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Technical

What Is an EPG, and Why Is Mine Empty?

EPG stands for Electronic Programme Guide — the grid of what is on now and next that you expect from any television. In IPTV it is a separate data feed from the video, which is precisely why it so often goes wrong on its own.

Fix my EPGSee Plans & Prices

Why the EPG is separate from the channels

Your channel list comes from the M3U or Xtream Codes line. The listings come from a completely different file, usually XMLTV format, that your app downloads and matches to the channels by name or ID.

When that matching fails — because the channel is named slightly differently in each file — you get channels that play perfectly with no listings at all. The video is fine; only the guide is broken.

The three problems and their fixes

  • Empty EPG — the app has not downloaded the guide yet. Force a refresh in settings and wait a few minutes on first load.
  • Wrong times — a timezone offset. Set the app to GMT/BST rather than automatic, which frequently guesses wrong.
  • Some channels have listings, others do not — an ID mismatch. Most apps let you map a channel to the correct EPG source manually.

If you connected using a plain M3U link rather than Xtream Codes, reconnect using Xtream Codes. That fixes missing EPG more often than any other single change.

Catch-up depends on the EPG

Seven-day catch-up works by letting you select a programme that already aired from the guide grid. No EPG means no catch-up, because there is nothing to select. Getting the guide working is what unlocks it.

Common questions

Frequently asked

How long does the EPG take to load?
On first setup, up to about fifteen minutes for a full guide across twenty thousand channels. After that it updates in the background.
Why are my EPG times an hour out?
British Summer Time. Set the timezone manually to GMT+1 during BST rather than leaving it on automatic.
Can I use my own EPG source?
Yes — TiviMate and most serious apps accept a custom XMLTV URL. Ours is supplied with your login details.
Which app has the best EPG?
TiviMate, comfortably. It handles mapping, catch-up and multi-source guides better than anything else on Android.
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Read next

M3U Playlists, Xtream Codes and How They Actually WorkRead guide IPTV Not Working: Fix It in OrderRead guide

Guide not loading?

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Fix my EPG

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