Playova guides
Catch-up and the programme guide in an IPTV player
The programme guide shows what is on, and catch-up lets you watch a programme that has already aired. Both depend on your provider far more than on the player, which is why they work on some channels and not on others.
In short
The electronic programme guide (EPG) is a schedule your IPTV provider publishes for its channels. Catch-up is the provider's recording of past programmes, kept for a few days on the channels the provider chooses. The player reads the guide, matches it to the channels and, when a programme is in the archive, asks the provider for that part of the recording.
Where the guide comes from
With an Xtream Codes login, the provider usually publishes a guide next to the channel list, and the player finds it on its own. With an M3U playlist, the guide comes from the address the playlist names, or from the provider when the M3U address carries your login. A plain M3U link may have no guide, and then the player has no schedule to show.
Playova reads the guide your source provides and refreshes it in the background. It keeps the guide in a local library, so moving through thousands of channels stays fast.
Why some channels have no catch-up
A provider keeps an archive only for some channels, and only for a set number of days. The channel list tells the player which channels have an archive and how long it is. A programme outside that window, or on a channel without an archive, cannot be opened later.
- The channel has no archive at the provider.
- The programme is older than the archive period.
- The guide and the channel do not match, so the player cannot tell which recording to ask for.
Time zones and the archive
The provider's server keeps its archive in its own time zone. If a player uses the device's local time instead, catch-up opens the wrong part of the recording or fails. Playova asks the provider for the archive in the provider's time zone, so the programme starts where the guide says.
Live rewind is not the same thing
Pausing a live channel and moving back a few minutes usually uses what the device has just received, not the provider's archive. On a television, when that runs out, Playova can continue from the provider's archive on channels that have one. Catch-up reaches further, back to the start of the archive.
| Device | Programme guide | Catch-up |
|---|---|---|
| Windows, Mac, Linux | Yes | Yes, when the provider keeps an archive |
| Android phone | Yes | Yes, when the provider keeps an archive |
| Fire TV, Android TV, Google TV | Yes | Yes, when the provider keeps an archive |
| LG and Samsung televisions | Not released yet | Not released yet |
Questions and answers
Can I add my own guide address in Playova?
No. Playova uses the guide your source provides. If the guide is missing, ask your provider whether it publishes one for your list.
Why does catch-up start at the wrong time?
Usually the archive and the guide use different time zones, or the guide does not match the channel. Playova follows the provider's time zone; if the problem stays, the provider's guide may be shifted.
Does catch-up use more of my connection?
It uses about the same as watching the channel live. On a subscription that allows one connection, watching catch-up and live at the same time is not possible.