You can not sit in front of the TV hoping for your favorite show to pop up. You probably have other stuff to do and a limited time for watching TV.
In the world of television, Electronic Program Guide (EPG) has become an essential feature that helps viewers to easily browse through the channels and find the programs they want to watch. EPG is an electronic guide that provides information about the programs being broadcasted on various TV channels. In this article, we will explore what EPG is and how to add it to your TV setup.
Table of Contents
What is EPG?
EPG stands for Electronic Program Guide. Each channel has a separate EPG which helps you figure out what are the upcoming TV programs when they start and how long will each show be plus a paragraph (usually) of the content description.
With the prevalence of digital TV programming, Electronic Program Guide (EPG) has become increasingly accessible. If your digital TV service provides EPG, you can view the program listings for all channels by pressing the info/EPG button on your remote control.
On satellite, it is automatic and you can see it in a brief form below the channel name when you are just opening a new channel and in full detail when you click the EPG button on the remote controller.
However, with IP TV it is a bit different. It depends on whether the provider has equipped their service with EPG, are you going to use a third-party source for it, or if your player app supports EPG.
For instance, if you are running the IP TV service on a PC using a VLC player, there is no way -at least not at the moment- you can run or receive EPG on that.
Development of EPG
At the end of 2008, EPG was available in 59 million TV households in Western Europe, accounting for 36% of all TV households. The UK is the most advanced and innovative EPG market, with 96% of viewers regularly using EPGs in 2010.
Scandinavia is also a highly innovative EPG market, and even in Italy, EPG penetration is relatively high at 38%. In France, IPTV is the main driver of EPG development.
EPGs can be accessed through various devices such as TV set-top boxes, digital TV receivers, smartphones via dedicated apps, and the Internet. Online TV guides are also becoming more prevalent, with over 7 million Google searches for “TV guide” each month.
The above is taken from Wikipedia – Guide to Electronic Programs.
How to extract EPG from M3U links?
Assuming the m3u link has EPG embedded, you can extract an XMLTV format EPG link from the m3u link. It`s simple, let`s say our m3u link is the one below:
http://iptviview.com:40000/get.php?username=iptviview&password=123456&type=m3u&output=ts
This delivers video and audio so you can run a stream through it but by changing “get.php” to xmltv.php and removing “&type=m3u&output=ts” you`ll have yourself an EPG link just like this:
So this is how you make an EPG link out of an m3u link. Now you can place this link in the EPG field of your player app to have it available on all channels.
http://iptviview.com:40000/xmltv.php?username=iptviview&password=123456
Related: How do I get M3U Playlists?
Which IPTV players can be manually added with an EPG?
- Perfect Player
- GSE Smart IPTV
- Smart IPTV
- Kodi
How To Add EPG Guide On GSE Smart IPTV
GSE Smart IPTV is a complete user-defined Advanced IPTV solution for live and VOD streams. With a built-in powerful player that supports most formats such as M3U with options.
Step 1: Open GSE and in the top left corner click on the 3 lines to bring up the menu and click on “EPG program guide”.
Step 2: Click the “+” in the downright corner and Select“Add Remote EPG source”.
Step 3: On “EPG name” add any word and then enter the “EPG source link” address provided by your IPTV distributor and click “Add” as a final step.
Now reboot the Application and the TV guides will be added to your channels list. Please note, by using M3U with options as your script, there is no need to add a separate link for EPG to your IPTV player since it has all the data such as EPG and Picons inside it.
How to add EPG on Perfect Player?
Perfect Player is an Android application that simulates a set-top box that can be used for streaming IPTV channels on your favorite devices such as tablets, smartphones, and Smart TVs.
Please note, that this application doesn’t include any IPTV channels. In order to add IPTV channels, you must add your own m3u playlists inside the settings section.
Perfect Player is available on Android, Linux, and Microsoft Windows.
Step 1: After starting the Perfect Player, click on “Settings“.
Step 2: Now select “General“.
Step 3: Now select “EPG URL or file path” enter your EPG URL provided by your IPTV distributor and select “OK”.
You can add more than one EPG URL here.
Step 4: Now restart the Application and wait for your channels to load.
That’s all. Your ‘EPG‘ should then be displayed with your list of channels.
How To Upload EPG Guide On Smart IPTV?
[1] Install the Smart IPTV app on your device.
[2] Launch the Smart IPTV app and note the Mac address that appears on the screen.
[3] From your web browser, go to https://siptv.app/mylist/.
[4] Enter the Mac address followed by M3U URL or M3U file.
[5] Also, enter the EPG URL in the required tab.
[6] Click on Send to upload the playlist to the given Mac address device.
Note: If you don’t have an EPG guide URL, then you can check Detect EPG box, and this will probably find the matching EPG for your IPTV service.
[7] Now, you can watch IPTV with EPG Guide in it.
Note: If the playlist is not updated, restart the app on your device.
If you’re using the iviewHD IPTV service, you won’t have to do anything to get 7 days of free EPG on 95% of live channels. (Read how to switch between different EPG styles in iviewHD APK.)
The iviewHD IPTV has three EPG styles: Grid EPG, Classic EPG, and Normal EPG. You can choose the EPG style according to your preferences, the system default is normal EPG. There is a screenshot guide below that will teach you how to switch between EPG styles.
The iview service offers adult channels, and EPG is available while watching.
FAQ
What is the EPG on TV?
EPG (Electronic Program Guide) for thousands of TV channels collected from different sources.
What is EPG on Freeview?
The Freeview Electronic Programme Guide (EPG) involves the allocation of channel numbers, coordination of channel launches and updates, and ensuring that accurate information is available about channels and programs.
What is a EPG file?
EPG TV program file formats: XMLTV, JTV, DRE-EPG TV program
XMLTV – format based on XML – the format is designed to describe TV programs in a structured form. This file is used by digital TV operators as a basic template. The format allows you to expand your options to suit your business needs.
What does it mean EPG is not available?
No EPG available indicates that your service provider does not provide EPG information. Incorrect EPG display may be caused by poor signal reception.
How do I add an EPG source link?
EPG function (Electronic Program Guide) allows to display the program guide in user interface.
- Open tab IPTV channels.
- Choose EPG.
- Press button Add EPG.
- Fill in the necessary fields.
Conclusion
In short, adding EPG to your TV settings can greatly enhance your viewing experience by providing you with information about the programs being played on different channels. With the help of the steps mentioned in this article, you can easily add EPG to your TV and enjoy the convenience it brings. Whether you are a casual viewer or a TV enthusiast, EPG is a must-have feature that can make your TV viewing experience more enjoyable and hassle-free.
To use the service with the EPG feature, you can subscribe to iview IPTV, which has not only an EPG feature but also catch-up, recording feature, and more.