What Is an EPG in IPTV?
EPG stands for Electronic Program Guide — it's the on-screen TV guide that shows what's currently airing on each channel and what's scheduled next. Without an EPG, you're browsing a list of channel names with no information about what's on. With a full EPG, IPTV becomes as intuitive as traditional cable — you can see NFL game times, movie titles, show descriptions, and plan your viewing days in advance.
In IPTV, the EPG data comes from an XMLTV feed — a structured XML file hosted on a server that your player app downloads and maps to your channel list. The quality of the EPG depends on two factors: how many channels are covered and how frequently the data is updated.
Our EPG Coverage
- 14 days of guide data for all 50,000+ channels
- Auto-refresh every 24 hours — always up to date
- US sports channels with accurate game times and matchup info
- Show titles, descriptions, episode numbers for TV series
- Movie titles, genres, ratings, and runtimes
- News segments, anchor names, and broadcast times
- Compatible with TiviMate, Smarters Pro, GSE, Perfect Player, and VLC
The XMLTV Format Explained
XMLTV is the universal standard for IPTV program guide data. Here's what an XMLTV file looks like — your player fetches this automatically from the EPG URL:
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<tv generator-info-name="IPTV EPG">
<channel id="espn.us">
<display-name lang="en">ESPN</display-name>
<icon src="https://example.com/logos/espn.png"/>
</channel>
<programme start="20260720180000 +0000"
stop="20260720200000 +0000"
channel="espn.us">
<title lang="en">NFL Countdown</title>
<desc lang="en">Pre-game analysis and predictions for Sunday's NFL matchups.</desc>
<category lang="en">Sports</category>
<rating><value>TV-G</value></rating>
</programme>
</tv>
Key fields in the XMLTV format: channel id (must match your M3U tvg-id), programme start/stop (timestamps in YYYYMMDDHHmmss +TZ format), title, desc, and optional icon for channel logos.
How EPG IDs Map to Channels
The connection between your M3U channel list and the EPG data relies on EPG IDs. In your M3U playlist, each channel has a tvg-id attribute that must match the id in the XMLTV file. When these match, your player can display the correct program guide for each channel.
Example M3U channel entry with EPG ID:
#EXTINF:-1 tvg-id="espn.us" tvg-name="ESPN" tvg-logo="https://example.com/espn.png" group-title="USA Sports",ESPN http://server.example.com/get.php?username=USER&password=PASS&type=m3u_plus&output=ts
When your player fetches the EPG URL, it reads espn.us from the M3U, finds the matching <channel id="espn.us"> in the XMLTV file, and populates the guide automatically. If a channel shows no EPG data, the tvg-id doesn't match — contact support for the correct mapping.
EPG Setup by App
TiviMate — EPG Setup
- Open TiviMate → Settings → PlaylistsSelect your active playlist from the list
- Tap "EPG" or "EPG Source"Found under the playlist settings screen
- Enter your XMLTV EPG URLYour provider sends this — it ends in /xmltv.php or /epg.xml
- Tap "Update" to fetch guide dataFirst load takes 2–5 minutes for 50,000+ channels
- Set Auto-Refresh to 12 or 24 hoursSettings → EPG → Auto refresh interval
- Verify in TV Guide viewOpen any channel — the guide bar should show current and upcoming programs
IPTV Smarters Pro — EPG Setup
- Add playlist via Xtream Codes login (recommended)Xtream login automatically includes EPG — no separate URL needed
- Or add M3U playlist → Settings → EPG URLPaste your XMLTV URL in the EPG field when adding a new playlist
- Tap Save and ReloadSmarters fetches EPG in the background — guide populates within 3–5 min
- View in Electronic Program Guide tabTap the EPG icon from the home screen to see the full 14-day guide
GSE Smart IPTV — EPG Setup
- Remote Playlists → tap your playlist → EditAccess playlist settings from the main menu
- Enter EPG URL in the "EPG" fieldSame XMLTV URL as TiviMate
- Enable "Auto update EPG"GSE refreshes every 12 hours by default when enabled
- Tap the EPG icon on any channelShows current show and next 8 programs
Perfect Player — EPG Setup
- Settings → General → EPGNavigate from the main menu gear icon
- Enter XMLTV URL and tap CheckPerfect Player validates the URL before saving
- Set Update Period to 24hDaily refresh ensures current sports schedules
- Enable "EPG in Channel List"Shows current program name next to each channel in the list
7-Day vs 14-Day EPG Guide
7-Day EPG (Industry Standard)
- One week of program data
- Standard for most IPTV providers
- Good for planning current week
- Smaller file size — loads faster
- Sufficient for casual viewers
14-Day EPG (Our Service)
- Two full weeks of program data
- Plan NFL Sunday lineups in advance
- See upcoming PPV events and boxing cards
- Better for families coordinating viewing
- Larger but cached locally after first load
EPG Refresh Settings
| App | Where to Set Refresh | Recommended Interval | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| TiviMate | Settings → EPG → Auto refresh | Every 24 hours | Runs at set time daily |
| IPTV Smarters | Settings → EPG Update | Every 12 hours | Smarters updates more aggressively |
| GSE Smart IPTV | Playlist → Edit → Auto update | Every 12 hours | Background update, no interruption |
| Perfect Player | Settings → EPG → Update Period | Every 24 hours | Set update time to off-peak hours |
| VLC | Not automatic — re-add M3U | Manual | VLC has no EPG guide view |
EPG Troubleshooting
| Problem | Cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| No EPG data on any channel | Wrong EPG URL or URL expired | Contact provider for updated XMLTV URL |
| Some channels have EPG, others don't | tvg-id mismatch on certain channels | Report to provider — they update the M3U tvg-id mapping |
| EPG shows wrong times | Time zone offset incorrect in player | Settings → Time Zone → set to your US time zone |
| EPG stopped working after app update | App reset EPG settings | Re-enter XMLTV URL in app settings after update |
| Guide only shows 1–2 hours ahead | EPG file has minimal data | Switch to a provider with full 7-day or 14-day EPG |
| TiviMate says "EPG loading" forever | Large EPG file on slow connection | Wait up to 10 min on first load; subsequent loads are faster |
Xtream Codes users: When you log in to TiviMate or Smarters using your Xtream Codes credentials (server URL + username + password), the EPG is automatically included — no separate XMLTV URL needed. The server delivers guide data as part of the API response.
Frequently Asked Questions
EPG stands for Electronic Program Guide — it's the on-screen TV schedule that shows what's currently on and what's coming up, like a digital TV guide. In IPTV, EPG data comes from an XMLTV feed that your player app downloads and displays alongside channels.
XMLTV is an open XML-based format for TV listings. It contains channel IDs, program titles, descriptions, start/end times, and categories. Your IPTV player fetches an XMLTV file from a URL and maps it to your channel list using EPG IDs.
In TiviMate, go to Settings → Playlists → select your playlist → EPG. Enter your XMLTV EPG URL in the EPG Source field. Tap Update and wait 2–5 minutes for the guide to populate. Set auto-refresh to 12 or 24 hours.
The most common causes are: EPG URL is incorrect or expired, EPG channel IDs don't match your M3U channel list, or the EPG hasn't refreshed yet. Contact your provider for the correct current EPG URL and ensure it matches your M3U playlist source.
We provide 14 days of EPG guide data for all channels. The guide updates every 24 hours automatically. US sports channels include game times, teams, and network info accurate to the broadcast schedule.
Ready for IPTV With a Real EPG Guide?
Start with our free 24-hour trial and see the 14-day program guide in action on TiviMate or Smarters.
Get Free Trial on WhatsApp