What Is an EPG (Electronic Program Guide) and Why It Matters

The EPG (Electronic Program Guide) is the scrollable now-and-next TV guide inside your IPTV app — delivered as a data feed alongside your channels, showing what's currently airing and what's coming up next on each channel. It's the same concept as a cable box's guide, applied to IPTV.

How an EPG is delivered

Depending on your login method, EPG data arrives either bundled automatically with an Xtream Codes login, or via a separate XMLTV feed URL that some M3U-based setups require adding manually. See M3U vs Xtream Codes explained for how the two login methods differ here.

What a good EPG actually does

• Shows current and upcoming programming per channel, scrollable by time.
• Powers catch-up TV — replaying a show from the past few days relies on the same underlying schedule data.
• Lets you search for a specific show across the whole channel list, in apps that support it.

Common EPG problems

• Wrong show times — almost always a timezone mismatch in the app's settings, not a subscription issue.
• Guide showing "No data" — often a temporary sync delay right after logging in; give it a few minutes.
• Inconsistent coverage across channels — EPG data quality can vary by channel and region even on a well-run subscription.

Does every subscription include one?

Most established providers include EPG data, but comprehensiveness varies — a genuinely complete, accurate guide across most of the channel list is one of the practical markers of a well-run service, alongside the checks in how to choose an IPTV provider.

TiviStation's EPG

Every TiviStation plan includes a built-in EPG alongside up to 7 days of catch-up TV on supported channels, working automatically in IPTV Smarters Pro, TiviMate and other compatible players.

Written by the TiviStation team · Published September 2, 2026. Questions about anything in this guide? Contact our 24/7 support team or learn more about TiviStation.