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Match M3U tvg-id to XMLTV

Published and technically reviewed 14 August 2026 · MRG's Solutions, UAB

For dependable EPG matching, set an M3U entry's tvg-id to the exact value of the corresponding XMLTV <channel id="…">. The programme records must reference that same ID in their channel attribute.

Exact relationship

M3U:
#EXTINF:-1 tvg-id="example.channel",Example channel

XMLTV:
<channel id="example.channel">…</channel>
<programme channel="example.channel" start="…" stop="…">…</programme>

Safe matching workflow

  1. Parse all XMLTV channel IDs and display names.
  2. Keep exact existing tvg-id matches.
  3. Review unmatched playlist entries manually using provider, region, language and channel identity—not name similarity alone.
  4. Reject ambiguous matches such as national variants, time-shift channels, HD/SD editions or channels sharing a generic name.
  5. Recheck programme coverage after saving the mapping.

Why an EPG can still be empty

  • The ID differs by case or punctuation.
  • The XMLTV file declares the channel but contains no current programme rows.
  • Programme times include the wrong UTC offset.
  • The playlist and guide describe different regional or time-shift services.
  • The guide is stale or truncated.

Never invent a schedule from a similar channel name. An honest missing match is safer than displaying the wrong programme.

Source

See the XMLTV project's current XMLTV DTD for the formal channel and programme relationship.