IPTV basics
What Is an IPTV EPG? The TV Guide Explained
The programme guide is the part of IPTV you use most and think about least, until it is empty. Here is how it works and what to do when it does not.
What an EPG is
EPG stands for electronic programme guide. It is the on-screen schedule showing what each channel is showing now, what follows and, usually, a short description of each programme. It is the IPTV equivalent of the guide button on a traditional set-top box.
How the guide reaches your screen
The video streams and the guide are two separate things. Streams carry pictures and sound. The guide is a data file listing channels, programme titles, start times and end times. Your player downloads that file, matches each entry to a channel in your list and draws the grid.
With most account-style logins the guide is fetched automatically when you sign in. With a playlist link, some players ask for a second address for the guide data. Your setup details from us tell you which applies.
What a good guide lets you do
- See what is on now and next without leaving the current channel.
- Scroll forward through the day's schedule.
- Read a short synopsis before you switch over.
- Search for a programme by name, in players that support it.
Why the guide is sometimes empty
It has not downloaded yet
On first sign-in the guide can take several minutes to arrive, particularly on a slower device. Give it five minutes before assuming there is a problem.
It needs refreshing
Guide data covers a limited number of days and must be updated regularly. Most players do this on their own, but a device that has been asleep for a long time may be showing an expired file. Look for “Refresh EPG”, “Update guide” or “Reload” in the player's settings.
Only some channels are blank
If most channels show listings and a few do not, guide data is simply not available for those channels. That is not a fault on your device.
Why listings show the wrong time
If every programme appears an hour early or late, the cause is almost always a time setting.
- Check that your device's date, time and time zone are correct and set to update automatically. In the UK and Ireland the zone should be London or Dublin.
- Look in the player for an “EPG time shift” or “time offset” setting and set it to zero.
- If the problem appeared straight after the clocks changed in late March or late October, refresh the guide. It usually corrects itself once new data is downloaded.
Quick fixes, in order
- Refresh the guide from the player's settings.
- Close the player fully and reopen it.
- Check the device's time zone.
- Clear the player's cache.
- Remove your account from the player and add it again.
If the guide is still empty across all channels after that, let us know which player and device you are using. Other symptoms are covered in the troubleshooting hub.
Checking the guide during a trial
When you are evaluating any IPTV service, choose five channels you watch regularly and compare their listings with what is on screen. It takes two minutes and tells you a great deal about how well a service is maintained. The rest of the routine is in our trial checklist.