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Catch-up and the TV guide in Kanema

Kanema’s TV guide puts every channel’s programmes on one grid, with a line at the time now, using the listings your provider sends or an XMLTV guide address you add. Catch-up plays programmes that have already been shown, on the channels your provider keeps an archive for. If your provider keeps none, the Catch-up section doesn’t appear; if a channel shows the wrong programmes, you can point it at the right guide entry yourself.

The TV guide on Apple TV: channels down the side, programmes across in blocks as long as they run, and a line at the time now.

Demo playlist: the films are Blender open movies (credits) and the channels are made up. Kanema comes with nothing to watch.

Where the guide comes from

Most providers send a guide with the playlist, and Kanema uses it. If yours doesn’t, or you prefer another, add an XMLTV address in the playlist’s Guide address field. You can add more than one: put a space between them and, with Kanema Pro, Kanema reads them as one guide, taking the first listing it finds for each channel. Without Pro it reads the first address.

A guide is only as good as what the provider sends. Many channels arrive without any guide information at all, so a channel with no programmes listed usually means the provider has none for it.

When a channel shows the wrong programmes

Providers often give a channel the wrong guide entry, so it shows another channel’s programmes, or nothing. To fix it, open the channel’s menu and choose Fix its guide:

  • On iPhone and iPad, touch and hold the channel.
  • On a Mac, right-click the channel.
  • On Apple TV, press and hold the channel in Live TV.

Kanema lists every channel in the guide with its guide id, the likely matches first, and a search box. Pick the right one and the programmes follow. Your fixes reach your other devices through iCloud.

Fixing the guide for Meridian Action on iPhone: the entry it uses now, the likely match first, then every channel the guide lists, each with its guide id, and a search box.

Reminders and Starting soon

On iPhone, iPad, Mac and Apple Vision Pro, tap a programme that’s coming up and choose Remind me. Pick how early reminders go off in Settings › Playback: 1, 5, 10, 15 or 30 minutes before. Tapping the reminder puts the channel on.

On iPhone and iPad, a programme you’ve set a reminder for counts down on the Lock Screen once it’s less than six hours away, and in the Dynamic Island on iPhone, with a Watch button.

Starting soon lists what begins in the next hour on your favourite channels, soonest first, with a bell beside each to set a reminder in one tap. It’s in Live TV on iPhone and in the sidebar on iPad and Mac.

Apple TV has no reminders: Kanema can’t show notifications there.

Catch-up

When your provider keeps an archive, Kanema adds a Catch-up section. It lists the channels that have one, with how many days each keeps, and each channel’s past programmes with a picture, the start time, the length and a line about it.

Catch-up on Apple TV: the channels that are recorded, with how many days each keeps, and the programmes of the one selected, each with a picture from it.

Channels with programmes in their archive come first. Channels whose archive is empty so far are marked “Nothing in the archive yet” and listed after them, never hidden, because an archive fills up as the channel goes on. To find a channel, type its name in Catch-up’s search; capitals and accents don’t matter.

On Apple TV you can also go straight from the guide: select a programme from earlier on a channel with an archive, and it plays from the start. Pressing and holding a channel in Live TV offers Catch up as well.

Questions

Why doesn’t a channel show any programmes?

Usually because your provider sends no guide information for it. If the guide has the channel under another entry, choose Fix its guide from the channel’s menu and pick the right one. You can also add your own XMLTV guide address.

Can I use more than one guide?

Yes, with Kanema Pro. Put several guide addresses in the Guide address field, separated by spaces, and Kanema reads them as one.

Why is there no Catch-up section?

Catch-up comes from your provider. Kanema shows it only when your provider keeps an archive of past programmes.

Can I set reminders on Apple TV?

No. Kanema can’t show notifications on Apple TV, so reminders are on iPhone, iPad, Mac and Apple Vision Pro.

Kanema doesn’t come with channels

Kanema plays the playlist you add from your own provider, and nothing else. Only add services you’re entitled to use.

Coming soon to the App Store