TiviMate Catch-Up: How Replay Works and Why It Fails

What Catch-Up Is#

Catch-up is not local recording. It replays a past broadcast from storage on the provider's side. When you open a programme in the past section of the guide and it plays, you are watching catch-up. Because it depends on the provider, two playlists can behave very differently even in the same app.

Catch-Up vs Recording#

If you only want to watch a recent programme, catch-up is lighter and uses no device storage. If the provider offers no catch-up, recording is the alternative. See TiviMate recording and recording storage.

How Catch-Up Appears in TiviMate#

When a playlist supports catch-up, the guide typically shows past programmes you can select, or a replay option for a channel. Selecting a past programme plays it, subject to the provider's retention window. How far back you can go is set by the provider, not by TiviMate.

Why Catch-Up May Be Missing#

• The provider does not offer it. Many providers support catch-up on only some channels or none at all.
• The playlist lacks catch-up data. The M3U may not carry the tags that describe replay, so TiviMate has nothing to use.
• The channel is live-only. Some feeds simply have no stored archive.
• Guide data is incomplete. Without EPG history, there is nothing to select for replay. See EPG setup.

To confirm which side is responsible, ask whether catch-up works for that channel in another player. If it does not, the source is the limit.

Using Catch-Up Well#

1. Check whether your provider advertises catch-up and for which groups.
2. Keep your EPG current, since catch-up depends on guide history.
3. Use groups to find channels that support replay quickly. See channel groups.
4. Fall back to scheduled recording for channels without catch-up.

Why Catch-Up Varies by Channel#

Catch-up is supplied by the provider, not created by TiviMate, so availability can differ from one channel to the next even within the same subscription. A provider may archive only selected channels, keep different retention windows, or attach catch-up to some groups but not others. If catch-up works on one channel and is missing on another, compare the two before changing app settings: the difference is usually in what the provider supplies. Ask the provider which channels and how many days are covered, and treat that list as the source of truth rather than assuming the whole lineup has it.

Frequently Asked Questions#

How far back can I watch with catch-up?#

That depends on the provider's retention period, commonly a few days. TiviMate shows the range the provider exposes.

Does catch-up use more data?#

It streams like any other playback, so it uses data at the stream's bitrate for the length of the programme. See data usage.

Can I catch up on a channel with no guide data?#

Usually not, because there is no programme history to select. Fixing the EPG often restores catch-up where the provider supports it.

How Provider Retention Works#

Catch-up is only as good as the provider's archive. Some providers keep a few days of certain channels, others extend further or cover only selected groups. The retention window is set on their side, so a programme that is too old simply will not be available, regardless of settings in TiviMate. Checking with your provider, rather than fiddling with the app, is the right first move when catch-up seems limited.

Catch-Up and the Guide#

Catch-up leans on guide history. If your EPG only covers the next day, there is little past data to select for replay. A well-populated guide therefore improves catch-up as a side effect. Our EPG setup guide explains how to add sources and set update frequency, which in turn helps replay where the provider supports it.

When to Record Instead#

• The provider offers no catch-up for a channel you care about.
• You want to keep a programme beyond the retention window.
• You are offline or want a copy on your own storage.

In those cases, scheduled recording is the tool, keeping in mind that recordings use local space and data. See recording storage.

A Quick Check#

1. Confirm the provider advertises catch-up and for which channels.
2. Make sure your guide has history, not just the future.
3. Select a past programme and play it to confirm replay works.
4. Fall back to recording for anything not covered.

Why Two Providers Differ So Much#

Providers invest differently in catch-up. One may record every channel for a week, another only a handful of sports channels for a couple of days. Because the archive lives on their servers, the same app can offer rich replay on one playlist and almost none on another. Comparisons between users rarely match, so judge your own provider rather than a general expectation.

Getting the Most From Catch-Up#

• Keep guide history populated, not just upcoming programmes.
• Learn which groups support replay and lean on them.
• Use Favorites to reach replay-capable channels quickly.
• Record the rest if it matters to you.

Checklist#

1. Confirm catch-up is offered for the channel.
2. Ensure the guide has past data.
3. Play a past programme to verify replay.
4. Schedule recording where catch-up is absent.

Handled this way, catch-up and recording complement each other instead of leaving gaps.

Sources#

See the TiviMate listing on Google Play for the app. For how programme guide data works, see electronic program guide on Wikipedia.

Related Guides#

See EPG Setup, TiviMate Recording, and EPG not working.