Last updated: October 2026 · MizoIPTV support team · the two features people only miss once they are gone
The short answer
The EPG is a separate data feed from the channels, which is why a channel can play perfectly with no guide next to it. Catch-up records supported channels server-side for about 7 days, letting the guide work backwards as well as forwards. Both arrive only if you sign in with Xtream Codes rather than a plain M3U link.
What the EPG actually is
EPG stands for Electronic Programme Guide: the schedule of what is on, channel by channel, for the next week. Critically, it is not part of the video stream. It is a separate data file (usually XMLTV format) that your player downloads and then matches up to channels by an identifier.
That separation explains almost every EPG complaint:
| Symptom | What it means |
|---|---|
| Channels play, guide is completely empty | You signed in with M3U, or the EPG has not downloaded |
| Guide present but shifted by hours | Time zone mismatch in the player |
| Some channels have a guide, others do not | Those channels have no matching EPG identifier |
| Guide shows the wrong programmes entirely | Channel matched to the wrong EPG entry |
| Guide empty for the first minute | Normal — it is still downloading |
Fixing a broken guide
- Check how you signed in. A plain M3U playlist usually arrives without any EPG. Delete the profile and re-add with Xtream Codes — this fixes it most of the time.
- Let it finish. A full 7-day guide across a large line-up takes a minute or two on first load. Judging it before then is the most common false alarm.
- Force a refresh. TiviMate: Settings → EPG → update. Smarters: Settings → EPG.
- Fix the time zone. If everything is out by a consistent number of hours, that is a time shift setting in the player, not broken data.
- Still wrong on specific channels? Tell us the channel names — a missing EPG identifier is something we fix at our end, and it is a genuinely useful report.
Catch-up TV
Catch-up means the provider records supported channels on the server as they broadcast, and keeps them for a window — about 7 days on MizoIPTV. In your player, the guide then scrolls backwards: pick a programme from Tuesday, press play, and it streams from that recording.
Points worth knowing:
- It is per channel, not universal. Not every channel supports catch-up; the ones that do are usually the major networks.
- It is server-side. Nothing is stored on your device and it uses none of your storage.
- It is not the same as recording. Catch-up is a provider feature with a fixed window; recording is a player feature that keeps a file for as long as you like. If you want to keep something permanently, record it.
- It needs Xtream Codes. A plain M3U link cannot ask for it.
Using catch-up
In TiviMate: open the guide, scroll left into the past, select a programme and play. Channels with catch-up show past programmes as selectable rather than greyed out.
In IPTV Smarters Pro: there is a dedicated Catch-up section on the home screen listing the channels that support it, then a date and programme picker.
Why these two decide how a service feels
A channel list alone is a worse experience than cable. The guide is what makes a large line-up navigable — without it you are flicking blind through thousands of channels. Catch-up is what removes the one real advantage a DVR had. Together they are the difference between “a lot of channels” and “a television service”.
They are also a decent proxy for infrastructure quality. Maintaining accurate EPG data across tens of thousands of channels, and recording hundreds of them continuously for a week, is real ongoing work. A provider that has both working properly is doing the unglamorous part of the job — which is why we suggest checking both on a trial.
Test both before you pay
- Open the guide and scroll three days forward. Check five channels you know the schedule of.
- Scroll one day back and play something via catch-up.
- Check the times match your actual time zone.
- Note which of your favourite channels support catch-up — not all will.
Five minutes, and it tells you more than any channel count. Request a trial and run it.
Providers by country
A good guide matters most for your own country’s channels. Providers built around specific markets:
- BugsTV — a French-language IPTV service for France, Belgium and Quebec.
- NorvikTV — built around Scandinavian channels for Sweden, Norway, Denmark and Finland.
- KiloTV — a long-running IPTV subscription for the USA, the UK and Canada.
Next steps
If your guide is empty right now, start with how you signed in — that is the cause most of the time. Setup per app: TiviMate, IPTV Smarters Pro. Everything MizoIPTV includes is on the channels list.