Short answer: Sparkle TV is the most underrated player on Android TV and Google TV. It does nearly everything TiviMate does, including recording, timeshift and multiview, and its one-time Plus upgrade costs $20.99 against TiviMate's $33.99. What most reviews miss is that it's also a front end for antenna tuners and home servers: HDHomeRun, Tvheadend, Jellyfin, Plex and Enigma2 boxes all plug straight in. The catches: user ratings sit in the mid-3s, mostly over playlist imports and performance on cheap Fire TV sticks, and it doesn't run on Apple devices or Amazon's newer Vega OS sticks.
At a glance
Sparkle TV in brief
| Made by | HKAB (Hede Konsulttjänst AB), Sweden |
| Runs on | Android TV, Google TV, Fire OS sticks |
| Plus price | $1.49/mo, $7.99/yr or $20.99 once |
| Standout | Antenna and home-server sources, not just playlists |
| Weak spots | Import reliability, low-end Fire TV performance |
Our verdict, by use
Rather than one score, here's how Sparkle fits the jobs people actually buy a player for. Ratings are based on its documented features, published pricing and the patterns in public user reviews.
| If you want to… | Fit | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Watch an M3U or Xtream login on Google TV | Strong | Grid guide, quick channel changes, good customisation |
| Record shows without a separate server | Strong (Plus) | Scheduled and series recordings on the device or attached storage |
| Watch antenna TV from an HDHomeRun | Excellent | Native source, one guide for antenna and other channels |
| Use a Jellyfin, Plex or Tvheadend server's live TV | Excellent | Built-in backends; few players do this |
| Run on a basic Fire TV Stick | Mixed | Reports of heat and stutter, especially with timeshift on |
| Watch on iPhone or Apple TV | None | Android-based devices only |
| Watch four games at once | Good (Plus) | Multiview, reportedly capped at four streams |
Put simply: if your TV setup has more than one source, especially an antenna, Sparkle is one of the best choices on Android. If you only have a single IPTV login on a cheap stick, it's good but not obviously better than TiviMate.
More than an IPTV player
Most reviews treat Sparkle as "a free TiviMate alternative". That's selling it short. Its Google Play listing names these supported sources:
| Source type | Supported | Typical use |
|---|---|---|
| Playlists and logins | M3U, Xtream Codes API, Stalker Portal, XMLTV guides | A subscription service's login |
| Network tuners | HDHomeRun | Free over-the-air channels from an antenna |
| Home TV servers | Tvheadend, DVBLink, DVBViewer, TVMosaic | Satellite or antenna tuners shared from a PC or NAS |
| Satellite receivers | Enigma2 | Watching a satellite box's channels on another TV |
| Media servers | Jellyfin, Plex | Live TV and libraries you already run |
That list matters in the US more than people realise. An HDHomeRun with a rooftop or attic antenna gets you the local networks free, and Sparkle turns it into a cable-box style guide with recording, on every Google TV in the house. Pair it with a paid service's login for the channels the antenna can't get, and you have one app for both. Which antenna, and what you'll receive.
If you already run Jellyfin or Plex with a tuner, Sparkle gives you a better live-TV front end on the television than either server's own app. How Plex handles live channels is a useful companion read.
A typical antenna setup with Sparkle
Here's what the antenna route looks like in practice, because it's the setup that shows Sparkle at its best and almost no review covers it.
- Connect the tuner. An HDHomeRun plugs into your router by Ethernet and into an antenna by coax. Current models list at roughly $100-200 depending on tuner count and whether they handle ATSC 3.0.
- Let Sparkle find it. Add a source and choose HDHomeRun. On the same network it's normally discovered automatically, with no address to type.
- Scan and check the guide. Channels come from the tuner's own scan. Guide data for antenna channels comes from HDHomeRun's service or an XMLTV source, depending on how you've set it up.
- Add a second source with Plus. A licensed service's login or your Jellyfin server's live TV can sit alongside, so the guide shows both together.
- Set up recording. Point recordings at a USB drive or a network share, then schedule series from the guide like a DVR.
Two limits to know. Each live stream or recording uses one tuner, so a two-tuner box can't record two shows while someone watches a third. And some ATSC 3.0 broadcasts are encrypted, which third-party apps may not be able to play; check how your local stations broadcast before buying a 3.0 tuner for Sparkle. Our guide to recording live TV compares this setup with server-based DVRs.
Free vs Plus, and what it really costs
The free version handles live TV and the guide. Most of what makes Sparkle good is in Plus. According to the developer's site in September 2026:
| Feature | Free | Plus |
|---|---|---|
| Live TV with programme guide | Yes | Yes |
| Recording (DVR) | No | Yes |
| Timeshift: pause and rewind live TV | No | Yes |
| Films, series and catch-up | No | Yes |
| More than one source | No | Yes |
| Favourites, sorting and hiding channels | No | Yes |
| Multiview | No | Yes |
| Parental controls | No | Yes |
Plus costs $1.49 a month, $7.99 a year, or $20.99 as a one-time purchase. You'll see slightly different numbers on some review sites, such as $7.49 or $19.99; the developer's own site is the one to trust, and Google Play shows the local price before you pay.
The one-time option is the obvious pick. It pays for itself against the yearly plan in under three years, and at $20.99 it's $13 cheaper than TiviMate's lifetime licence. Monthly makes sense only as a cheap way to test Plus for a few weeks.
The fact that favourites need Plus is the one choice we'd argue with. Some free players include them, and it's the first thing you'll miss.
Sparkle vs TiviMate
It's the comparison everyone makes, so here it is plainly.
| Sparkle TV | TiviMate | |
|---|---|---|
| Lifetime price | $20.99 | $33.99 |
| Yearly price | $7.99 | About $10-12 |
| Antenna and server sources | Yes: HDHomeRun, Tvheadend, Jellyfin, Plex and more | Playlists and logins only |
| Recording | Yes (Plus) | Yes (Premium) |
| Rewinding live TV | Local timeshift (Plus) | Mainly via the provider's catch-up |
| Multiview | Yes, up to four reported | Yes, larger grids reported |
| Polish and maturity | Good, smaller user base | Very mature, huge user base |
| Data collected (Play listing) | None declared | See its listing |
TiviMate is the safer default for a pure IPTV login: it's had more users find its rough edges for longer. Sparkle wins outright if you have an antenna tuner or home server, and on price. If you're unsure, run both free versions side by side for a week with the same login. What TiviMate Premium adds.
What users say
Sparkle has around 100,000 Google Play downloads and about a thousand reviews, averaging in the high 3s. Analytics sites put the split at roughly 46% five-star and 16% one-star, which is a polarised picture: people either love it or hit a problem.
The praise is consistent. A fast, clean interface. Recording and timeshift that work like a set-top box. A lot of control over hiding and ordering channels. A developer who keeps updating; the most recent version, 2.3.1, added catch-up support for Xtream-style playlists and guide improvements.
The complaints cluster in four places:
- Playlist or login imports failing. The most common one. Often a URL format issue rather than the app, but it's a poor first impression. See the tips below.
- Heat and freezes on basic Fire TV sticks, especially with timeshift enabled, since that buffers live video to storage continuously.
- Multiview limited to four streams. A few sports fans want more.
- Billing confusion, mostly around subscriptions renewing. Use the one-time purchase and the problem goes away.
None of those are deal-breakers on a decent device. They're mostly reasons to avoid running it on the cheapest hardware. Which streaming devices handle players well.
Installing it the safe way
Sparkle's main route is Google Play, where it's listed as "Sparkle TV Player" by HKAB. One review site reported in June 2026 that the listing had been pulled in early May; when we checked in late September, it was live, updated on May 6, 2026, with reviews from September. If you can't find it in your region, check the link on the developer's site, sparkleplayer.com, rather than a third-party APK mirror.
By device:
- Google TV and Android TV (Google TV Streamer, Shield, onn): install from Google Play. Done.
- Fire OS sticks (4K Max, 4K, older Lite and HD): search the Amazon Appstore first. If it isn't there for your region, the developer's site links its own APK, which installs on Fire OS models that still allow apps from unknown sources.
- Vega OS sticks (Fire TV Stick 4K Select and newer HD models): not supported. Vega OS doesn't run Android apps.
- iPhone, iPad, Apple TV: no version exists. Look at UHF or IPTVX instead.
Many reviews tell you to install it through a downloader code and to buy a VPN first. You don't need a VPN to run a media player, and a code from a review site is one more party between you and the developer. Go to the source. Setting up players on Android TV boxes.
First-hour setup tips
A few things that head off the most common complaints:
-
Pick the right source type. If your service gave you a server, username and password, choose Xtream Codes, not M3U. Enter the server as
http://address:portwith nothing after the port. - Add the guide separately if needed. If channels load with no programme info, add your provider's XMLTV address as the guide source. Fixing an empty guide.
- Leave timeshift off on a stick until you know the device copes. Turn it on later if it does.
- Point recordings at real storage. A USB drive on a box, or a network share, rather than a stick's few gigabytes.
- Hide what you don't watch. With Plus, hiding unused groups makes the guide faster on modest hardware.
And as with any player: Sparkle supplies no channels. Its own listing says so plainly. Use it with an antenna, your own server, or a login from a service licensed to carry the channels.
Quick answers
Is Sparkle TV a good IPTV player? Yes. It's one of the most capable players on Android TV and Google TV, with recording, timeshift and multiview in Plus, though user ratings are mixed on low-end Fire TV sticks.
How much is Sparkle Plus? $1.49 a month, $7.99 a year, or $20.99 one-time, per the developer's site in September 2026.
Is Sparkle TV still on Google Play? Yes, as "Sparkle TV Player" by HKAB when we checked in September 2026, despite a June report that it had been removed.
Does Sparkle TV work on Firestick? On Fire OS models such as the 4K Max, yes. Not on Vega OS models like the Fire TV Stick 4K Select.
Can Sparkle TV play antenna channels? Yes, through an HDHomeRun network tuner or a Tvheadend, Jellyfin or Plex server with a tuner attached.
Is Sparkle better than TiviMate? Cheaper and more flexible with sources; TiviMate is more mature for a single IPTV login.
Is there an iPhone or Apple TV version? No. Sparkle runs only on Android-based TV devices.
Prices are from the developer's website and may differ by region in Google Play. User-review themes are summarised from public store reviews and analytics pages. Sparkle TV supplies no channels; use it with an antenna, your own server or a licensed service. Checked September 2026.