Background Info

TVAnts is a P2P application set up by a group of students from Zhejiang University. It contains more channels than ANY player - around 500-600 on a good day! UK users may find it quite hard to use due to IP blocking, but the use of proxy servers (fully explained later in this essay) will sort out that.

Downloading TVAnts

Click on this link to Download the Latest version of TVAnts. The link will be updated when new versions are released:

Latest TVAnts Download

Setup is quite simple, follow the instructions and TVAnts will be up and ready.

Servers and Proxies

To be able to recieve more channels via TVAnts you should add the servers (sometimes known as Trackers) listed below:

www.tvants.com
tracker2.tvants.com
www1.tvants.com
www2.tvants.com
fanshoptv.no-ip.info
trackersport.serveftp.com
213.97.9.122
10.214.49.88
tracker.tvants.com
skyland.zapto.org
fw-tracker.no-ip.com
pirateradio.hopto.org
djdomyx-streaming.no-ip.org
219.149.195.139
220.201.4.39
hive.tobroadcast.com
www.p2psports.cn

Now to add these Servers what you need to do is...

1. Open TVAnts
2. Click the Servers tab
3. Click Add (at the bottom)
4. Where it says Address type in the Server (the other fields are as unnecessary as a 39th game in the Premier League)
5. Click OK
6. Repeat for other servers

Figure 1: TVAnts servers list

Using the 'Add' and 'Delete' buttons at the bottom (Figures 1.2, 1.3) you can modify the servers list (Figure 2). (Figure 2).fanshoptv.no-ip.info is one server that has worked well for us.

Figure 2: Adding a server to the TVAnts serversl list

Also if you're in the UK, you WILL need a proxy because UK IP's are blocked for Sports Channels. You will need a SOCKS5 proxy from any country except the UK. This is a useful site where you can get one (change your proxy regularly if you have to because they do stop working from time to time)

http://www.xroxy.com/proxylist.php

To add your Proxy to TVAnts:
1. Open TVAnts
2. Click Tools, then Settings, then the Proxy Tab
3. Tick the top two boxes
4. Click the ADD button (on the Settings window)
5. Then...
- Where it says Type, Select SOCKS5
- For Host, insert the IP/Host address
- For Port, insert the Port number
- Then click Apply if needed, then OK
6. Close TVAnts, and re-open it.

IF YOU LIVE OUTSIDE THE UK YOU DO NOT NEED A PROXY

Selecting a channel

Searching

1. Click the Search Tab
2. Wait, then a list of channels appear. Double click a channel, and it will buffer in a separate window

Figure 3: TVAnts search window

3. If you have a specific channel in mind, type a channel name into the Keywords Bar then click Search TV. A list of matching channels should appear.

Figure 4: Searching for a channel on TVAnts

Selecting from channels already watched

1. Click the Channels Tab
2. Click the channel you want
3. Said channel will buffer in separate window

Figure 5: TVAnts personal channels list

If you're given a Direct Link

Paste the link into the address bar on your browser. TVAnts and the window showing the channel will all open automatically

Playing in VLC

1. Let the TVAnts channel buffer
2. Open VLC PLayer
3. Open Network Stream
4. Check HTTP/MMS and paste localhost:16900/4.asf into the adjacent address bar
5. Click OK and it's good to go

FAQ's

I get ads and pop-ups when loading a channel?

- Load a channel using a Direct Link
- Close the webplayer window when a channel is selected. Click the channels tab and then click the buffering channel a few minutes later. You'll then avoid the adverts.

Why are so many weird characters in the text?

TVAnts has channel names for lots of languages from around the world - you need to install Language Packs for that

If there are any other questions do not hesitate to ask here and we will add the questions and possible solutions to the FAQ's list