Know what you're buying
Two-letter endings come from the international list of country codes, and TV happens to be Tuvalu's. IANA, the body that keeps the master list of endings, classes .tv as a country-code domain managed by a Tuvalu government ministry, with a commercial registry on the technical side.
In plain terms:
- It doesn't say you're in Tuvalu. Google lists .tv among the country codes it treats as generic, like .com. Google notes the list may change.
- It doesn't make you a TV station. Buying a name gives you a name. It's no licence, and no rights to anything you show.
- It does sound like what you do. That's the whole appeal: people expect video before they click.
Say it out loud first
Your name will be said from a pulpit, on a school announcement, at the end of every show. So try this before you pay. It takes five minutes and costs nothing.
- Say the full name to two people who don't know the channel. Don't spell it.
- Ask them to type it into a phone.
- Note what they did. Many people type .com out of habit, so watch for that one in particular.
- Write it on paper at poster size, and check it still reads well in capitals and in lower case.
If they end up on someone else's .com, you've seen what will happen to some of your viewers. That's no reason to give up on .tv, but it is a reason to protect your name, further down.
Compare it with .com and .live
The Kind column comes from IANA's records. The other two are our own reading, so treat them as advice.
| Ending | Kind | What viewers think | Good for |
|---|---|---|---|
| .tv | Country code (Tuvalu) | Video, a channel, something to watch | A channel with a video library or a regular schedule |
| .live | Generic | Happening now | Events and services you stream as they happen |
| .com | Generic | The default, an organisation | Anything, if you can still get a name you like |
One difference doesn't show in the name. Generic endings follow ICANN's rules for things like transfers and expiry notices. A country code is run by its own manager, so don't assume those rules apply. On disputes, WIPO lists .tv under the same UDRP process generic names use, so there's a known route if someone registers a name that copies your trademark in bad faith.
WHOIS privacy, which keeps your details out of the public record, is offered where an extension supports it, so look for it on the name you choose.
Check the renewal price before you pay
We don't quote prices in guides. Our domains page shows each extension's price before checkout. If you can't see what the second year costs, ask us before you pay. Here's what to look for, because a name is a bill that comes back every year.
- Compare year one with year two. ICANN tells domain owners to know their terms, because renewal options and fees vary by registrar.
- Be careful with very short or very common words. Some .tv names are sold as premium. One registrar's help page says many of these renew at the normal rate, but certain ones cost more, and the registry decides which. If your name looks expensive, ask what it renews at before you pay.
- Ask what late costs. Find out what happens if a renewal is missed, and how long the name can still be recovered.
A lapsed name takes your site and your email down together. Turn on auto-renew if it's offered, and keep the payment details current.
Protect your name elsewhere
You don't need every ending. You just want to stop the obvious mix-ups.
- Get the matching .com if it's free, and point it at the same site, so people who type .com out of habit still find you.
- Check the name isn't someone else's. Search for it, and look in your country's trademark register. That's a sensible first look, and a lawyer can tell you more.
- Claim the same name on the social sites you use.
- Register it to the channel, not to a person. For a church, club or school, put the organisation down as owner and use a shared address. Volunteers move on, and ICANN reminds owners to keep contact details current so renewal notices arrive.
Make the call
| If this sounds like you | Choose |
|---|---|
| Short name, mostly shared as a link, the channel is the whole project | .tv |
| You mainly stream events: services, matches, concerts | .live |
| You're an organisation that also streams, with email and a wider website | .com, then add .tv if it's cheap to keep |
| The .tv you want costs far more than its neighbours | Change the name, or pick another ending. You don't need that bill |
Don't let this hold you up. You can start the channel today and add a name when you've picked one.
Put the name to work
The name needs somewhere to go. Build a simple website with email at your own domain and put your embeddable player on the first page. Registered with us, the name connects to your site or player in the same account. Bought elsewhere, you can bring it over with a transfer, or ask us for help connecting it.