IPTV Questions IPTV basics
Does IPTV have a TV guide (EPG)?
How does the IPTV TV guide work?
The guide is a separate schedule file that your app matches to your channels. The provider publishes its listings, usually in a format called XMLTV, with an ID for each channel. The app downloads that file, matches each ID to a channel in your list, and fills the grid with show names, times and descriptions, then refreshes it on its own.
That is why channels can play before the guide appears, and why a channel may show "No information": its ID has no listings, which is common on event and 24/7 channels.
How do you get the TV guide in your IPTV app?
Sign in with Xtream Codes if your provider offers it, then give the guide a few minutes to load.
- Use the Xtream Codes login (username, password and server URL). The guide comes with it.
- Wait a few minutes after the first sign-in. Channels appear first, and the guide fills in behind them.
- With an M3U link, paste the guide link (EPG or XMLTV link) from your provider into the app's EPG settings.
- If the guide stays empty, use the update or refresh option in the app's settings, then restart the app.
TiviMate has a full cable-style grid (see our TiviMate setup guide), while VLC has no real guide. For refresh steps, read how to update your channel list and TV guide.
Why are IPTV guide times wrong in Canada, and how do you fix them?
Wrong times almost always come from the clock or time zone on your device, because most IPTV apps show the guide in the device's local time. Canada has six time zones, from Pacific to Newfoundland, so a device set to the wrong one can be off by hours.
- Set the time zone on your TV, stick or box to your city, not just your country.
- Install any system update. From November 1, 2026, British Columbia and Manitoba no longer turn their clocks back, and a device that has not been updated may show the guide one hour off. Saskatchewan and Yukon already stay on one time all year.
- If it is still off, use the guide time shift setting in your app.
Our IPTV Vancouver and IPTV Winnipeg pages explain the clock change for those cities.
Which IPTV has the best EPG?
The best EPG is the one that covers the channels you actually watch, with correct times, several days ahead. When you test a service, check these five things:
- Most of the channels you watch have listings, not "No information".
- The guide shows at least two or three days ahead.
- Start times match the real broadcast in your time zone.
- Shows have descriptions, and channels have logos.
- Channels with catch-up are marked, so you can replay from the guide.
At IPTV Nord, the guide loads in TiviMate, Smarters apps and other Xtream Codes players, and channels with catch-up replay recent shows from it. Check it on your own TV during the free trial.
Related questions people ask
Why does my IPTV guide show the wrong shows on a channel?
Usually because the channel is matched to the wrong listing, for example the Eastern feed of a network instead of the Pacific one, or because the provider renamed the channel. Refresh the guide first. If the mismatch stays, tell your provider which channel is wrong. With IPTV Nord, Live Chat can check it for you.
Can I add a different EPG source to my IPTV app?
Some apps, such as TiviMate, let you add an extra guide link. It only works if the channel IDs in that guide match the IDs in your channel list, which is rarely the case with a guide from another source. The guide from your own provider almost always fits best.
Want to see how IPTV works in your home?
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