy.
What happens when you go over the limit?
When one more device starts playing than your plan allows, the newest stream usually fails to start or the oldest one stops after a few seconds. Nothing is charged and the account isn't penalised. Stop a stream on another device and try again, or add a connection if it keeps happening.
The exact message depends on the app. TiviMate and IPTV Smarters often show a generic "stream error" or "max connections reached". MAG boxes may show a black screen with a short loading circle. Before you assume a channel is broken, check whether someone else in the house is watching. In our support chats, an overlooked tablet or a TV left on in another room is the single most common cause of "it suddenly stopped working" on multi-screen plans.
Do second homes, holidays and travel need extra connections?
Not if nobody at home is watching at the same time. A connection isn't tied to an address, so you can use your login at a holiday home, in a hotel or abroad. Count those screens only if they'll play at the same moment as screens at home. Sharing with a separate household needs its own plan.
Two practical tips for travel. First, install and test the app on your laptop or tablet before you leave, because hotel Wi-Fi is a poor place to troubleshoot. Second, if a relative will be watching at home while you're away, make sure your plan has a connection for each of you.
How should you decide?
Count the most screens you'd realistically use at the same moment on a busy evening, and choose that number. If you're unsure, start one lower and upgrade if you hit the limit. Use the 24-hour trial to test your internet on your busiest screen, then pick a Kemo IPTV plan with the right number of connections.
Setting up phones and tablets? See the Android phone guide and the iPhone guide. The possible connection counts are 1, 2, 3, 4, 5.