How to use the TV guide and catch-up TV on IPTV

Most people come to IPTV for the channels and stay for two features they did not expect to love: a full TV guide, and catch-up. Together they mean you no longer plan your evening around a schedule. Missed the start of the game while driving home? Go back to the first period. Fell asleep during the news? Watch it at breakfast.

What are the TV guide and catch-up?

The TV guide, or EPG, is the grid you know from cable: channels down the side, time across the top, programme titles in the boxes. Select a programme to see its description. The catch-up feature adds the past to that grid. On channels that support it, programmes from earlier in the day or the week can be played from the start, as if you had recorded them.

Which apps support catch-up and the guide?

How to watch a show you missed with catch-up

1. Open the TV guide and choose a channel with a catch-up icon (often a clock or a curved arrow).
2. Scroll left, back in time, to the programme you missed.
3. Select it and choose Play or Watch from start.
4. Pause, rewind and fast-forward work like any on-demand video.

Some apps also offer "restart" on a live programme, which jumps back to the start of what is on now. Perfect when you join the game ten minutes late.

Catch-up, recording or on demand: which should you use?

All three let you watch on your own schedule, but they suit different things:

• Catch-up for anything that aired recently on a supported channel. No setup, no storage.
• Recording for programmes on channels without catch-up, or to keep something for weeks. Needs an app that records and storage on your device.
• On demand for films and series. The library of 200,000+ titles sits in its own section of the app.

Why recording is harder than it looks

Streaming sticks have little storage, and recording uses a screen on your plan while it runs. If you record one channel and watch another, that is two screens. For most people, catch-up does the job without either problem.

Set up favourites so the guide is quick to use

A guide with tens of thousands of channels is overwhelming. Spend ten minutes once:

1. Hide country groups you never watch.
2. Add your everyday channels to Favourites (long-press OK in most apps).
3. Set the guide to open on your Favourites group.
4. Reorder favourites so the news and your sports channels sit at the top.

How the guide handles Canadian time zones

The guide converts listings to the time on your device. Set the device to your city and leave automatic time on, and it is right everywhere, from Victoria to St. John's.

Why your guide might be an hour out after November 1

Daylight saving time ends on Sunday, November 1, 2026. If you ever fixed the guide by adding a manual hour in the app, that correction now pushes it the wrong way. Set the app's offset back to zero. Saskatchewan does not change clocks, so choose Regina as the zone there. Full fixes in TV guide not showing.

Four Canadian households, four ways to use the guide

• A shift worker in Sudbury watches the evening news at 7 a.m. through catch-up.
• A Canucks fan in Kelowna uses "restart" when puck drop beats him home.
• A family in Gatineau keeps separate favourites lists for the French and English channels.
• Grandparents in Lethbridge have a five-channel favourites list and never see the rest. See IPTV for seniors.

Is it legal to use catch-up and record programmes?

Recording broadcast programmes for later personal viewing is generally treated as acceptable time-shifting in Canada, but how a service obtains its content is a separate question. Read our legal explainer for the full picture.

The bottom line

Take ten minutes to tidy your favourites, set your time zone properly and try catch-up once. After that, you will wonder how you ever lived with a fixed schedule. If you have not tried it yet, the free trial includes the full guide and catch-up.

Reading the guide like a pro

The guide grid looks simple, but a few details make it much more useful once you know them.

• The highlighted column is now. Everything to the right is coming up; everything to the left has already aired.
• Programme blocks are sized by length. A long block is a film or a game; narrow blocks are half-hour shows.
• Icons beside a channel name or programme often show catch-up availability, HD or 4K, or a reminder you set.
• The info panel at the top or bottom shows the selected programme's title, description, start and end times, and sometimes the season and episode.
• Day jumps: many players move a full day with a single button press, often a coloured button or a long press on left or right.
• Mini preview: some players play the selected channel in a small window while you browse the guide.

Spend five minutes exploring your player's guide with the remote. Most people discover a feature or two they did not know existed.

How long catch-up lasts

Catch-up is available on channels that support it, for a limited period after each programme airs. The window varies by channel, commonly from one day up to several days. Things to know:

• Not every channel has catch-up. Look for the catch-up icon in the guide or the channel list.
• The window is rolling: each day, the oldest day drops off.
• Very recent programmes may take a short while after airing before they are available.
• Live sport on catch-up is popular, so it is worth checking which of your sports channels support it.

If a programme you want is on a channel without catch-up, recording is the alternative, if your player and device support it.

Restart, pause and rewind on live TV

On channels with catch-up, several players also let you control live TV:

Support for these features depends on both the channel and the player app. Our player apps comparison notes which apps handle them best.

Catch-up for different kinds of viewers

• Shift workers: watch the evening news or the game the next morning, at a time that suits you.
• Parents: put children's programmes on when it suits the family, not the broadcaster.
• Sports fans in western Canada: early Eastern start times mean games begin during the workday. Catch-up lets you watch from the beginning after work.
• Newcomers: home-country programmes often air at awkward Canadian times. Catch-up shifts them to the evening.
• Older viewers: no need to stay up for the late news; watch it with breakfast.
• Busy households: nobody argues about the remote when each person can catch up later.

Time zones and catch-up

Because catch-up relies on the guide to find each programme, the device time zone matters even more. If the device time zone is wrong, pressing "play from start" may start halfway through, or play the previous programme. The fix is the same as for the guide: set the device to your actual city, keep automatic time on, and refresh the guide. In Saskatchewan, choose the Saskatchewan or Regina setting; in Newfoundland, choose St. John's. Our guide fix article has a full table of Canadian time zones.

Searching the guide and the library

Most players let you search, but they search different things:

• Channel search finds channels by name. Useful for reaching a channel fast.
• Guide search finds programmes by title across the guide, including upcoming and recent ones. Ideal for finding when a show airs or whether it is available on catch-up.
• Library search finds films and series in the on-demand section.

If you cannot find a programme you know aired, try guide search first, then check whether the channel supports catch-up.

Recording: what you need to know

Recording is the most requested feature after catch-up, and also the most misunderstood. Before relying on it, check:

• Does your player record? Many do not, and some need a paid version.
• Where are recordings stored? On the device itself, on a USB drive, or on a network drive. Streaming sticks have little internal storage.
• How much space does it need? Roughly 1 to 3 GB per hour of HD, more for 4K.
• Does recording use a screen? Yes. A recording running while you watch another channel uses two screens on your plan.
• Does the device need to be on? For scheduled recordings, usually yes, and the player must be allowed to run in the background.

Boxes built for live TV, such as Formuler devices with their own player, tend to handle recording to USB storage better than streaming sticks. If recording matters to you, test it during the free trial.

Setting reminders so you never miss the start

A simpler alternative to recording is a reminder. In most players:

1. Open the guide and find the programme.
2. Select it and choose "Reminder" or "Remind me".
3. When the programme is about to start, a message appears on screen, sometimes with an option to switch straight to the channel.

Reminders only work while the player is open, so they suit evenings at home rather than programmes while you are out.

Organising the guide for a household

A family guide works best with a little structure:

• Create separate favourites groups, for example "News", "Sport", "Kids", "French" and a group for each language spoken at home.
• Open the guide on the group used most on each TV.
• Lock adult and on-demand categories on children's devices with a PIN.
• Hide unused countries so the guide loads faster and is easier to scroll.
• Keep the same layout on every TV, so everyone knows where to find things.

Our parental controls guide explains locking categories, and the multiple TVs guide covers multi-room setups.

Guide and catch-up on different devices

Catch-up and guide questions

Getting the most from the guide in your first week

1. Set the device time zone correctly and switch on automatic time.
2. Turn on daily guide updates in your player.
3. Hide the countries and categories you will never watch.
4. Build favourites for each person or each type of viewing.
5. Try catch-up on a programme from last night.
6. Try restart on a live programme you joined late.
7. Set a reminder for something later in the week.

By the end of the week, the guide and catch-up will feel like the most natural part of watching TV, and you will wonder how you managed without them.

Catch-up for Canadian sport, by time zone

Canada's six time zones make live sport awkward for many fans. A Saturday afternoon game in Toronto starts in the late morning in Vancouver; a late game in Vancouver ends after midnight in Halifax. Catch-up and restart solve most of this.

One tip from experienced fans: if you plan to watch later, mute sports apps and group chats until you have seen the game. Catch-up works much better when you do not already know the score.

Catch-up for international channels

Home-country programming is often scheduled for audiences thousands of kilometres away. News from South Asia may air in the middle of the Canadian night; European evening dramas air in the Canadian afternoon. Where international channels support catch-up, you can shift those programmes to a comfortable Canadian time. Check which of your international channels have the catch-up icon during the trial, because support varies by channel. Our international channels guide has more on viewing across time zones.

When catch-up is not the right tool

• Very old programmes: catch-up only covers a recent window. For older content, look in the on-demand library.
• Films: the on-demand library is usually better, with full-quality versions available any time.
• Series you want to binge: again, on demand is better if the series is in the library.
• Keeping something for weeks: recording, if your player and device support it.
• Channels without catch-up: recording or a reminder for next time.

Troubleshooting catch-up in four steps

1. Check the channel supports catch-up. Look for the icon.
2. Check your login type. Catch-up generally needs an Xtream Codes login rather than a basic M3U playlist.
3. Check the time zone. A wrong device time zone sends catch-up to the wrong programme.
4. Refresh the guide and channel list. Stale data can break the link between the guide and catch-up.

If catch-up still fails on a channel that shows the icon, send us the channel, the programme and the time you tried, and we will check it.

A typical week with the guide and catch-up

Here is how one family in Hamilton uses the guide and catch-up across a normal week:

• Monday: Dad checks the guide on Sunday night and sets reminders for the week's Leafs games.
• Tuesday: Mum misses the evening news because of a late meeting, and watches it on catch-up at 9 p.m.
• Wednesday: The children watch their cartoons from the morning on catch-up after school.
• Thursday: Grandma watches her favourite Italian programme, which aired in the afternoon, after dinner.
• Friday: Everyone watches a film from the on-demand library.
• Saturday: Dad restarts Saturday Night Hockey from the opening faceoff after arriving home late.
• Sunday: The family uses guide search to find when a cooking competition final airs, and sets a reminder.

None of this needs any technical knowledge once favourites and the time zone are set. That is the real value of the guide and catch-up: television that works around your life, rather than the other way round.

Is it worth paying for a premium player?

Some popular players offer a free version and a paid premium version. Premium usually adds features such as recording, more customisation, multiple playlists and catch-up enhancements. Whether it is worth it depends on how you watch:

• If you mainly watch live and occasionally use catch-up, the free version is often enough.
• If you want recording, detailed guide customisation or heavy use of catch-up, premium can be worthwhile.
• Try the free version first during your trial, then decide.

Our player apps comparison explains what each player offers in its free and paid versions.

Guide accuracy and live events

The guide shows the scheduled times broadcasters publish. Live events do not always respect them. Overtime, extra innings, rain delays and breaking news can push everything later. When that happens:

• The guide does not move. It still shows the original schedule.
• Catch-up may cut early or late. If a game ran long, "play from start" on the next programme may begin during the end of the game. Rewind or skip forward a few minutes to find the right point.
• Recordings can miss the end. Add padding of 15 to 30 minutes after scheduled end times for live sport, if your player allows it.
• Restart still works well for joining a programme that is currently airing.

This is the same behaviour you would see with any guide-based system, including cable boxes. Knowing it in advance saves frustration when the third period goes to a shootout.

Favourites tips from experienced users

• Keep favourites short: ten to twenty channels per group is the sweet spot for quick browsing.
• Name groups by use, not by channel type: "Weeknights", "Weekend sport", "Kids after school".
• Put the channel you watch first each day at position one, so pressing OK takes you straight there.
• Add both HD and backup versions of key sports channels next to each other.
• Review favourites each season. Hockey season, football season and summer viewing are different.
• Back up your settings if your player offers it, so a reinstall does not mean starting again.

Accessibility in the guide

The guide can be hard to read for viewers with low vision. Helpful adjustments:

• Increase the device's text size and turn on high contrast if available.
• Choose a player with a larger, simpler guide layout.
• Use a list view of favourites instead of the full grid.
• Turn on the device's screen reader to hear programme titles.
• Sit at a comfortable distance and reduce glare on the screen.

Our simple setup guide for seniors covers accessibility settings device by device.

The bottom line on the guide and catch-up

A well set-up guide turns thousands of channels into a handful you actually watch, and catch-up frees you from the broadcaster's schedule. Ten minutes of setup, a correct time zone and a favourites list are all it takes. After that, you will spend less time searching and more time watching, at whatever time suits you.

Common mistakes with the guide and catch-up

• Fixing a time zone problem with an app offset. It works until the clocks change, then the guide is wrong the other way. Fix the device time zone instead.
• Using an M3U playlist and expecting catch-up. Catch-up generally needs an Xtream Codes login. Switch login type if catch-up is missing.
• Leaving every country visible. The guide becomes slow and hard to scroll. Hide what you never watch.
• Recording on a device with no space. Recordings fail silently when storage runs out. Use a USB drive where supported.
• Forgetting recordings use screens. A background recording can trigger "max connections" when someone else starts watching.
• Never refreshing. Turn on automatic daily guide and playlist updates.

Avoid these six, and the guide and catch-up will work reliably all year.

Where to go next

• If the guide is blank or wrong, see how to fix a TV guide that is not showing.
• If you are choosing a player, see the player apps comparison.
• If you are setting up for the first time, see the installation guides.
• If you want to try it all before paying, start the 24-hour free trial.

Guide terms you will see in player apps

Different players use different words for the same features, so if you cannot find something, look for any of these names in the settings or playback menu.

Five-minute setup recap

1. Sign in with your Xtream Codes login, so catch-up is available.
2. Set the device to your own city's time zone, with automatic time on.
3. Switch on daily guide updates in the player.
4. Hide the categories you never watch.
5. Build a favourites group and open the guide on it.

Do these five things once, and the guide stays accurate through every daylight saving change, catch-up starts where it should, and finding tonight's game takes seconds instead of minutes.

Still not sure whether your favourite channels support catch-up? Send us the list during your free trial, and we will tell you which ones do, so you can plan your viewing before you choose a plan. It is a quick question for us and can save you an evening of guesswork.

Once the guide and catch-up are set up, most households find they rarely watch anything at its scheduled time again, apart from live sport. That freedom is one of the biggest everyday differences between IPTV and the cable boxes many Canadians grew up with.

Frequently asked questions

Read next

How to watch the Toronto Raptors without cable in 2026-27Sport How to watch NHL hockey in Canada without cableSport Fire TV Stick vs Android box vs smart TV: the best device for IPTV in CanadaBuyer's guide

Sources
• Electronic program guide, Wikipedia
• XMLTV, Wikipedia
• National Research Council Canada: Canada's official time
• Daylight saving time in Canada, Wikipedia
• TiviMate