Overview of EPG for IPTV and its settings

EPG is an electronic TV guide for IPTV. It can be built-in or added manually. EPG provides the user with a TV guide for the channels that are in his playlist. From the article you will learn more about this function, its settings, and find free working links to EPG TV guides.

Overview of EPG for IPTV

EPG is a TV program (guide) that is necessary for IPTV channels so that users can see the start time of the broadcast they are interested in, its name, genre and description. In short, EPG is a modern electronic analogue of newspapers with TV programs, which is built right into the playlist.

The TV Guide will help you spend less time searching and watching content. Just take a look at the program and view the broadcast information. Sometimes there are references in the EPG – a miniature image of what is currently on a particular channel.

In paid IPTV players, the EPG function is always built-in and nothing needs to be installed additionally, and in more advanced versions there are also:

• parental control;
• broadcast recording – so that viewers can watch a program that they missed live on TV (for example, the EDEM.TV service allows you to return to watching after 4 days).

Usually EPG is displayed after changing the TV channel – at the bottom of the screen or on the side. The plate shows information about the content that is on the TV now and will be on in the near future. You can also watch the TV guide through the menu.

How to set up EPG for IPTV?

Knowledge of setting up EPG is only needed for those who use M3U playlists taken from free Internet access, or create them on their own. For those who just want to watch TV channels over the network and do not plan to study this topic, you can install any IPTV player on Android or Windows with a customized guide. M3U file without EPG looks like this:

• #EXTM3U
• #EXTINF:0,Europa Plus TV #EXTGRP:music http://23acbfe8.ucomist.net/iptv/5K6RMPTM6L8S2Y/115/index.m3u8
• #EXTINF:0,MUZ-TV #EXTGRP:music http://23acbfe8.ucomist.net/iptv/5K6RMPTM6L8S2Y/116/index.m3u8
• #EXTINF:0,BRIDGE TV Russian Hit #EXTGRP:music http://23acbfe8.ucomist.net/iptv/5K6RMPTM6L8S2Y/120/index.m3u8
• #EXTINF:0,Bridge TV #EXTGRP:music http://23acbfe8.ucomist.net/iptv/5K6RMPTM6L8S2Y/122/index.m3u8.

To add TV guide support to a playlist, do the following:

1. Open the playlist file in any text editor (for example, in a standard Windows notepad or in Notepad++).
2. Change the first line marked #EXTM3U to: #EXTM3U url-tvg=”in this place, leave one of the links from the next section.”

That’s the whole setup. In the IP-TV Player, this playlist will be displayed as follows:
If there are channels for which the TV program was not found, change their names so that they match those specified in the XML file. It is easy to understand that a program for a TV channel was not found, just under its name the film / show that is currently playing on it will not be displayed.

Free links to working EPGs in 2021

All of the XML files listed will work for any .m3u playlist you download from the Internet. Best free EPG work guides:

• http://iptvx.one/epg/epg_lite.xml.gz;
• http://programtv.ru/xmltv.xml.gz;
• http://epg.it999.ru/edem.xml.gz;
• https://iptvx.one/epg/epg.xml.gz
• https://ottepg.ru/ottepg.xml.gz;
• http://stb.shara-tv.org/epg/epgtv.xml.gz;
• http://st.kineskop.tv/epg.xml.gz;
• https://iptvx.one/epg/epg_lite.xml.gz;
• https://webarmen.com/my/iptv/xmltv.xml.gz;
• https://static.mediatech.by/epg.xml.

We recommend using the first XML file because it supports the largest number of channels and always accurately displays the TV schedule.

Simplified free EPG work guides:

• http://epg.it999.ru/epg2.xml.gz;
• http://epg.it999.ru/epg.xml.gz;
• http://epg.it999.ru/pp.xml.gz;
• http://epg.it999.ru/epg2.xml;
• http://epg.it999.ru/epg.xml.

Such guides are intended for weak devices. There are a large number of channels, but minimal functionality.

EPG autoloader

The EPG autoloader is a plugin that allows you to load ready-made epg.dat in different versions. Users who install it receive a fresh EPG directly to the receiver automatically. Functions and features of the plugin:

• he himself downloads ready-made epg.dat in different versions from the https://giclub.tv server;
• if enigma2 deletes epg.dat on restart, you can change the filename;
• view information about the date and time of the last update of epg.dat;
• setting the time period since the last update, after which the plugin will check for a fresh epg.dat.

You can download the plugin here – https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B5UXmy-_ZZv5R09HbW5FbFJDX28/view?usp=sharing. After downloading the plugin “EPG Autoloader” on your device, set it up. To do this, go to it and follow these steps:

1. Enable auto-update by selecting “yes” next to the corresponding line.
2. Paste the link http://epg.giclub.tv/epg/epg.datfull.gz into the “Download address” field.
3. Set the frequency of the check. For example, 30 minutes, 1 hour, etc.
4. Opposite the “Check for availability” box, put “yes”.
5. Click the “Save” button.

TV guide apps

You can not only embed the EPG into the playlist itself, but also simply download a special application to your phone. For many users, the second method is more convenient. The best mobile TV guides for Android:

• TV Guide. TV program with all Russian TV channels. There are categories, information about programs and a schedule for the coming week. Direct download link in the Google Play Store – https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=molokov.TVGuide.
• TV programme. A simple software tool that collects daily up-to-date information about TV shows, series and movies. Direct download link from Google Play Store – https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.steeple.tv.program&hl=ru&gl=US.
• TV control. This application has all the same features as the previous one, plus a dark interface theme that can be set through the settings. Direct download link in the Google Play Store – https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=ru.djaz.tv.
• Hope EPG/Pro Guide. For Russian TV channels. If you add a third-party EPG address, you will be able to watch TV broadcasts in Ukraine, CIS countries and Europe. Direct download link on Google Play – https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.umutlu.HopeEPGGuide&hl=ru&gl=US.
• Lotus Program Guide. Functional TV guide for users from Ukraine, Belarus and Europe. Direct download link from Google Play Store – https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.mahocan.LotusEPG.

If you use the services of official IPTV providers, then you will not have to additionally search for and configure EPG. If you have free IPTV playlists at your disposal, to which TV guides are not always attached, it will not be difficult to add them yourself. Follow the instructions carefully and you’ll be fine.