What is EPG: Complete Guide to Electronic Program Guide

What is EPG?

EPG (Electronic Program Guide) is an interactive system for displaying TV schedules on television screens or mobile devices. Unlike printed TV guides, EPG updates automatically and enables:

• Browsing schedules for all channels several days ahead
• Viewing program descriptions, cast, genres
• Using search and genre filters
• Setting reminders and recording timers
• Switching to channels directly from the guide

EPG is an essential part of any modern TV platform: digital television (DVB), IPTV, OTT services, and Smart TV applications.

How Electronic Program Guide Works

EPG data goes through several stages from broadcaster to viewer:

1. Broadcaster upload. TV channel creates schedule and sends it to EPG data provider (aggregator) or directly to operator.
2. Normalization. Data is converted to unified format, enriched with metadata: genres, descriptions, posters, cast information.
3. Delivery. Data is sent to operators and platforms via API, file exports, or broadcast stream (SI/PSI for DVB).
4. Display. Application on viewer's device receives data and displays it as familiar program grid.

EPG Data Formats

Several standard formats exist for EPG transmission:

XMLTV

Most common format for IPTV and OTT. XML file describing channels and programs. Supported by most middleware and players.

<programme start="20260206180000 +0300" channel="bbc-one">
  <title>BBC News</title>
  <desc>News programme</desc>
  <category>News</category>
</programme>

JSON API

Modern format for REST API. More flexible and convenient for web applications and mobile clients.

{
  "channel_id": "bbc-one",
  "start": "2026-02-06T18:00:00+00:00",
  "title": "BBC News",
  "description": "News programme",
  "genres": ["news"]
}

DVB SI/PSI

Used in digital terrestrial and satellite broadcasting. Data transmitted directly in transport stream alongside video.

Metadata in EPG

Modern EPG contains much more than just title and airtime:

• Basic: title, start/end time, description
• Genres: categories for filtering (movies, sports, news, kids)
• Cast: actors, directors, presenters
• Images: posters, stills, logos
• Age ratings: content classifications
• Identifiers: links to external databases (IMDB, TMDB)

How to Integrate EPG

There are several approaches to getting EPG data:

1. Build In-House

Negotiate with each broadcaster, process different formats, maintain accuracy. Requires editorial team and developers. Takes 6-12 months to launch.

2. Use an Aggregator (EPG Service)

Connect to ready-made API with normalized data. One integration — access to schedules for 4308 channels. Launch in 2 weeks.

Frequently Asked Questions

What's the difference between EPG and TV Guide?

TV Guide is a general term for program schedule. EPG is the electronic, interactive format of TV guide displayed on viewer's device.

How often is EPG updated?

Depends on source. EPG Service updates data in real-time — broadcaster changes are available instantly.

How much does EPG cost?

Cost depends on channel count and data volume. EPG Service offers free tier for development and testing.