Match XMLTV entries to playlist channels

IPTV Complete Forum editorial desk

2026-11-13

Join the three identifiers for one station

A station can play all evening while the guide remains empty. The player opens video from the source attached to the playlist entry. To show listings, it must separately join that entry to a channel and programme in the guide. If your player uses the common tvg-id convention, start with the exact identifier on a single failing station.

XMLTV describes station definitions with a channel id. A programme’s channel attribute points to that station. Kodi IPTV Simple Client documents matching the playlist’s tvg-id to the XMLTV channel id as its first pass, with other checks described in its own documentation. Use the rules of your actual player, especially if it can fall back to display labels.

Use the right regional feed

Consider two stations both displayed as Community TV. One carries the east schedule and the other carries the west schedule. A name-based fallback might show a plausible title on the wrong station. An exact ID for each region helps preserve the distinction. If the grid is full but the news starts three hours later than shown, compare the station and regional feed before adding a clock shift.

Compare the stored values character for character. Community-East, community-east and a version with a trailing space are different strings. A player may normalize some of them, but that behavior is not safe to assume across devices. Look at the exact values in the files or provider’s channel mapping tool.

Make the smallest possible correction

1. Choose one affected channel and identify a known programme and date. Keep the channel list and guide revisions that produced the symptom.
2. Confirm that the XMLTV file includes the station definition and a programme for it in the window you are viewing.
3. Map the entry using the provider’s or player’s supported channel-editing process. If the upstream ID changed, correct the join in the source you control or request a provider correction.
4. Refresh the guide and verify the expected title. Test a neighbouring channel and reopen the app before applying the same change to a large playlist.

What to put in a forum question

Share a redacted example with the playlist ID, XMLTV station ID, programme channel value and displayed title. Include the player version and which station feed you meant. Use sample identifiers if the real ones reveal private subscription details. Leave the complete source address and token out.