Live channels are only part of what IPTV can offer. Many services and player apps also support catch-up, for programmes that have already been shown, and video on demand (VOD), a library of films and series you can start whenever you like. They look similar in an app, but they work differently.
Live, catch-up, VOD and recording compared
| Type | What it is | Where you find it | Pause and rewind |
|---|---|---|---|
| Live TV | Channels as they're shown | Channel list and TV guide | Only with a timeshift buffer in the app |
| Catch-up | Recent programmes kept by the service | Scrolling back in the TV guide | Yes |
| VOD | A library of films and series | Films and Series sections | Yes |
| Recording | A copy saved to your own device | The app's recordings list | Yes |
Live TV
Live channels play in real time, as they're broadcast. You choose a channel from the list or the TV guide and join wherever the programme has got to. Live streams always run a few seconds or more behind the original broadcast while they're encoded and delivered.
Catch-up
Catch-up (sometimes called archive or timeshift) lets you watch programmes from a channel's recent past. The service keeps a rolling window of what each supported channel has shown, and your app lets you start any of those programmes from the beginning.
- Channels that support catch-up are usually marked with a clock or rewind icon.
- You reach it by scrolling back in the TV guide and selecting a programme that has finished or started.
- How far back you can go depends on the channel and the service; not every channel offers catch-up.
- The guide must be working correctly, because catch-up uses the programme start and end times.
Finding a programme you missed
Open the TV guide
Go to the channel the programme was on.Move back in time
In most players, pressing left in the guide scrolls back through earlier programmes, so for something from 9pm yesterday you scroll back past midnight. Some players show a day picker instead.Look for the catch-up icon
Programmes you can still play are marked, often with a clock or rewind symbol. Select one and choose to play it from the start.Pause and rewind as you like
Once it's playing, catch-up behaves like on-demand video, so you can pause, rewind and skip ahead.
Catch-up support varies between player apps. TiviMate (with Premium) and IPTV Smarters Pro both support it when the service provides it, and Kodi's IPTV client has catch-up settings of its own. If a programme starts at the wrong point, the guide times are probably out; see the time-zone fixes in our EPG guide.
Video on demand (VOD)
VOD is a library rather than a schedule. Films and series appear in their own sections of the app, often with artwork, descriptions and episode lists, and you can pause, rewind and resume as you would on any streaming service. If you sign in with an Xtream Codes login, apps usually load VOD sections automatically; with an M3U playlist, VOD items may appear as extra channel groups.
- Resume where you stopped: most players remember your place in a film or episode and offer to carry on.
- Subtitles and audio: films and series often carry several subtitle and audio tracks. Look for the subtitle or audio button while the video plays.
- No sound on a film? Films often use surround formats that some TVs can't decode. See IPTV with no sound.
- Data: a film streams like a live channel, so the same rough figure of 2 to 4.5 GB an hour for HD applies if you're watching on mobile data. A 2-hour film in HD uses roughly 4 to 9 GB.
Catch-up vs recording
Catch-up is stored by the service, so it uses no space on your device and works on any screen, but it's only available for a limited time and only on supported channels. Recording saves a copy to your own device or a USB drive, which some apps support, and keeps it as long as you like, but it needs storage and the device must be on while it records.
What's included with our plans
What's available can change and depends on the rights that apply to each programme. If catch-up or on-demand viewing matters to you, ask us on WhatsApp what's currently included before you choose between 4K Premium and HD Premium.