TiviMate EPG & channel setup
Where most people end up after starting on Smarters — and the difference between a default install and a configured one is considerable. This covers the programme guide, channel groups, favourites and the settings that make it worth switching for.
Check this before reading further
TiviMate runs on Android TV and Fire TV only. That covers Firesticks, Nvidia Shield, Mi Box, Chromecast with Google TV and generic Android boxes.
It is not available for iPhone, iPad, Apple TV, Windows, or Samsung and LG smart televisions. If that's what you have, this page won't help — use IPTV Smarters Pro instead, or see the smart TV guide for Tizen and webOS.
Free version vs premium
TiviMate has a free tier and a paid upgrade. The premium fee goes to the app developer, not to us — we neither receive any part of it nor require it. The free version handles one playlist perfectly well, which is all most people need.
| Feature | Free | Premium |
|---|---|---|
| One playlist | Yes | Yes |
| Full programme guide | Yes | Yes |
| Channel groups & favourites | Yes | Yes |
| Catch-up / archive | Yes | Yes |
| Multiple playlists | No | Yes |
| Recording | No | Yes |
| Multi-view | No | Yes |
Four steps to a configured guide
Install and add your playlist
TiviMate is in the Amazon Appstore and Google Play, so no sideloading is needed on most devices. On first launch it asks you to add a playlist.
- Choose Add playlist, then Enter URL or Xtream Codes depending on what you were sent
- Use Xtream Codes wherever possible — it loads the guide and sorts the film library on its own
- Enter the server URL, username and password exactly as sent, including
http://and any port number - Give the playlist a name and let it finish loading — a large lineup takes a minute
Fix the guide timing
This is where TiviMate differs from other players in a way that catches people out. TiviMate takes its time zone from the device, not from its own settings — so correcting the app doesn't help if the Firestick itself is wrong.
Device Settings›Preferences›Date & Time
- Set the device time zone to Dublin or GMT+00:00 Dublin, and enable automatic time
- In TiviMate, open Settings › Playlists › [your playlist] › EPG
- Enable automatic EPG update so listings refresh daily
- If listings are still shifted, there's a time offset option here — but only use it once the device zone is right
Cut the lineup down to what you watch
This is the single most worthwhile thing you'll do, and the main reason TiviMate feels better than other players. A 54,000-channel list is unusable; a 40-channel one is a television.
Settings›Channels
- Hide groups you'll never open — foreign-language sections, regional duplicates, adult categories if children use the device
- Reorder channels so the ones you watch sit at the top and are reachable in a couple of presses
- Create custom groups — a "Sport" group mixing categories, or one per person in the house
- Mark favourites for the handful you open daily
Set the guide layout
TiviMate lets you change how much of the schedule is on screen at once. Worth a minute, because the default doesn't suit every television size.
Settings›Appearance
- Adjust the guide time span — how many hours are visible across the screen
- Set the number of channel rows shown; fewer rows means larger, more readable text
- Turn on channel logos if they aren't already showing
- Set on-screen info duration for how long the channel banner stays up
Four more settings
None of these are required, but each solves something people commonly ask about.
Catch-up and rewind
On channels that carry an archive, holding the select button on a past programme in the guide offers to play it. If the option never appears, that channel carries no archive — it varies by channel rather than by plan.
Change the decoder
Green screen, or audio without picture? Under playback settings, switch the decoder between hardware and software and reopen the channel. Same fix as in Smarters, and it's a device-side issue rather than a stream fault.
Buffer size
If channels start slowly but play fine after, a smaller buffer reduces the wait. If they stutter mid-programme, a larger one helps. Change it one step at a time and test — this is trial and error rather than a fixed answer.
Start on last channel
Have TiviMate open straight onto whatever you were last watching rather than the guide. Small thing, but it makes a Firestick behave much more like an ordinary television.
If something isn't right
Guide is empty
On Xtream Codes, allow up to fifteen minutes then force a refresh under Settings › Playlists › EPG. On an M3U link there is no guide data at all — you need the separate XMLTV address, or switch to Xtream Codes.
Guide is out by an hour
Check the device time zone rather than TiviMate's settings, since it inherits from the device. Set it to Dublin and leave any EPG time offset at zero.
Channel logos missing
Logos come from the playlist rather than the app. Force a playlist refresh under Settings › Playlists. Some channels simply have no logo in the source data, which is normal.
Changes keep reverting
A playlist refresh can restore hidden channels if groups were reordered before the list finished loading. Let the playlist load fully, then redo your channel arrangement once.
TiviMate questions
No. TiviMate runs on Android TV and Fire TV only, which covers Firesticks, Nvidia Shield, Mi Box and generic Android boxes. For iPhone, iPad, Apple TV, Windows or Samsung and LG televisions, use IPTV Smarters Pro or a smart TV app instead.
No. The free version handles one playlist with the full guide, channel groups, favourites and catch-up. Premium adds recording, multi-view and multiple playlists, and that fee goes to the app developer rather than to us.
TiviMate takes its time zone from the device rather than its own settings, so check the Firestick or Android box time zone first and set it to Dublin. Avoid correcting it with an EPG time offset, because a fixed offset will be wrong for half the year.
Smarters is easier for a first setup and runs on far more devices. TiviMate has a better guide layout, channel management and catch-up handling, so it is the better everyday player if you are on Android TV or Fire TV.
Yes, and it is the most worthwhile thing you can do. Under Settings then Channels you can hide entire groups, reorder what remains and build custom groups. A 54,000-channel list is unusable; a curated one behaves like an ordinary television.
Catch-up depends on whether that channel's source carries an archive, and it varies by channel rather than by plan. If the option never appears on a particular channel, no archive exists for it — a longer subscription will not change that.
Get a line to configure
Request a 24-hour trial and we'll send Xtream Codes details you can add straight into TiviMate. No card required.
What we supply. IPTV Ireland provides subscription access, playlist credentials and programme guide data. TiviMate is a third-party application made by another company — we neither develop nor distribute it, any premium fee it charges is theirs rather than ours, and this guide simply shows you how to configure it. Our support covers anything server-side. Menu names and settings paths may differ between app versions and devices. All product names are the trademarks of their respective owners.