Setup & Apps
What Is an EPG and How Do You Set It Up?
An EPG is the TV guide in your IPTV app. Learn how it works, why it can be empty or out of sync, and how to add an XMLTV link in popular players.
Key takeaways
- EPG means Electronic Program Guide: the schedule grid that shows what's on each channel now and next.
- With an Xtream Codes login, the guide loads automatically in most apps; with an M3U link you add a separate XMLTV link.
- A blank guide usually means the EPG link is missing or hasn't finished downloading; a guide that's an hour off means a time-zone setting.
- Once a day is often enough to refresh the guide, and most apps can do it by themselves when they start.
What an EPG is
An Electronic Program Guide is the TV guide inside your player app: the grid of channels down the side and times along the top, with program names, descriptions and sometimes artwork. In IPTV, the guide data comes from a separate file, usually in the XMLTV format, that your app downloads and matches to your channel list.
How the guide is matched to channels
Every channel in your playlist carries an ID. The XMLTV file lists programs against the same IDs. When the IDs match, the guide fills in. That's why a guide can be perfect for most channels and blank for a few: those channels have no matching schedule in the file, which is common for event channels that only carry occasional broadcasts.
Xtream Codes vs M3U for the guide
| Login type | Guide setup |
|---|---|
| Xtream Codes | Automatic in TiviMate, IPTV Smarters Pro, GSE and most modern players |
| M3U link | Add the XMLTV link in the app's EPG settings |
| MAG / portal | Provided by the portal; nothing to add |
If your app supports both, Xtream Codes saves you the extra step. Our M3U vs Xtream Codes post goes into the differences.
Adding an EPG link in popular apps
Your XMLTV link follows this pattern, with your own details from the activation email: http://SERVER:PORT/xmltv.php?username=USERNAME&password=PASSWORD.
TiviMate
- Settings → EPG → Add EPG source.
- Paste the XMLTV link and choose Next.
- Back on the guide, wait a minute while it downloads.
IPTV Smarters Pro
With an Xtream Codes login, choose Install EPG on the home screen. With an M3U playlist, add the EPG URL when you create the playlist profile.
GSE Smart IPTV
Open the menu → Remote EPG → add a new source and paste the XMLTV link, then assign it to your playlist. Our GSE guide has screenshots of each step.
Kodi
In the PVR IPTV Simple Client settings, open the EPG tab, set the location to Remote path and paste the XMLTV link. Restart Kodi to load it. See the Kodi guide.
Fixing guide problems
The guide question we get most is "why is my guide an hour off?", and it's nearly always the device's time zone, often after a trip or a factory reset. Check that first. The rest of the usual problems:
- Guide is blank everywhere: the EPG link is missing or mistyped. Re-copy it from your email, then refresh the guide.
- Guide is blank for a few channels: those channels may not have schedule data, which is normal for occasional event channels.
- Times are an hour or more off: set the app's EPG time offset (TiviMate: Settings → EPG → EPG time shift) or check your device's time zone.
- Guide is out of date: update the EPG manually, and turn on Update on app start.
- App is slow after adding the guide: reduce how many days of guide data it keeps; two or three days is plenty.
Browse what's in the guide on the channel list, and find app-by-app instructions in our setup guides.
Frequently asked questions
Yes. Every plan and free trial includes the full TV guide. It loads automatically with an Xtream Codes login.
Your device's time zone or the app's EPG offset is off. Fix the time zone first, then adjust the EPG time shift in the app if needed.
Once a day is enough. Most apps can refresh the guide automatically each time they start.
First published . Last reviewed by the IPTV Trends support team.