Before you start
- A MAG 3xx, 4xx or 5xx, or a Formuler Z8, Z10 or Z11
- The MAC address printed on the label underneath the box
- The portal URL we send once you have shared that MAC
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Doing it, one step at a time
Find the MAC address
Turn the box over and read the label, or open Settings and then About device. MAG hardware always starts 00:1A:79. Send that string to us on WhatsApp and wait until it is confirmed before attempting anything else here, because none of the steps below can work until the portal is live against that address.
MAG: enter the portal URL
Follow Settings into System settings, then Servers, then Portals. Portal 1 takes any name at all; beneath it goes the address we sent. Save, then reboot the unit properly. Nothing loads until that reboot happens, and forgetting it is far and away the commonest reason people message support about this box.
Formuler: use MyTVOnline
Launch MyTVOnline 2 or 3, take Add Portal, and give it a name plus the address we sent. If you would rather, the same screen offers Xtream Codes and the ordinary three-value login works there. Formuler hardware is Android underneath, so TiViMate is also an option when you want its guide instead.
Start watching
After the restart the box loads all 25,000+ channels with the built-in guide. The colour buttons on the remote handle favourites and the EPG. Build the favourites row on the first evening, because these remotes are pleasant to use and unpleasant to scroll.
Decide between the portal and an Xtream login
A MAG only understands the portal, so there is no choice there. A Formuler will take either, and the Xtream route through MyTVOnline or TiViMate is easier to move between devices later. Take the portal on a MAG and Xtream on a Formuler unless support suggests otherwise.
Set the guide to local time and build favourites
The built-in guide defaults to the portal's time zone, which will not be yours. Change it in the box settings before the first evening. Then use the colour buttons to build a favourites list, because these remotes are pleasant to press and tedious to scroll.
When it goes wrong, and why
The portal shows "STB blocked" or a blank screen
One of two things: activation has not completed at our end, or a character went astray on its way to us. Rather than typing the MAC out again, photograph the label and send the picture. That clears it in minutes almost every time and avoids a long exchange about whether a character was a zero or the letter O.
The box worked at home but not after moving country
The portal is bound to the MAC, not to a location, so the box itself is fine. What usually changed is the network: some providers block the portal port. Tell support which country you are now in and they will move you to an alternative address.
Everything worked, then stopped after a firmware update
MAG firmware updates occasionally clear the stored portal. The account is unaffected. Re-enter the portal address under Settings, System settings, Servers, Portals and restart the box, and it returns exactly as it was.
The picture is fine but the guide is empty
Portal guide data loads separately from the channel list and can take a full day to populate on a first run. Leave the box powered on overnight before reporting it. If it is still empty, ask support to rebuild the guide against your MAC.
Which player suits this hardware
TiViMate
Set up TiViMate on Android TV, a Firestick or an Android box with your Xtream login, load the programme guide, and see what Premium actually adds.
The full index
Every device and player covered, gathered on one page.
Point your MAG and Formuler box at home
From $15 a month for 25,000+ channels, with the details back on WhatsApp in under 15 minutes.
Questions about MAG and Formuler box
Is a MAG box better than a Firestick?
For the television the household actually watches, yes. The remote is better, the guide moves faster, and nothing is ever sideloaded onto it. The price is $120 to $180 as against $30 to $50 for a stick. Anywhere other than the main room, the stick wins on value and nobody will be able to tell.
Can I take the box with me if I move again?
Yes, and the portal follows it, because activation is tied to the MAC rather than to an address or a country. Tell us where you have landed if streams behave differently afterwards, since the best route to you may have changed.
Is it worth buying a box at all if I might move again?
If you expect to move within a year, a stick is the better buy: cheaper, pocket-sized and no MAC to re-register. A MAG or Formuler earns its price in a home you intend to stay in, where a better remote and a quicker guide are felt every single evening.