Understanding the EPG (Program Guide)
An evergreen explainer, not a step-by-step install guide.
An EPG (Electronic Program Guide) is the on-screen schedule showing what's currently airing and what's coming up next on each channel — functionally the same as a cable programming guide, but sourced from a separate XMLTV file or bundled automatically depending on how your channel list is set up.
Reviewed by the RokuStream team ·
Why the EPG is sometimes separate from your channel list
If your player app is configured with a plain M3U playlist, the EPG usually needs its own XMLTV guide URL added separately, since an M3U file is just a list of stream links with no schedule data attached. An Xtream Codes login, by contrast, typically delivers the EPG automatically alongside the channel list — see our M3U vs. Xtream Codes comparison for the full distinction.
What a working EPG looks like
Once configured, most player apps show a grid or list view with channel names down one side and a timeline of programs across the top, similar to a traditional cable guide, updating automatically as shows air.
Setting it up
Our EPG setup guide walks through adding an XMLTV guide URL in the most common player apps, step by step.