In this guide
  1. When the guide is empty
  2. When everything is an hour out
  3. Keep it fresh
  4. Make the grid easier to read
  5. Use it to plan, not just to browse
  6. On other players
  7. Questions

A channel list tells you what exists; the guide tells you what’s on. With listings working, SSTV IPTV behaves like satellite: browse the grid, set a reminder, rewind yesterday’s news. Without them, it’s a long list of names. This article gets you from the second situation to the first, then helps you make the most of it. The examples use TiviMate Premium, but most players have similar options.

When the guide is empty

Just after the first sign-in, the guide can take a few minutes to fill. The player downloads several days of listings for every channel, which is a large file. Leave it on a channel for five minutes before worrying.

Still empty? In TiviMate, open the EPG section of the settings and check that a guide source is listed and enabled. With an Xtream login it’s added for you; with a playlist link you may need to add the guide address shown in My subscription. Then run an EPG update.

A few channels say “No information” while the rest are fine. Those channels simply have no listings in the data, which happens with some smaller or regional stations; your setup isn’t at fault. Tell us which ones, because sometimes we can match them to a listings source.

When everything is an hour out

Listings are stored in universal time and converted by your device. If they’re shifted:

  1. Check the device’s own clock and time zone. On Fire TV, look under Settings → Preferences; on Google TV and Android TV, under Settings → System → Date & time.
  2. If the device is right and the guide is still out, use the player’s time shift. TiviMate has one in its EPG settings.

Keep it fresh

TiviMate refreshes listings on a schedule you can set in its EPG settings. Once a day is plenty. If the device has been off for a week, open the guide and give it a minute to catch up.

Make the grid easier to read

  • Hide groups you never watch. Fewer rows, faster scrolling.
  • Start from your favourites. Keep everyday channels in a favourites group and open the guide from there.
  • Use channel numbers. TiviMate can number channels, so you can type 101 instead of scrolling.
  • Pick the right view. The full grid suits planning; the mini-guide over the picture suits a quick look while watching.

Use it to plan, not just to browse

Reminders. Select a future programme and set a reminder; the player prompts you when it starts and can switch channel for you.

Recordings. TiviMate Premium can schedule a recording from the same menu, saved to the device or a USB stick.

Search. Looking for a particular film or team? Search the guide instead of scrolling through long channel lists.

Replays. On channels with an archive, scroll left into the past and play what you missed. Our article on catch-up explains which channels keep archives and for how long.

On other players

  • SS IPTV reads listings from the playlist, and its time shift is in the settings; see the SS IPTV guide.
  • iPhone and iPad players usually load the guide automatically with an Xtream login; if not, check the app’s EPG settings.
  • MAG boxes show the guide supplied by the portal.

Questions

How many days ahead does the guide go?

It depends on each channel’s data, usually several days. The TV guide page has more detail.

Why does a channel show the wrong programme?

Occasionally a channel gets matched to the wrong listings. Send us its name and the time, and we’ll correct the match.

Does refreshing the guide use much data?

Very little: far less than a single episode of a series, once a day.