“€65 PER MONTH?!” I nearly choked on my coffee while reviewing my Ziggo bill on a drizzly Tuesday evening in Amstelveen. My 8-year-old son Daan sat next to me on the couch, sulking because he’d missed the Ajax-PSV match due to an outage. “Dad, why do we pay so much if it doesn’t even work?” he asked with that childlike logic that sometimes leaves you speechless as a parent.
That question lingered. Why were we paying so much indeed?
How It All Started: A Typical Dutch Story
It was during our neighborhood barbecue in the Oranjewijk, where my neighbor Jeroen (who works in IT at an Amsterdam startup) approached me while we were enjoying a beer and watching the children play hide-and-seek between the garden sheds.
“Thomas, aren’t you an accountant? You should know better than to waste money on Ziggo,” he teased, grabbing a bitterbal. “My in-laws in Haarlem paid for packages they barely used for years. I set them up with IPTV and now they’re saving €40 a month.”
“IPTV?” I asked, “Isn’t that a bit… shady?” I immediately thought of my brother-in-law Pieter who once got into trouble with some illegal football stream.
Jeroen shook his head. “No, that’s a misunderstanding. There are plenty of reliable providers. Completely legal, reliable, and you get more for less.”
What Is IPTV Anyway? (Explaining It To My Grandmother)
Before I continue: what exactly is IPTV? When my 84-year-old grandmother Truus from Zwolle asked what I was researching, I explained it like this:
“Grandma, you know how you used to watch TV through an antenna or cable that went into your television? With IPTV, everything comes through your internet connection, just like when you watch a YouTube video on your iPad. It’s just television, but via the internet instead of through that thick cable.”
“Oh,” she said, “so it’s like Netflix but with regular TV channels?”
“Exactly, Grandma! And you can watch it on any screen – your TV, tablet, or phone.”
She nodded contentedly. “That sounds convenient for when I visit you and want to watch my soap operas while you’re watching football.”
Getting Serious: The Legal Side
As we say in the Netherlands: “Cheap becomes expensive if you don’t follow the rules.” I absolutely wanted to avoid any trouble with illegal streams or questionable services. After some research, I understood there’s a clear difference between legal IPTV services (which pay for content rights) and illegal streams.
I chose a legal provider with clear terms of service and privacy policy. As my grandfather always said: “If something seems too good to be true, it usually is.”
For more clarity, I contacted the founder of MyIPTV-NL. In a brief phone conversation, he explained: “We only work with legal content providers and properly pay for all broadcasting rights. Many people think cheaper automatically means illegal, but our business model is based on efficiency and lower overhead costs than traditional cable providers. We don’t need to maintain physical infrastructure or send out expensive decoders.”
Our Experience: From Skeptical to Convinced
The Big Switch
“You want to do WHAT?” My wife Annemiek looked at me as if I’d suggested selling our house and moving into a houseboat. We were sitting at our dining table, while the aroma of her famous kale stew wafted through the house.
“Cancel Ziggo,” I repeated, “and switch to IPTV. We can save more than €400 a year.”
“But how will I watch Bake Off? And what about Daan’s children’s programs? And your football?” She suspiciously ladled a plate of stew.
“That’s the beauty,” I explained, “we can keep watching everything, plus much more. And it works on all devices.”
Annemiek remained skeptical but agreed to a trial period. “One month,” she warned, “and if Daan misses even one episode of his favorite show, we’re going back to Ziggo.”
The Setup: Easier Than Expected
On a Saturday morning, I cycled to MediaMarkt in the city center and bought an Android TV Box for €39.99 (on sale – I’m still Dutch). At home, I connected it to our 200Mbps KPN fiber connection.
“Dad, what are you doing with the TV?” Daan asked curiously, standing in the doorway with his Ajax ball under his arm.
“I’m making sure we can watch more for less money,” I replied. “Want to help me?”
Together we installed the box using this How-to installation guide, which was surprisingly simple. Within an hour, we had all the channels up and running.
“Look, Daan,” I said, navigating through the kids’ menu. “You can now watch ANY episode of your favorite shows, whenever you want.”
His eyes widened. “Really? Even that episode with the explosions that grandma didn’t like?”
“Even that one,” I nodded.
“This is magic, Dad!” he exclaimed, running to the kitchen to share the news with Annemiek.
The Baptism by Fire: The Classic Match
The real test came the following weekend: Ajax versus Feyenoord. I had invited my football friends Willem and Bas over to watch the match. Willem, who lives in Diemen and treats his KPN subscription like a family heirloom, was particularly skeptical.
“But how are you going to watch The Classic without Ziggo?” he asked, hanging his coat in our hallway.
“The same way as always,” I replied, “but for half the price.”
I turned on the TV, navigated to the sports channel on MyIPTV-NL, and there it was: crystal clear 1080p picture quality, no stuttering.
“Unbelievable,” Bas muttered, grabbing a handful of snacks. “And you say you’re saving €35 a month?”
When Ajax scored in the 89th minute and we all jumped up, some beer bottles toppled over. In the excitement that followed, no one noticed that the stream kept running perfectly – no buffering, no delay.
Benefits That Surprised Us
After three months of IPTV, I can honestly say these benefits surprised us the most:
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Improved Family Harmony ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
No more fights over the remote. Annemiek watches her cooking shows on the tablet in the kitchen, while Daan watches cartoons in the living room and I follow sports matches on my laptop if necessary.“Remember how we used to argue about who got to watch what?” Annemiek asked recently during dinner. “That seems so outdated now.”
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Flexibility in Viewing Habits ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Annemiek used to rush through dinner preparation to catch her cooking show. Now she watches while cooking – and pauses when the sauce needs stirring.
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Content Discovery ⭐⭐⭐⭐
We’ve discovered programs we didn’t know existed. International documentaries, independent films, educational programs for Daan.“Dad, did you know there are sharks that can glow in the dark?” Daan asked recently at breakfast, after watching a nature documentary we would never have found on regular channels.
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Technical Ease ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Even my technologically challenged father-in-law Henk (72) from Alkmaar got his system working after a 15-minute phone call.“Thomas, my boy,” he said on the phone the next day, “I’m now watching a World War II documentary I’ve been looking for for years. Thank you!”
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Financial Benefits ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
The €35+ we save monthly goes straight into our vacation fund for Texel. Daan has already picked out the ice cream parlor on the island where most of that money will end up.
Challenges and How We Solved Them
Was everything problem-free? Of course not:
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Internet Connection Sometimes Stuttered ⭐⭐
During peak hours, we noticed some buffering. Moving the router to a higher shelf (away from Annemiek’s metal vase collection) and switching to 5GHz Wi-Fi instead of 2.4GHz solved most problems.
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Learning Curve for the Family ⭐⭐⭐
It took Annemiek three weeks to stop reaching for the old remote.“I feel like my mother,” she sighed one evening, after pressing the wrong button for the third time. But now she navigates all menus effortlessly.
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Finding Dutch Content ⭐⭐⭐
Some Dutch programs required more searching. Those obscure cooking shows Annemiek loves tested my patience, but we eventually found them.
Who Is IPTV Ideal For?
For Families With Children
If you have children like our Daan, who wants to watch both Nickelodeon and educational programs, IPTV is ideal. The ability to filter child-friendly content and watch on-demand means no more hassle with bedtimes and missed episodes.
“Since we’ve had IPTV, it’s much easier to get Daan to bed on time,” Annemiek told her sister during a family visit. “No more ‘but I want to see the end’ – he knows he can continue watching tomorrow.”
For Sports Enthusiasts
As an avid Ajax supporter, I was concerned about missing matches. But with MyIPTV-NL, I have access to more sporting events than ever before.
During a neighborhood drinks gathering, I told Willem about an obscure tennis competition I had discovered. “You’d never find that on Ziggo,” I said, as we both reached for a bitterbal.
“Maybe I should look into this IPTV of yours after all,” he finally admitted.
For Less Tech-Savvy Users
My mother-in-law Els (70) was always afraid of new technology. “I’ll press the wrong button and everything will disappear,” was her standard excuse.
But even she got used to our IPTV system during a weekend stay. The intuitive interface and simple navigation made the difference.
“This is actually easier than that complicated Ziggo remote,” she admitted, effortlessly switching to her favorite program.
Technical Requirements: What Do You Need?
For an optimal IPTV experience in the Netherlands, you need the following:
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Internet Connection: Minimum 25Mbps for HD streaming, 50Mbps recommended for families
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Equipment: Smart TV, Android TV Box (from €39.99), or just your existing laptop/tablet
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IPTV Subscription: We chose MyIPTV-NL for reliability and extensive Dutch content
Conclusion: Is IPTV Worth It For Dutch Households?
For our family in Amstelveen, the answer is a resounding yes. We’re not only saving money (already more than €100 so far), but our relationship with entertainment has fundamentally changed. We’re more conscious about what we watch, discover better content, and no longer plan our evenings around TV schedules.
As we say in the Netherlands: “Cheap can also be good” – and in this case, it’s even better.
Those extra ice creams on Texel this summer? They already taste sweeter in our minds.
Do you have experiences with IPTV in the Netherlands? Or are you considering making the switch? I’m curious about your thoughts and questions!
Thomas de Vries lives in Amstelveen with his wife Annemiek and 8-year-old son Daan. When he’s not busy with his work as an accountant or watching Ajax matches, he devises ways to optimize household expenses without compromising on quality. This article is based on his personal experience with IPTV services in the Netherlands.
