Add the guide address
- Open SettingsAdd-onsMy add-onsPVR clients, choose PVR IPTV Simple Client and select Configure.
- Go to the EPG settings tab.
- Set Location to Remote path and paste your XMLTV URL, or choose Local path and pick the file.
- Optionally turn on Cache XMLTV at local storage, which keeps a local copy of a remote guide; useful when the guide is large or the server is slow.
- Save, then let the add-on reload, or restart Kodi.
Your provider usually gives the guide address alongside the playlist. With an Xtream Codes login you can build it yourself; see Xtream Codes to M3U. The add-on accepts Gzip and XZ compressed XMLTV files as well as plain ones.
How Kodi matches channels to the guide
According to the add-on’s README, each channel is matched in three passes:
- The XMLTV channel id against the playlist’s tvg-id.
- The XMLTV display name against the playlist’s tvg-name, with spaces written as underscores.
- The display name against the channel name in the playlist.
A channel that matches none of these has no guide. The fix is usually in the playlist: make sure each channel’s tvg-id matches the id in the XMLTV file exactly. The add-on also has an Ignore case for EPG channel IDs option, for IDs that differ only in capital letters. See M3U tags explained and EPG missing for some channels.
Fix wrong guide times
| Setting | Where | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| EPG time shift | Add-on, EPG settings | Moves guide times by between −12 and +14 hours |
| Apply time shift to all channels | Add-on, EPG settings | Uses that shift for every channel, overriding per-channel values |
| tvg-shift | In the playlist | Shift in hours, for all channels on the #EXTM3U line or for one channel on its #EXTINF line |
Before shifting anything, check the device’s own time zone and clock: a wrong system clock moves every programme. See EPG shows the wrong time.
Kodi’s own guide settings
These are under SettingsPVR & Live TVGuide. Some only appear at the Advanced settings level.
| Setting | Level | Use |
|---|---|---|
| Clear data | Standard | Deletes the cached guide and reimports it. The first thing to try when the guide is stale or out of sync |
| Update interval | Advanced | How often Kodi imports guide data |
| Prevent updates during playback | Advanced | Avoids guide imports while you watch, to save processing power |
| Past days / Future days to display | Advanced | How much of the guide Kodi shows |
| Hide “No information available” labels | Advanced | Hides empty labels on channels without guide data |
From the Kodi wiki’s guide settings page, updated for Kodi 21.
Still empty?
- Open the XMLTV address in a browser. If it doesn’t download, the problem is the link or the provider, not Kodi.
- Check the add-on is enabled and that you only use one PVR client at a time; the Kodi wiki advises disabling other PVR add-ons.
- Give it time on a big guide. Large XMLTV files take a while to import on a streaming stick.
More fixes in TV guide not loading. For the playlist side of the add-on, see PVR IPTV Simple Client setup.