EPG troubleshooting guide

How to diagnose missing, incomplete, or shifted EPG data

Missing EPG usually means the source returned no guide data or its channel identifiers did not match the playlist. If programmes are present but consistently early or late, use EPG offset only after confirming the shift is consistent across several channels.

By IPTV Player Zero TeamPublished 2026-06-01Updated 2026-08-08Tested: Current stable desktop buildReviewed: Windows, macOS

Symptoms

  • No programme listings appear.
  • Only some channels have listings.
  • All listings are consistently early or late.

Likely causes

  • The provider returned no XMLTV or source guide data.
  • Playlist channel IDs do not match guide channel IDs.
  • The guide is still importing or refreshing.
  • The schedule uses a different time offset.

Choose the right fix

SymptomLikely areaFirst action
No listingsSource/importConfirm guide data exists
Some listingsChannel matchingCompare channel identifiers
Consistent time shiftTime alignmentTest EPG offset
Randomly wrong listingsProvider dataVerify against the source

Checks in order

  1. 1

    Confirm source data

    Check whether the provider or chosen guide source supplies EPG for the affected channels.

    Expected: Guide data exists before the app attempts to display it.

  2. 2

    Allow the import to finish

    Wait for the guide refresh to complete before judging coverage.

    Expected: Listings populate without repeatedly restarting the import.

  3. 3

    Compare identifiers

    Check several channels with and without listings for consistent IDs and names.

    Expected: Matching identifiers explain which channels can be mapped.

  4. 4

    Test offset carefully

    If times are uniformly shifted, apply a small EPG offset and recheck several channels.

    Expected: The same adjustment aligns multiple listings.

Important limitations

  • Offset cannot create missing data or fix incorrect programme titles.
  • Stalker, Xtream, and plain playlist sources can expose guide data differently.

When to contact support

Contact support with the source type, app version, operating system, affected channel names, whether all or only some channels are affected, and the observed time difference. Do not include credentials.

Product evidence

Questions and answers

What does EPG offset fix?

It corrects a consistent time shift. It does not supply missing listings or repair mismatched channel identifiers.

Why do only some channels have guide data?

The guide may omit those channels, or their identifiers may not match the corresponding playlist entries.

Related pages

Related pages

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