Why Does EPG Not Loading Happen?
- EPG source URL is wrong, expired, or blocked
- tvg-id in M3U does not match EPG channel IDs
- EPG file is large and still processing
- Player EPG cache is corrupted
- EPG source website is down or rate-limiting
- Time zone mismatch causing schedule offset
- EPG loading disabled in settings
How to Fix EPG Not Loading — Step by Step
Fix 1 — Verify and update EPG URL
Open the XMLTV URL directly. If it errors or redirects to HTML, it won’t work in your player.
Use /tools/epg-finder/ to browse free sources by region/player.
Smarters: Settings → EPG. TiviMate: Settings → EPG → Sources. Kodi: PVR IPTV Simple Client settings.
Fix 2 — Enable EPG and set refresh interval
Confirm the EPG toggle/option is enabled. Some apps default to off.
Refresh every 12–24 hours. Refreshing too often can trigger rate limits.
After saving the URL, run Update Now and wait for completion.
Fix 3 — Fix time zone offset (guide times wrong)
If times are consistently 1–3 hours off, it’s likely time zone or EPG time shift.
TiviMate has EPG Time Shift. Adjust by the offset amount and retest.
Check Settings → Date & Time and ensure your time zone is correct.
Fixes by Device
Always verify the EPG URL first, then refresh and wait. Large EPGs can take time to process.
In Smarters, confirm EPG URL is saved and then refresh. If nothing shows, check tvg-id mapping.
In TiviMate, add the source under EPG Sources, then assign it to your playlist and refresh. Adjust time shift if needed.
Kodi requires PVR IPTV Simple Client. After changing EPG URL, restart Kodi and update guide data.
How to Prevent EPG Issues
- Use an EPG source that matches your region and channel lineup
- Keep note of your working EPG URL and backup source
- Set auto-refresh to 12–24 hours to avoid rate limits
- Keep tvg-id values consistent if you edit playlists
Related Issues
Frequently Asked Questions
Most often the EPG URL is wrong/expired, EPG is disabled, or tvg-id values don’t match the EPG source.
Open Settings → EPG, paste the XMLTV URL, save, then refresh EPG and wait for processing.
Add the XMLTV source in Settings → EPG → Sources, then Update Now. If it’s large, wait longer for the first load.
tvg-id is a channel identifier in the playlist. Players use it to match channels to EPG entries.
Daily is typical. 12 hours is fine for some sources. Too frequent updates can trigger rate limits.
Coverage varies. Use the EPG finder tool to test sources and pick the one that best matches your playlist IDs.