IPTVComplete Forum
Reading roomGet help
ForumGuidesProvidersCompareChannelsCountriesReading roomGet help

TV guides

Diagnose an empty programme guide after refresh

Check the guide response, programme date range and exact channel mapping in that order when a completed refresh leaves an empty grid.

IPTV Complete Forum editorial desk

A finished refresh is only the first clue

The app may report a refresh complete even though the file contained no current listings for your stations. If the channels themselves still play, preserve their settings and look at the guide fetch. Test a single station with a known programme before changing the whole list or setting a clock offset.

The useful order is response, structure, date range and mapping. An HTML sign-in page will fail at the first two steps. An old XMLTV export can pass structure checks and still have nothing to display today. A valid feed with a station-ID mismatch can leave one row blank while neighbouring channels work.

CheckEvidence that passesNext step if it fails
FetchA successful authorized response reaches the configured source.Confirm the guide URL or obtain fresh authorized access.
FormatA readable XMLTV tv document after any supported decompression.Check whether you received a login page, incomplete response or unsupported compressed format.
ScheduleAt least one programme falls inside the app’s displayed date window.Ask for a current export and confirm time-zone interpretation.
MappingThe programme belongs to the exact station represented by the playlist.Compare the playlist identifier, channel id and programme channel field.

Work from the scope of the gap

Every station blank points toward the configured guide, time window or application state. One group blank can mean the provider’s regional schedule is missing. A single station blank usually makes its identifier and schedule coverage worth checking first. Select a neighbouring channel and look at the same day so that you compare like with like.

If the app reads multiple inputs, verify which guide belongs to the current playlist or instance. A successful import from yesterday’s test source can leave today’s primary source with an empty grid. In Kodi IPTV Simple Client, playlist and XMLTV inputs are configured separately.

Keep a small record of what was loaded

  1. Write down the app version and refresh time. Record which channels can still play.
  2. Use the source owner’s authorized diagnostic view or a redacted sample to check the document type and earliest and latest programme starts.
  3. Match one affected channel to a current programme. Note the exact ID and time zone used.
  4. Refresh after correcting one variable. Clear a guide cache only through the app’s documented settings and with any needed source settings retained.

Sources and further reading