IPTV EPG & catch-up TV: set up your guide the right way
A proper TV guide turns a plain channel list into a real television experience. Here's how to get your EPG working, fix the common time-offset bug, and use catch-up and timeshift.
IPTV EPG & catch-up setup- The EPG is your on-screen TV guide — it loads automatically when you log in with Xtream Codes.
- If the guide is an hour out, set your app's time offset/time zone to fix it.
- Catch-up and timeshift let you rewind or replay recent programmes on supported channels.
Once your subscription is up and running, the feature that makes it feel like real TV is the EPG — the electronic programme guide. It shows what's on now and next, powers catch-up, and makes 25,000 channels actually navigable. Here's how to get it working properly and fix the issues people run into.
What is the EPG?
The EPG (electronic programme guide) is the on-screen schedule you scroll through to see what's playing on each channel now and later. It's delivered as XMLTV guide data alongside your channel list. In most apps you don't have to configure anything — when you log in with Xtream Codes, the guide imports automatically.
How to load your EPG
- IPTV Smarters Pro / TiviMate (Xtream Codes login): the EPG loads automatically. Give it a minute on first launch to download the full guide.
- Kodi (PVR IPTV Simple Client): paste your M3U URL under General, then add the EPG (XMLTV) URL under the EPG Settings tab, and restart Kodi. See our setup guides for the exact steps.
- If the guide is blank: reload your playlist so the app re-downloads the latest guide data.
Fixing the "guide is an hour out" problem
The most common EPG complaint is programmes showing at the wrong time — usually off by exactly one hour. This is a time-zone / offset setting, not a broken guide. In your player's settings, look for EPG time offset or time zone and set it to Irish time (GMT/IST). In TiviMate it's under Settings → EPG; in IPTV Smarters check the general/time settings. Adjust the offset until "now" lines up with what's actually playing.
Using catch-up and timeshift
On supported channels you can go back in time as well as watch live:
- Catch-up (archive): open the guide, scroll back to an earlier programme on a catch-up-enabled channel, and play it. Great for a match or show you missed.
- Timeshift: pause and rewind live TV so you never miss the build-up to a goal.
- Availability: catch-up typically covers the last few days and depends on the channel. If a programme won't replay, that channel may not offer archive.
EPG troubleshooting checklist
- Blank guide? Reload the playlist; give it a minute to import.
- Wrong times? Set the EPG time offset / time zone to Irish time.
- Missing on some channels? Not every channel carries full guide data — this is normal.
- Still stuck? Reinstall the player and log back in, or message support.
If playback (not the guide) is the issue, our buffering fixes guide covers that separately.
Frequently asked questions
Why is my IPTV guide blank?
The guide data hasn't finished importing. Reload your playlist and wait a minute on first launch. If it stays blank, reinstall the player and log back in with your Xtream Codes details.
Why is my EPG showing the wrong time?
It's a time-zone setting, not a fault. Set your app's EPG time offset or time zone to Irish time (GMT/IST) until "now" matches what's actually playing.
How does IPTV catch-up work?
On catch-up-enabled channels you scroll back in the guide to an earlier programme and play it. Coverage is usually the last few days and varies by channel.
Do all channels have a TV guide?
Most do, but some carry limited or no guide data — that's normal across any IPTV service. The main Irish, UK and sports channels have full EPG.