A practical guide to EPG, now/next, and catch-up

The acronyms in IPTV can pile up. EPG, XMLTV, catch-up, timeshift, nPVR — they all relate to the program guide and time-shifted viewing, but they are not the same thing. This guide clears the air and gives you the exact steps to set each one up in your player.

EPG (Electronic Program Guide)

The EPG is the on-screen program guide. It shows you what is on each channel right now, what is on next, and what is on for the next several days. In modern players like TiviMate and IPTV Smarters, the EPG is rendered as a grid: channels on the vertical axis, time on the horizontal axis. Each cell shows the program name, and tapping it gives you a description, start time, end time, and sometimes a genre tag.

What makes a good EPG: Accurate start times — the program actually starts when the guide says it starts. Seven days of forward data — enough to plan a weekend of viewing. Program descriptions — not just titles. And per-channel mapping — the right guide data for the right channel, not a generic feed that shows "Unknown Program" for half the line-up.

The NANO IPTV EPG covers the full line-up with seven days of forward data, updated daily. The guide data is sourced from multiple XMLTV providers and merged on our side to maximize channel coverage.

Now and next

Now/next is a compact EPG view that shows only the current and upcoming program on a single channel. Most players show it in a side panel or bottom bar when you are watching a stream — you press the info button on the remote and a small overlay appears with the current program title, a brief description, and a progress bar showing how much is left.

Now/next is the fastest way to see what is coming up without leaving the stream. It uses the same EPG data as the full guide but only queries the currently tuned channel, so it loads instantly.

XMLTV

XMLTV is the file format the EPG data is delivered in. The player fetches an XML file from a URL — typically once every 24 hours — parses it, and renders it as the on-screen guide. The XMLTV URL is exposed in your dashboard under the EPG tab.

If you are using Xtream Codes, the player automatically fetches the EPG URL from the server during login. You do not need to configure anything. If you are using pure M3U, you need to paste the XMLTV URL manually in the player's EPG settings. This is a one-time step — once configured, the player updates the guide automatically every day.

Pro tip: If your player allows it, set the EPG refresh interval to 24 hours. More frequent refreshes waste bandwidth and server resources without providing fresher data — the guide is updated once per day on our side, so polling more often returns the same file.

Catch-up

Catch-up is a feature that lets you rewind a live stream to a point in the recent past — usually the last 3 to 7 days. It is only available on channels that opt in (the source broadcaster must provide the archived stream), and it requires the player to support the Xtream Codes catch-up API.

How to use catch-up: Open the EPG for a channel. Scroll back to a program that aired earlier. Select it. The player will request the archived stream segment from the server and start playback from the beginning of that program. You can pause, rewind, and fast-forward within the catch-up window, just like a DVR recording.

Channels with catch-up support are marked in the EPG with a clock or "C" icon, depending on the player. The catch-up window varies by channel — most are 3 days, some go back 7 days.

Timeshift vs catch-up vs VOD

These three features are often confused. Here is the distinction:

• Timeshift: A local player feature. Pauses and rewinds the live stream within the current buffer (30 seconds to a few minutes). Works on every channel because it is the player, not the server, doing the buffering.
• Catch-up: A server-side feature. Lets you watch programs that aired hours or days ago. Only works on channels where the broadcaster provides an archive.
• VOD: A curated library of pre-recorded content — films, series, documentaries — that is available permanently, independent of any live channel. For the full breakdown, see our VOD, catch-up, and timeshift comparison.

How to set up EPG and catch-up in common players

TiviMate: If you added the playlist via Xtream Codes, EPG and catch-up are automatic. If you used M3U, go to Settings → EPG → Add EPG source and paste the XMLTV URL.

IPTV Smarters: Xtream Codes login handles everything — EPG, catch-up, and channel logos load automatically.

VLC: M3U only. Paste the XMLTV URL in Tools → Preferences → Playlist → EPG URL. The EPG will appear under View → Program Guide. VLC does not support catch-up.

iPlayTV: Xtream Codes login is automatic. For M3U, add the XMLTV URL in the playlist settings.

For more on player-specific configuration, our M3U vs Xtream Codes comparison explains when to use each format, and our player comparison guide covers each player in detail.

EPG troubleshooting — common issues and fixes

"No information" on all channels

This means the EPG source URL is incorrect or unreachable. Check it in your player settings. Test it in a browser — paste the URL and verify it returns XML data. If the browser shows an error, the URL is wrong.

"No information" on specific channels only

This is a channel mapping issue. The EPG uses unique channel IDs that must match the playlist. If they do not match, contact support with the specific channel name.

EPG shows wrong time zone

Most players auto-detect the time zone from device settings. If the guide is offset by hours, check your device time zone first, then contact support for a UTC offset correction.

EPG not updating — shows old data

Players cache EPG data locally and refresh every 24 hours. Force a manual refresh. In TiviMate: Settings → EPG → Update EPG. If that does not work, clear the EPG cache.

How XMLTV works — a technical overview

XMLTV is an XML-based format. A typical file contains channel definitions and programme entries with start times, titles, descriptions, and categories. A full XMLTV file for 24,000 channels with 7 days of data is typically 200-500 MB compressed — which is why it is fetched once per day and cached locally.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need to configure the EPG separately on each device?

With Xtream Codes — no. The EPG is auto-configured. With M3U — yes, paste the XMLTV URL once per device.

Why does catch-up work on some channels but not others?

Catch-up requires the broadcaster to provide an archived stream. Major broadcasters usually support it; smaller or regional channels may not. Channels with catch-up are marked with a clock icon in most players.

Channel mapping — how EPG data finds the right channel

The EPG system uses a mapping table to associate guide data with playlist channels. Each channel has an internal ID. Each program in the XMLTV feed references a channel ID. When IDs match, the guide displays correct information. When they do not, "No information" appears. Good providers maintain this mapping daily. NANO IPTV updates the channel mapping every 24 hours.

EPG data sources — where your guide data comes from

The program guide data that populates your EPG comes from XMLTV providers — specialized services that aggregate TV listings from broadcasters worldwide. These providers maintain databases of channel schedules, program descriptions, genres, and artwork. The IPTV provider subscribes to one or more XMLTV data sources, processes the data, and maps it to the channel line-up.

The quality of your EPG depends on two things: the quality of the XMLTV data source (some cover more channels and regions than others) and the accuracy of the channel mapping (matching XMLTV channel IDs to playlist channel IDs). A provider that uses multiple XMLTV sources and actively maintains the channel mapping will have a more complete and accurate EPG than one using a single source with minimal mapping effort.

NANO IPTV uses multiple XMLTV data sources, merged on our side to maximize coverage. The channel mapping is updated daily as channels are added, removed, or renamed in the line-up. If you notice a channel showing "No Information" consistently, report it — the mapping likely needs an update for that specific channel.

Setting up the EPG on common players — exact steps

TiviMate (M3U mode)

1. Settings → EPG → EPG Sources → Add Source
2. Paste the XMLTV URL from your dashboard
3. Check "Apply to all playlists" if you have multiple playlists
4. Go back to EPG → Update EPG to force an immediate refresh

TiviMate (Xtream Codes mode)

EPG is configured automatically during login. No manual setup needed. If the EPG shows "No Information," go to Settings → EPG → Update EPG to force a refresh. If that does not help, go to Settings → Playlists → [your playlist] → Xtream Codes Parameters → EPG and verify the URL was fetched correctly.

IPTV Smarters

Xtream Codes: automatic. M3U: Settings → External EPG Sources → Add Source → paste the XMLTV URL. The app refreshes the EPG on launch and every 24 hours.

VLC

Tools → Preferences (Show All) → Playlist → EPG → paste the XMLTV URL in the "EPG URL" field. Save, restart VLC. The EPG appears under View → Program Guide.