IPTV Questions IPTV basics
Does IPTV have catch-up TV and recording?
How does IPTV catch-up work?
The provider's server keeps a rolling archive of recent broadcasts on selected channels, and your app plays them back from the TV guide. The provider sets how long each channel's archive lasts, from a few hours to several days, and older shows drop off the end. You may also see it called time shift, TV archive or replay.
Your app has to support it too. In TiviMate, for example, catch-up is part of the paid Premium upgrade: channels that have it show an archive icon, and you hold the left button in the guide to move back in time, then select a show. Other full-featured players have a catch-up or archive section. Within a replayed show, you can usually pause, rewind and skip ahead.
Does IPTV in Canada have catch-up?
Yes, though how much depends on the service. Bell Fibe TV and TELUS Optik TV let you restart many shows from about the last 30 hours, as TELUS explains for Optik TV, and both offer recording to a PVR. Independent IPTV services vary a lot: some have catch-up on many channels, others on a few or none.
To find out which IPTV servers offer time shifting, test before you pay. During a trial, open the guide on a news or sports channel, go back a few hours and try to play a show. Then ask support which channels keep an archive and for how long.
At IPTV Nord, catch-up is available on channels that support it, so you can go back a few hours and replay something you missed. It is handy across time zones: when a West Coast game starts late in Halifax or Toronto, you can tune in late and still watch from the opening faceoff. You can try it during the free trial.
Can you record IPTV?
Some apps can record to the device or a USB drive, but whether you may depends on your provider's terms. TiviMate Premium, for example, can record, while a Fire TV Stick has little free storage for it. IPTV Nord's terms and conditions do not allow recording, copying or redistributing streams, so use catch-up and the on-demand library instead.
| Feature | What it does | What it needs | IPTV Nord |
|---|---|---|---|
| Catch-up | Replays recent shows from the TV guide | A channel with an archive and an app that supports it | Yes, on channels that support it |
| Recording | Saves a show to your device | An app with recording and free storage | Not allowed by our terms |
| Video on demand | Plays movies and series any time | Any IPTV player | Yes, 120,000+ titles |
Related questions people ask
Why does catch-up not work on a channel?
Usually for one of three reasons: that channel has no archive, the show is older than the archive keeps, or your app does not support catch-up, as with the free version of TiviMate. Some live events are also left out of archives. Try another channel with the archive icon first, then ask your provider if it still fails.
Is catch-up the same as video on demand?
No. Catch-up replays what a channel aired recently and only keeps it for a limited time. Video on demand is a library of movies and series that stays available and does not depend on any channel's schedule. Most IPTV services offer both, and they appear in different parts of the app. See how the IPTV guide works.
Want to see how IPTV works in your home?
Start with a free 24-hour trial on your own TV. If it suits you, plans start at $19 CAD, paid by Interac e-Transfer.