Comparison · verified on 2026-09-25
Megacubo vs Hypnotix: two M3U players, one of them Linux only
Both open the same M3U playlists and both are open source. Hypnotix is the Linux Mint player, built for someone already on Linux who wants to start watching with as little setup as possible; Megacubo is an app for Windows, Linux, macOS, Android and TV. The most interesting difference between them is not a feature — it is what each one shows on first launch.
In one sentence
In short: if you use Linux Mint or another GTK distribution and want to start watching today, with a playlist that is already there and the option to replace it, Hypnotix is the shortest path; if you want the same app on Windows, on a phone and on a TV, with radio, recording, scheduled recordings and casting to the TV, pick Megacubo.
Side by side
| Attribute | Megacubo | Hypnotix |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | An M3U/IPTV playlist player, with live TV, radio and VOD | “An M3U IPTV Player”, as the project describes it — the project is Linux Mint's 1 |
| Licence | GPL-3.0, with the source on GitHub | GPLv3 for the code; the icons are CC BY-ND 2.0 and the flags come from a separate Linux Mint project 1 |
| Where it runs | Windows 10/11 (x64 and ARM64), Linux, macOS, Android, Android TV and TV boxes | Linux with GTK; the project publishes no builds for Windows, macOS or Android 1 |
| Dependencies | None beyond the app itself | It needs libxapp 2.6 or newer, libmpv and python3-imdbpy 1 |
| Playlist sources | M3U/M3U8 playlists and community lists, with EPG (XMLTV) guide data | An M3U URL, the Xtream API and a local M3U file 1 |
| Playlist on first launch | None: you add your own playlist | A default provider called Free-TV: free and legal content grouped by country, with no adult content, removable in the settings 1 |
| Live TV | Yes | Yes 1 |
| Movies and series | Through the provider of the playlist, in the VOD section | Yes, besides live TV 1 |
| Radio | Yes | Not listed among the features 1 |
| Recording | Yes, with the optional Premium license | Not listed among the features 1 |
| Cast to the TV | Yes, with the Premium license | Not listed 1 |
| Android and TV boxes | Yes, with an interface a remote control can navigate | No 1 |
| Wayland session | Needs no adjustment | It needs MPV running with vo=x11 and the app with GDK_BACKEND=x11 1 |
| How releases are published | Releases with a version number, per platform | Tags per LMDE release in the repository, following the Linux Mint cycle 1 |
| Content included | None: the playlist is the user's | None: the project states it does not provide content or TV channels 1 |
| Price | Free; an optional one-time Premium license | Free, under GPLv3 1 |
1 Source for the Hypnotix facts: github.com/linuxmint/hypnotix (the project README), checked on 2026-09-25. The Megacubo facts are on this section's facts and specifications page.
The difference nobody usually mentions
Almost every player in this section starts empty: you arrive with your playlist, and without a playlist there is no channel. Hypnotix is the exception — it opens with a default provider already in place, Free-TV, with free content grouped by country. That is not the same as providing content: the project itself says it does not provide channels, and what it ships is a collection of public sources you can remove at any time.
The distinction is worth making because it decides the first half hour. On our side the path is the opposite: no playlist comes inside the app, and the section publishes instructions per platform so the first channel shows up in a few steps. Neither model is better in the abstract — one starts watching, the other starts your way.
Pros and cons of both sides
Megacubo
- One app for Windows, Linux, macOS, Android and Android TV — the same on all of them
- Radio, recording, scheduled recordings and casting to the TV, with a one-time license
- Numbered releases with published notes, and an interface in 22 languages
- It ships no playlist at all: without one there is no channel
- It does not play local files or open external players
- It has no multi-view
Hypnotix
- It opens with a built-in playlist of free content, grouped by country
- It accepts an M3U URL, the Xtream API and a local file, covering TV, movies and series
- It is free software under GPLv3, maintained by the Linux Mint project
- Linux only: no Windows, macOS, Android or Smart TV
- It requires libxapp, libmpv and python3-imdbpy to be installed
- On Wayland it needs a manual adjustment, and its releases follow the LMDE cycle
Frequently asked questions
Does Hypnotix work outside Linux?
No. It is a GTK application for Linux that depends on libxapp and libmpv, and the project publishes no builds for Windows, macOS or Android — whoever is on those systems needs another player. Megacubo has a native app for all four platforms, plus Android TV and TV boxes.
Does Hypnotix come with channels?
It ships with a built-in playlist: a default provider called Free-TV, with free and legal content grouped by country and no adult content, which the user can remove. The project says it does not provide content or channels — the playlist is a collection of public sources, not a channel package of its own — yet in practice it is the only alternative in this section that opens with something to watch.
Which of the two accepts more playlist sources?
Hypnotix accepts an M3U URL, the Xtream API and a local M3U file; Megacubo accepts M3U and M3U8 playlists and community lists, with EPG guide data. Whoever already has a playlist finds a direct path in both.