XMLTV / EPG Checker
An EPG is the TV guide behind your channels, written in a format called XMLTV. Paste the file below to see how many channels and programmes it holds, the dates it covers, and which channels have no guide at all — before you wonder why the guide looks empty.
Everything happens on our server in one pass. Your file is never saved and never shared.
How the checker works
The checker reads your XMLTV file, counts the channels and programmes, works out the dates it covers, and spots channels that have no programmes or programmes that point at a channel the file never defines. It is a quick health check before you blame the guide.
Paste the file
Drop in the XMLTV text, from <tv> to </tv>.
We read it
Channels and programmes are counted and matched up on our server.
Read the summary
You get totals, the date range and any gaps worth fixing.
What XMLTV and an EPG are
An EPG (Electronic Programme Guide) is the on-screen schedule that shows what is on now and next. XMLTV is the standard file format that carries it: a list of channels, then a list of programmes, each tied to a channel by an id. Your playlist links to it through each channel’s tvg-id.
The guide only lines up when the ids in the EPG match the tvg-id values in your playlist — our logo & tvg-id checker shows the playlist side.
What the checker reports
| Reported | What it tells you |
|---|---|
| Channels | How many channels the EPG defines |
| Programmes | How many scheduled items it carries |
| Date range | The first and last day the guide covers |
| Channels with no programmes | Channels that will show an empty guide |
| Unknown channels | Programmes pointing at ids the file never defines |
Common EPG problems
- Guide is empty. The EPG ids and the playlist
tvg-idvalues do not match. - Guide runs out. The date range ends soon — the source needs refreshing.
- Some channels blank. Those channels have no programmes in the file.
- Wrong times. Usually a time-zone offset in the programme start values.
Is this safe to use?
Yes. The check is pure text parsing and happens entirely on our own server:
Your file is read once to summarise it, the report is shown back to you, and then it is gone. The parser never follows links inside the file and we never log what you paste.
Try our service on your own device, free
A full, accurate guide is part of a good IPTV experience. See ours on your own screen before you commit.
Request a free trial →More free tools, no account
Built for people who run playlists. All of them work right here, on our server, with nothing stored.
M3U Logo & tvg-id Checker →
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CleanerM3U Playlist Cleaner →
Remove duplicate channels and blank lines from a playlist.
SplitterM3U Group Splitter →
Split a playlist into one clean list per group.
GuideIPTV TV Guide (EPG) →
Why the guide matters and how it is built.
Questions people ask
What is XMLTV?
The standard file format for a TV guide: a list of channels and a list of programmes, each tied to a channel by an id.
Why is my guide empty even with an EPG loaded?
Usually the ids in the EPG do not match the tvg-id values in your playlist, so nothing connects.
What does "channels with no programmes" mean?
The EPG defines those channels but lists no schedule for them, so their guide will be blank.
Does the checker fetch anything from the file?
No. It only reads the text you paste and never follows links inside it.
Do you keep the file I paste?
No. It is read once to summarise it, shown back to you, and never saved or logged.