Use the symptom to choose the first check
Use the pattern below to choose one targeted test before changing settings. These are diagnostic clues, not guarantees; the service source and device configuration can vary.
| What you see | First thing to check | What it suggests |
|---|---|---|
| No guide entries on any channel, but video plays | Configured EPG source and refresh result | The guide source, retrieval or coverage may be failing |
| Some channels have guide data, others do not | Missing channel identifiers and source coverage | Partial mapping or missing upstream entries |
| Guide entries appear at consistently wrong times | Device date, time and time zone | A clock or time-zone mismatch may be shifting display |
| Guide refresh completes but old listings remain | Compare several channels and upcoming programme times | The source may be returning stale data |
| Guide works but video does not | Test playback separately | This is likely a stream or playlist issue, not an EPG issue |
1. Refresh the EPG
Run the EPG refresh using the controls available in your current TiviMate version and wait for it to finish. Then reopen the guide and check several known channels. If the refresh completes but the guide remains empty, the result tells you to investigate the source or channel matching rather than repeatedly pressing refresh.
A completed refresh only proves TiviMate requested data — it says nothing about what arrived. Always reopen the guide and recheck the same sample channels; pressing refresh again without rechecking changes nothing and hides the result.
2. Verify the EPG source
Confirm that the guide source is the one supplied for your authorized playlist and that it has not been accidentally replaced with a source intended for another service. A source can be reachable yet still contain the wrong channel identifiers or incomplete coverage. If the source was recently changed, compare the current configuration with the information supplied by the service.
3. Check whether the source contains the needed channels
A guide source may contain data for thousands of channels without containing the particular channels in your playlist. If some channels have listings and others do not, check whether the missing channels are represented in the source. If they are absent upstream, TiviMate cannot generate their programme schedules locally.
4. Check channel mapping and identifiers
When the guide source contains the channel but TiviMate still shows no information, investigate how the playlist channel is matched to the guide entry. Names can look identical while identifiers differ. Partial EPG coverage is therefore a strong reason to inspect mapping before replacing a source that already works for other channels.
5. Check the device clock and time zone
If programme listings are present but appear at the wrong local time, verify the device date, time and time zone. A consistent shift across many channels points more strongly to a time-setting issue than to individual guide entries. Do not repeatedly alter the EPG source when the data is present and the problem is only its displayed time.
6. Separate EPG from playback
Test the same channel's video independently. If video plays but guide information is missing, keep your playback settings unchanged while diagnosing EPG. If the guide is correct but video fails, move to playback and stream troubleshooting instead. The two systems can fail independently.
7. If the guide is still stale
If a refresh completes but programme information remains unchanged, compare several channels and look at upcoming listings rather than only the current programme. If the same old data appears across channels, the upstream source may be stale. Ask the service that supplied the source whether its guide data is current before rebuilding the entire TiviMate setup.
Blank EPG on every channel
Check the playlist first, then the configured EPG source, refresh completion and source coverage. If the playlist works but the guide is blank everywhere, the EPG layer is the natural focus. Avoid changing decoder, buffering or video settings because those do not supply programme metadata.
Only some channels have no EPG
Partial failure usually calls for a mapping or coverage check. Compare a working channel with a missing channel and note whether they come from the same group or source. If only a subset is affected, replacing the entire EPG configuration may destroy working coverage without addressing the missing identifiers.
EPG shows the wrong programmes
If the guide is populated but appears to belong to the wrong channels, suspect a mapping or identifier mismatch. Compare channel names, IDs and source information where available. Do not assume that a similar-looking channel name means the guide entry is actually associated with the correct stream.
Programme times are consistently wrong
A consistent offset is different from missing data. Check the device time zone, clock and any relevant time-shift configuration first. If only one or two channels have unusual schedules while the rest are correct, investigate the upstream entries for those channels instead.
Refresh completes but nothing changes
A completed refresh is not proof that useful matching data was received. Confirm that the source contains current entries, that the playlist channels have corresponding identifiers and that the affected channels are actually covered. If all three are true and the guide remains unchanged, record the result and escalate to the service supplying the data.
A practical EPG troubleshooting matrix
Use the narrowest explanation supported by the evidence.
- Blank everywhere + video works → source, refresh, availability or coverage.
- Some channels missing → mapping, identifiers or missing upstream entries.
- Wrong channel programmes → channel mapping or identifier mismatch.
- All programmes shifted by a similar amount → device time zone or time-shift setting.
- Old data after a successful refresh → investigate upstream source freshness.
- EPG works but video fails → troubleshoot playback separately.
- Start with the EPG source.
- Refresh the guide.
- Check channel mapping.
- Verify timezone and device clock.
- Test whether playback works independently.
What to send support
Give the service enough evidence to reproduce the problem without exposing private credentials. Include the device, TiviMate version if known, approximate test time, whether video works, whether the guide is blank or partial, a few affected channel names, whether refresh completes, and whether another authorized client shows current guide data.
What not to change during diagnosis
Avoid changing the EPG source, playlist, time zone, decoder and network simultaneously. Make one controlled change, retest the same sample channels, and record the result. Otherwise you can accidentally fix one symptom while losing the information needed to identify the original cause.
FAQ
Why does EPG work on some channels but not others?
The source may not contain every channel, or the affected channels may use identifiers that do not match the guide data. Compare a working and missing channel before replacing the entire source.
Does reinstalling TiviMate fix EPG problems?
Usually, reinstalling should not be the first test. If the app already loads the playlist and plays video, the evidence points toward the EPG source, mapping or time configuration rather than the application package itself.
Why is EPG wrong after changing IPTV services?
Different services can use different channel identifiers and guide sources. A playlist that worked with one service does not guarantee that its old EPG configuration matches a new service. Use the guide data supplied for the current authorized source.