Updated March 2026

IPTV Catch-Up & Replay

IPTV catch-up automatically archives live television for 7 days, letting you watch any program that aired during that window without recording, scheduling, or using local storage. It functions as a cloud-based DVR that is always on for every supported channel.

DM
Daniel MitchellHead of Testing
Published June 1, 2025·Updated March 15, 2026

Key Takeaways

  • Catch-up archives 7 days of live TV on the server — no recording or scheduling needed.
  • Browse past programs in the EPG and start playback instantly with full pause/rewind/fast-forward controls.
  • Catch-up is included free with every plan and requires zero local storage on your device.

How Catch-Up Works

1

Missed a Show?

Open the channel in your IPTV app and browse the EPG program guide to find shows from the past 7 days.

2

Select the Program

Click on the past program you want to watch. It starts playing from the beginning instantly — no buffering delay.

3

Full Playback Controls

Use pause, rewind, and fast-forward controls just like on-demand content. Skip to any point in the program.

How It Works Technically

Every channel with catch-up support is continuously recorded on the IPTV server infrastructure. When you select a past program through the EPG, the app sends an API request to the server, which responds with the archived stream for that specific time window. The content plays via your internet connection just like live TV — no downloading or local storage involved.

7-Day Replay Explained

Every channel with catch-up support automatically stores the past 7 days of programming on cloud servers. This means you can go back up to 168 hours and watch any program that aired during that window.

7 Days
Replay Window
168 hours of content per channel
Thousands
Channels Supported
Sports, news, movies, entertainment
Zero
Storage Required
Everything is stored in the cloud

Catch-Up by App

TiviMate

Best

Full catch-up support with 7-day history, intuitive timeline view, and one-click playback. The best catch-up experience.

IPTV Smarters Pro

Good

Catch-up available through the TV Archive section. Browse by channel and date. Simple interface for finding past programs.

IBO Player

Good

Supports catch-up with easy navigation. Select channel, view past programs from the EPG, and play immediately.

HOT IPTV

Basic

Catch-up supported for channels with archive. Access via the program guide. Basic but functional implementation.

EPG Integration with Catch-Up

The Electronic Program Guide (EPG) is the backbone of catch-up. It shows past, current, and upcoming programs for every channel, letting you browse and select what to watch.

Browse Past Shows

Scroll back through the EPG timeline to see programs from the past 7 days with full titles and descriptions.

One-Click Play

Select any past program and it begins playing instantly. No buffering wait — instant playback from the archive.

Full Controls

Pause, rewind, fast-forward, and skip through catch-up content just like you would with on-demand video.

Search by Name

In TiviMate, use the search feature to find specific shows across all catch-up enabled channels at once.

Catch-Up vs DVR Recording

FeatureCatch-UpDVR Recording
Setup RequiredNone — always onMust schedule in advance
Storage NeededNone (cloud-based)Local device storage
How Far Back7 days automaticallyUntil manually deleted
Extra CostFree with every planApp-dependent (Premium)
Works RetroactivelyYes — always recordingNo — must set before airing
Channel CoverageThousands of channelsOnly channels you record
Offline ViewingNo (requires internet)Yes (saved locally)

Best Use Cases for Catch-Up

Missed Live Sports

Forgot about the game? Go back and watch it from the start, including pre-game coverage and halftime analysis.

Time Zone Differences

Watch European soccer, Asian content, or Australian sports at a time that suits your schedule regardless of when it aired.

Series Binge-Watching

Catch up on an entire week of daily episodes. Watch 7 episodes of a daily show in one sitting.

News Recaps

Rewatch the morning news, evening recap, or any breaking news coverage from the past week on demand.

Kids Programming

Let kids rewatch their favorite cartoons and shows repeatedly without recording or scheduling anything.

Late Night Shows

Watch late-night talk shows, comedy specials, and overnight programming at a convenient daytime hour.

Timeshift & Live Pause

Timeshift is a related feature that lets you pause live TV and resume from where you left off. If the doorbell rings or you need a break, press pause on the live channel. When you return, continue watching from the exact point you paused — the live broadcast continues buffering in the background.

Timeshift is available in TiviMate and some other apps. It works by buffering the live stream locally for a short period (typically 30-60 minutes). Combined with 7-day catch-up, you have complete time control over your IPTV experience.

Timeshift
Pause and resume live TV in real-time. Buffer window of 30-60 minutes.
Catch-Up
Go back up to 7 days to watch any archived program from the beginning.

Related Guides

FAQ

Catch-up lets you watch shows that already aired. IPTV USA Canada offers 7-day catch-up on thousands of channels, so you can rewind and watch anything from the past week without recording.

In TiviMate, navigate to the channel, press and hold to see the program schedule, then select any past show within 7 days. The show starts playing immediately from the beginning.

Yes. 7-day catch-up is included in every IPTV USA Canada plan — Silver, Gold, and Diamond. Plans start at $49.99/year.

Catch-up eliminates the need for recording in most cases. However, some apps like TiviMate Premium also support local recording to your device storage for permanent keeping.

Catch-up is available on the majority of channels. Availability depends on the channel. Sports, news, entertainment, and movie channels all support catch-up. Some niche channels may have limited archive.

Catch-up lets you go back up to 7 days to watch past programs. Timeshift lets you pause and rewind live TV in real-time. Both features are available through the EPG in supported apps.

No. Catch-up content is stored on cloud servers, not on your device. You need zero local storage to use catch-up. This is different from DVR recording, which saves files to your device.

Yes. Catch-up playback includes full controls — pause, rewind, fast-forward, and skip. You can jump to any point in the program, skip through content, or restart from the beginning.

Never Miss a Show

7-day catch-up included free. 30-day money-back guarantee.