Guide · EPG XMLTV
Add a TV guide (EPG) to your IPTV playlist, and fix it when it’s blank
· Checked with BurgTV 1.3.7 (TV) · 1.2.1 (Android) · 1.0.15 (iPhone/iPad)
The TV guide (EPG) shows what is on each channel now and over the next days. In BurgTV it usually arrives together with your playlist; when it doesn’t, you can add an XMLTV source. Below: where the guide comes from, how to add one, and what to do when it is blank or the times are wrong. BurgTV does not provide the guide: you bring the source, guide included.
What an EPG is
EPG stands for Electronic Program Guide. It is almost always an XMLTV file: a list of channels, each with an ID, and of programs with a start and end time, often compressed as .xml.gz. BurgTV is a neutral media player: it reads the guide that comes from your source, or from an XMLTV address you have the right to use, and shows it next to your channels.
Where BurgTV gets the guide
- Xtream CodesThe guide comes automatically from your source’s server, with no address to type.
- M3U with url-tvgIf the first line of the playlist contains url-tvg (or x-tvg-url, tvg-url), the guide loads by itself. Several addresses separated by commas are fine.
- Additional XMLTV sourceFor channels the playlist’s own guide does not cover. On the TV it is added in Settings > TV Guide.
Portal sources do not bring a guide of their own: for those channels you can try an additional XMLTV source.
Add an XMLTV source on the TV, step by step
- Get the XMLTV address from your source. It must start with http:// or https:// and can end in .xml or .xml.gz.
- In BurgTV on Fire TV, Google TV or Android TV, open Settings > TV Guide.
- Under Additional EPG sources choose Add XMLTV source, give it a name if you like, enter the address and confirm.
- Under EPG Source press Update Now to download the guide right away.
- Open the guide and check that programs appear next to the channels and that the times are right.
Additional sources only fill in channels that have no guide from your playlist; channels that already have one keep it.
On Android phones, iPhone and iPad
On phones and tablets the guide is set per playlist: in Settings > Content sources, edit the playlist and fill in Guide address (optional). With Xtream Codes it arrives on its own. You see the guide channel by channel in Live TV; the full grid is in the TV app. The Android app keeps 3 days of guide for free and up to 14 with Premium; the iPhone and iPad app keeps 7 days.
Blank or wrong TV guide: causes and fixes
The whole guide is empty
Usually the source provides no guide, or the guide address is wrong or no longer valid (sources sometimes change it). Open the address on a computer: you should get a file, not an error page. Then go to Settings > TV Guide on the TV, check the guide status and press Update Now. A very large guide can take a few minutes to load.
Only some channels have no programs
BurgTV matches channels and programs by tvg-id first; channels without a tvg-id are matched by their name. If the playlist and the guide use different IDs and different names, the channel stays empty. There is no manual matching per channel: the reliable fix is a guide made for your playlist, usually the one from the same source, or an additional XMLTV source that covers those channels.
Programs are one or more hours off
The guide uses a different time zone from yours. In Settings > TV Guide > Time shift move that playlist’s guide by a number of hours between -12 and +12; the guide is downloaded again right away. It is free, and it is also in Settings > TV Guide on Android and iPhone.
The guide stops after a few days
On the TV, Days to Keep goes up to 3 days on the free plan and up to 14 days with Premium. If the guide file itself contains fewer days, BurgTV cannot show more.
The guide does not update
By default the guide updates every 24 hours (you can choose 6, 12, 24 or 48 hours, or turn automatic updates off). Press Update Now to refresh it straight away. If programs still look old, use Clear EPG Cache and update again.
TV guide on Free and Premium (TV app)
Tonight on TV uses the guide to show prime time on your channels. With Premium you can set reminders and schedule recordings from the guide, for personal use and respecting your source’s rights: see how to record from the guide.
| Feature | Free | Premium |
|---|---|---|
| Guide from Xtream Codes or url-tvg | Yes | Yes |
| Additional XMLTV sources | Yes | Yes |
| Time shift (-12 to +12 hours) | Yes | Yes |
| Days of guide | Partly up to 3 days | Yes up to 14 days |
| Playlists | Partly 1 | Yes unlimited |
| Reminders and scheduled recordings from the guide | No | Yes |
What’s next?
Learn how the guide is linked inside a playlist in how to open an M3U file, set up Xtream Codes, or browse all the guides.
Frequently asked questions
Does BurgTV provide the TV guide?
No. BurgTV is a neutral player: the guide comes from your source (Xtream Codes or url-tvg in the playlist) or from an XMLTV address you have the right to use.
Why is my EPG empty?
Usually the source provides no guide or the address is wrong or expired. Check the address, then press Update Now in Settings > TV Guide.
The guide times are wrong. What can I do?
Use Time shift in Settings > TV Guide: move that playlist’s guide by a number of hours between -12 and +12.
Why do some channels have no guide?
Their tvg-id and name do not match the ones in the guide, or the guide does not include them. Use a guide made for your playlist, or add an XMLTV source that covers them.
Can I link a channel to the guide by hand?
Not at the moment: BurgTV matches channels automatically, by tvg-id first and then by name.
Does BurgTV read compressed .gz guides?
Yes, both from url-tvg and from an additional XMLTV source.
How many days of guide can I see?
In the TV app up to 3 days for free and up to 14 with Premium; on Android 3 days free and 14 with Premium; on iPhone and iPad 7 days. Always as many as your guide contains.