The program guide ecosystem in IPTV has five related features that are often confused: EPG, now/next, XMLTV, catch-up, and VOD. They all let you browse or watch content outside the live stream, but they work in fundamentally different ways. This pillar page explains the relationship between all five and links to the detailed cluster guides for setup and troubleshooting.
The five features, explained in one sentence each
- EPG (Electronic Program Guide): The on-screen grid that shows you what is on each channel now, next, and for the next seven days. Think of it as the TV guide channel from cable, but interactive.
- Now/Next: A compact version of the EPG that shows only the current and upcoming program on the currently tuned channel. The fastest way to see what is coming up without leaving the stream.
- XMLTV: The file format the EPG data is delivered in. Your player fetches this XML file once a day and renders it as the on-screen guide. With Xtream Codes, the URL is fetched automatically. With M3U, you paste it once.
- Catch-up: Lets you rewind a live stream to a program that aired in the last 3-7 days. Only available on channels where the broadcaster provides an archive. Requires Xtream Codes — pure M3U players cannot access catch-up.
- VOD (Video on Demand): A permanent, curated library of films, series, and documentaries. Independent of any live channel. Browse, search, play — whenever you want, as many times as you want.
How they relate to each other
The EPG is the center of gravity. Every other feature either depends on the EPG data or is accessed through the EPG interface:
- The EPG is rendered from XMLTV data. If your XMLTV URL is wrong, the guide shows "No information" for every channel.
- Now/Next is a subset of the EPG — same data, compact view.
- Catch-up is accessed through the EPG — you scroll back in time on the guide, select a past program, and the player requests the archived stream.
- VOD is separate — its own catalog, its own API, its own browsing interface. It does not depend on the EPG at all.
- Timeshift is a player-local feature — it buffers the live stream in memory and lets you pause/rewind a few minutes. It works on every channel regardless of EPG, catch-up, or VOD support.
For the full breakdown of each feature with setup instructions for TiviMate, IPTV Smarters, VLC, and iPlayTV, read A practical guide to EPG, now/next, and catch-up.
VOD vs catch-up vs timeshift — when to use which
These three are the most commonly confused because they all involve watching something that is not strictly live. Here is the practical decision framework:
- Missed the start of a live broadcast by 10 minutes? Timeshift — rewind within the local buffer.
- Missed a broadcast by 3 hours? Catch-up — open the EPG, scroll back, play from the archive.
- Missed a broadcast by 2 weeks? Check VOD. If the content is in the library, watch it there. If not, it is gone.
- Want to watch a specific film released last year? VOD — search the catalog.
- Need to pause the live stream to answer the door? Timeshift — press pause, press play when you are back.
For the full comparison with technical details on how each feature works under the hood, read VOD, catch-up, and timeshift: what is the difference?.
