How does Catch-Up work?
Catch-up is one of the most appreciated features in modern IPTV. Simply put, it lets you go back in time and watch programmes that have already aired — like a built-in replay service directly within your IPTV app.
Missed the news? Fell asleep during the film? With catch-up it doesn't matter.
What is catch-up?
Catch-up works by channels storing their broadcasts on a server for a limited time — usually between 24 hours and 7 days depending on the channel. During that time you can go back in the EPG guide, click on a programme that has already aired and watch it just as if it were live.
It's important to understand that catch-up is not the same as VOD (Video on Demand). VOD is a separate library of movies and series. Catch-up is specifically linked to what has been broadcast on live TV channels.
What do you need for catch-up to work?
Three things need to be in place for catch-up to be available:
- The channel must support catch-up — not all channels have the feature enabled
- Your app must support catch-up — most modern IPTV apps do
- You must have EPG enabled — catch-up is linked to the EPG guide
| App | Catch-up support |
|---|---|
| TiviMate | Yes |
| UHF | Yes |
| IPTV Smarters Pro | Yes |
| MYTVOnline+ | Yes |
| Opus IPTV | No |
| SET IPTV | Limited |
How do you use catch-up?
The process is simple and similar across most apps:
- Open your IPTV app and go to the EPG guide (programme guide)
- Navigate to the channel you want to watch
- Scroll backwards in time through the EPG guide
- Click on the programme you want to watch
- The app asks whether you want to watch from the beginning or from a specific point
- Press play — the programme starts
Tips
In TiviMate you can identify catch-up programmes by a small clock icon in the EPG guide. This means the programme is available to watch after it has aired.
How far back can I go?
It depends on the channel. Different channels have different catch-up periods:
| Catch-up period | Typical channels |
|---|---|
| 24 hours | Some sports and news channels |
| 3 days | Most common among Nordic channels |
| 7 days | Major channels like SVT and TV4 |
| No catch-up | Sport stream channels and smaller international channels |
Why doesn't catch-up work on all channels?
There are several reasons why a channel doesn't offer catch-up:
- Rights — the channel doesn't have a licence to allow replay of all content
- Technology — the channel lacks infrastructure to store and stream catch-up
- Live sport — matches and events are often broadcast without catch-up for rights reasons
- International channels — smaller channels rarely have catch-up functionality
Info
Sport stream channels in the "SE – MAX PPV" and "SE – TV4 Play PPV" categories normally don't have catch-up. Matches must be watched live or recorded manually in your app if you don't want to miss them.
Catch-up vs recording — what's the difference?
| Catch-up | Recording | |
|---|---|---|
| Stored on | uPlay's server | Your device |
| Requires planning | No — always available after broadcast | Yes — must be scheduled |
| Availability | Limited time (1–7 days) | Until you delete it |
| Requires extra storage | No | Yes |
| Works on all channels | No | Yes (if channel is live) |
Want to save a programme beyond the catch-up period? Use the recording feature in TiviMate and save directly to a USB drive or external hard drive.
Frequently asked questions
Catch-up isn't working — what could be wrong?
First check that EPG is enabled and updated in the app. Then check that the channel actually supports catch-up — this is often indicated in the EPG guide with a special icon. If everything looks correct but it still doesn't work, contact our support team.
Can I fast-forward in catch-up programmes?
Yes, in most apps you can fast-forward and rewind in catch-up programmes just like a regular video. Some channels restrict fast-forwarding for rights reasons.
Why do catch-up programmes disappear after a while?
The catch-up period is limited — usually 3–7 days. When the period ends the programme is automatically removed from the server. Want to save a programme for longer? Record it with TiviMate.
Does catch-up work abroad?
Yes, catch-up works wherever you are as long as you have access to uPlay. See our guide on uPlay abroad for more information.
Summary
- Catch-up lets you watch programmes that have already aired — up to 7 days back
- It works through the EPG guide in your IPTV app
- Not all channels support catch-up — sport stream channels usually don't
- Catch-up is stored on the server, recordings are stored on your device
- TiviMate and UHF have the best catch-up support among the apps we recommend