By Kemo IPTV Support Desk (Setup & streaming technicians). Published . Written and checked by the Kemo IPTV support technicians who answer setup questions on WhatsApp every day. Steps are re-tested on real devices when apps update.
What is EPG in IPTV?
EPG stands for electronic programme guide: the on-screen TV schedule that shows what's on now, what's next and what's later on each channel. With Kemo IPTV, the EPG loads automatically when you log in with Xtream Codes. With an M3U playlist, you add a separate EPG link. It turns a long channel list into something that feels like a cable box.
A guide does more than show times. In apps like TiviMate it lets you set reminders, see programme descriptions, jump to catch-up and schedule recordings. If your guide is empty or an hour out, the fixes later in this article solve almost every case.
What is catch-up TV?
Catch-up lets you go back in time on supported channels and watch programmes that already aired, usually from the last few days. It's like a rolling recording kept on the server, so you don't need any storage. Catch-up is available on a selection of Kemo IPTV channels, marked with a clock or archive icon in the guide.
Catch-up is different from recording, which saves a programme to your own device or USB drive, and from movies & series on demand, a library of films and shows that isn't tied to a broadcast time. How long the archive goes back varies by channel. Check the icon and the guide rather than assuming every channel has it.
How does the EPG get into your player?
The guide data comes from an XMLTV file: a schedule that matches programme listings to channel IDs. With an Xtream Codes login, your player fetches it automatically from the same server as the channels. With an M3U playlist, you paste the EPG (XMLTV) URL from your Kemo IPTV welcome email into the player's EPG settings.
| Login type | How the EPG loads | What you do |
|---|---|---|
| Xtream Codes | Automatically with the login | Nothing — wait 1–3 minutes on first load |
| M3U playlist | Separate XMLTV URL | Paste the EPG link in the app's EPG settings |
| MAG / Stalker portal | Delivered by the portal | Nothing; refresh the portal if empty |
The first EPG download can take a few minutes on large line-ups. After that, apps refresh it in the background, usually every 12–24 hours.
How do you set up the EPG in TiviMate?
In TiviMate, the EPG comes with your Xtream Codes playlist automatically. To refresh it or fix gaps, open Settings → EPG, select the source and choose Update EPG. You can also set how many days to keep and how often to update. Press OK on any channel in the guide to see programme details.
Useful TiviMate EPG settings:
- Settings → EPG → Update interval: every 12 hours is a good balance.
- Settings → EPG → Time shift: fixes listings that are an hour or more out (see below).
- Long-press a programme → Remind: TiviMate alerts you before it starts. Very handy for kick-offs.
- Settings → Appearance → Guide: shows more or fewer hours on screen.
How do you set up the EPG in IPTV Smarters?
In IPTV Smarters the guide loads with your Xtream login. If the TV Guide section looks empty, open Settings → EPG (or "Install EPG" on the home screen in some versions), and let it download. On Android TV and Firestick it can take a couple of minutes. Then open Live TV → TV Guide to see the grid.
If channels show "No information", make sure you logged in with Xtream Codes, not an M3U link. M3U logins in Smarters don't fetch the guide on their own.
How do you watch catch-up?
Catch-up channels show an archive or clock icon. Open the guide, move back in time on that channel and select a programme that has already aired; it plays from the start. In IPTV Smarters there's also a Catch-up section on the home screen, organised by channel and date. On MAG and Formuler, use the archive or Catch-up button in the portal or MyTVOnline.
App by app:
- TiviMate (premium): in the guide, press Left to scroll into the past on a channel with the archive icon, then OK to play.
- IPTV Smarters: Home → Catch up → pick a channel → pick a date → pick a programme.
- MyTVOnline 3 (Formuler): on a catch-up channel, open the EPG, go back in time, and press OK on a past programme.
- MAG portal: channels with catch-up show an archive mark; open the EPG and select a past programme.
Catch-up streams behave like on-demand movies: you can pause, rewind and fast-forward.
Why is my TV guide wrong or empty?
Wrong times nearly always mean a time zone mismatch between the guide data and your player. An empty guide usually means an M3U login without an EPG link, or a first download that hasn't finished. Single channels without listings are normal: some event or regional channels don't have published schedules.
Fixes in order:
- Listings an hour (or more) out. Set the app's EPG time shift or offset to match your zone. In TiviMate it's Settings → EPG → Time shift. In Smarters, look in Settings → Time format / EPG timeshift. Re-check after daylight-saving changes.
- Completely empty guide. Confirm you used Xtream Codes, or paste the EPG URL for M3U, then trigger an update and wait a few minutes.
- Most channels fine, a few blank. Normal for event and some international channels. If a major channel is blank, report it to support with the channel name.
- Guide shows yesterday. The device clock is wrong. Set date and time to automatic in the device settings.
- Guide very slow to scroll. Hide channel groups you don't watch, and reduce the days of EPG kept.
Which time zone should you set?
Set the time zone where you're watching. In the US that means Eastern, Central, Mountain or Pacific (plus Alaska and Hawaii). Canada adds Atlantic and Newfoundland's half-hour offset. The UK uses GMT in winter and BST in summer. Most apps follow the device's clock, but some need a manual offset.
Our country pages list each zone with its offset: USA, Canada, United Kingdom.
Can you record programmes instead of using catch-up?
Yes, on some devices. TiviMate Premium can record programmes to a USB drive or the device's storage on Android TV boxes, the Nvidia Shield and Formuler. You schedule it from the guide like a DVR. Firesticks have limited storage, so recording there is short-term only. Apple TV, smart TV and VLC setups don't record.
When to choose which:
- Catch-up is best for "I missed it last night". There's nothing to set up, but it only works on supported channels and only for a few days.
- Recording is best for "I want to keep this", such as a final, a documentary or a series to watch later. It needs storage, and while it runs it uses one connection, plus another if you watch something else at the same time.
- Movies & series on demand are best for films and complete shows, which are already in the on-demand library and don't need either.
To schedule a recording in TiviMate, open the guide, highlight a future programme, press OK and choose Record. Recordings appear under the Recordings section of the main menu.
How do EPG and catch-up help for sport?
The guide shows event channels and kick-off times in your local time, and reminders make sure you don't miss the start. Catch-up lets you replay a match that has finished, or start it from the beginning if you tuned in late. Together they make live sport on Kemo IPTV far easier to follow than a bare channel list.
A match-day routine many customers use:
- Look up the event in the guide the evening before and set a reminder.
- Open the channel 10 minutes early to let it buffer.
- If you're late, use catch-up (where available) to start from kick-off.
Ready to try it? Set up your device with the Formuler guide, MAG guide or all install guides. Then test the guide and catch-up with the 24-hour free trial before choosing a Kemo IPTV plan.