Catch-up TV lets you scroll the programme guide backwards and play something that has already aired — up to seven days on most channels. Nothing is recorded on your device and nothing uses your storage. The server keeps the broadcast, and you request it when you want it.
When we ask long-term customers what they would not give up, this is the answer more often than picture quality or price.
How do you actually use it?
Open the programme guide and scroll left instead of right. Past programmes that are available appear selectable rather than greyed out. Choose one and it plays from the start. That is the whole interaction — there is nothing to set up, schedule or remember in advance.
Catch-up versus recording
People use the words interchangeably and they are not the same thing.
| Catch-up | Recording | |
|---|---|---|
| Set up in advance | Not needed | Required |
| Uses your storage | No | Yes |
| How long it lasts | 7 days | Until you delete it |
| Works on every channel | Most | Most |
| Needs a paid app | No | Often |
What you need for it to work
An app that supports it and the Xtream Codes login rather than a plain M3U playlist. This is the single most common reason people tell us catch-up is "missing": an M3U file carries a channel list and nothing else, so there is no guide to scroll back through. Swap the playlist for Xtream Codes and the feature appears.
- TiviMate — the best catch-up interface of any player we see.
- IPTV Smarters — supported, slightly less polished.
- XCIPTV — supported.
- GSE Smart IPTV — supported on iPhone and iPad.
Our app comparison covers the differences, and the installation guide shows where to enter Xtream Codes details on each device.
Where catch-up is most useful in Canada
Time zones. A national broadcast at 7pm Eastern is 4pm in Vancouver and 8:30pm in Newfoundland. Catch-up removes the problem entirely — watch it when it suits you rather than when it aired. It also covers shift workers, and anyone who has ever come home to find the game was on three hours ago.
The honest limitation
Catch-up depends on the upstream source, so it is not universal. Most channels carry seven days, some carry less, a few carry none. If there is a specific channel you need it on, ask us on live support before subscribing and we will check that channel rather than giving you a general answer.
It also expires. Seven days is seven days — if you want to keep something permanently, that is recording, and it needs a player that supports it plus your own storage.
Frequently asked questions
What is catch-up TV on IPTV?
Catch-up TV lets you scroll the programme guide backwards and play something that has already been broadcast. On our service it covers up to seven days on most channels. Nothing is recorded on your device — the server keeps the broadcast and streams it to you on request.
How far back does catch-up go?
Up to seven days on most channels. A few channels carry less, and some carry none at all, depending on what the upstream source provides. The guide shows which programmes are available: if it can be played back, it is selectable.
Is catch-up the same as recording?
No. Recording saves a file on your own device and uses your storage. Catch-up needs no storage at all because the broadcast is held server-side. The trade-off is that catch-up expires after seven days, while a recording is yours until you delete it.
Does catch-up use more data?
No more than watching live. It is the same stream at the same bitrate, just started at a different point in time — roughly 12 Mbps for Full HD and 25 Mbps for 4K.