IPTV Blog Guides
IPTV With Recording: Catch-Up, PVR Apps and Storage Explained
Catch-up replays recent shows with no setup, while recording needs the right app, a drive and often a second screen. Here is how each one works in Canada, what to check first, and what changes on 1 November.
Before you shop for IPTV with recording, scroll left in your TV guide. On channels that keep an archive, last night’s show is often already there to replay, with no drive and no setup. Recording is for the rest: channels with no archive, and shows you want to keep longer than the archive lasts.
Both features live in your player app, so the same login can record on one device and not on another. If TiviMate is your player, keep our TiviMate setup guide at hand.
What is the difference between catch-up, timeshift and recording?
Catch-up, timeshift and recording differ in where the video is kept. Catch-up replays an archive stored on the stream provider’s servers, so you need no storage and no planning. Recording saves your own copy on a device or drive, which you set up ahead of time and keep until you delete it.
| Feature | Where the video sits | Plan ahead? | How long it lasts | What you need |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Catch-up (timeshift, TV archive) | The provider’s servers | No | The channel’s archive, often 1 to 7 days | A channel with an archive and a player that reads it |
| Pause or rewind live TV | A short buffer on your device | No | While the channel stays open | A player with a pause feature |
| Recording (PVR) | Your device, a USB drive or a network folder | Yes, or press Record | Until you delete it | A recording app, free storage and often a second screen |
How does IPTV catch-up work?
IPTV catch-up works by replaying a channel’s recent broadcasts from an archive on the provider’s servers. Channels that keep one show a small icon in the TV guide. Scroll left into past hours, pick a show and press OK, and it plays from the start. Each channel sets its own archive length.
IPTV Smarters Pro also lists it under a Catch Up tile, and TiviMate needs Premium for it. Many Smart TV players have no catch-up at all. If a channel never shows the icon, check these causes:
- The channel keeps no archive. Many channels have none.
- You loaded the M3U link. Catch-up usually needs the Xtream Codes login, as our M3U vs Xtream Codes comparison explains.
- The guide is empty or an hour off. Catch-up lives in the guide, so fix it first with our EPG troubleshooting steps.
King IPTV includes catch-up on supported channels, and the guide shows which ones. The free 24-hour trial opens the full channel list and guide with no payment, so you can scroll back on your usual channels before you decide.
Which IPTV apps can record live TV?
The IPTV apps that record live TV are mostly on Android. TiviMate Premium records on Android TV, Google TV and Fire OS devices, MyTVOnline records on Formuler boxes, and some Android versions of IPTV Smarters Pro record too. On a computer, VLC records a stream by hand. Most Smart TV and Apple TV players do not record.
| App | Devices | Records? | Saves to |
|---|---|---|---|
| TiviMate Premium | Android TV, Google TV, Fire TV on Fire OS | Yes: once from the guide, or recurring | Device storage, a USB drive or a network folder (SMB) |
| MyTVOnline 2, 3 and 4 | Formuler Z boxes | Yes, from the guide | A USB drive; internal storage on the Z12 Ultra SE |
| IPTV Smarters Pro | Android phones and boxes | On some versions only | Device or USB storage |
| VLC | Windows PC and Mac | Yes, by hand | A folder you pick in Preferences |
| Most Smart TV and Apple TV players | Samsung, LG, Hisense, Apple TV | Usually no | No recording option |
Free TiviMate does not record. For Formuler menus and drive formats, see our MyTVOnline guide for Formuler. VLC on a Windows PC records by hand: turn on View > Advanced Controls, play the channel and press the red Record button.
Check the device before you buy a drive
- Android TV and Google TV boxes with a USB port are the easiest choice.
- Fire TV Sticks on Fire OS need an OTG adapter on the power port. Fire OS 8 sticks ask you to grant folder access through a system picker.
- Vega OS Fire TV Sticks, such as the 4K Select, cannot install TiviMate, so they cannot record IPTV.
- Apple TV has no USB port, and its players rarely record.
If your only TV device is an Apple TV, a Smart TV app or a Vega OS stick, local recording is off the table. Rely on catch-up there, or add a Google TV box or a Fire OS stick.
How do you record a show in TiviMate?
To record a show in TiviMate, you need Premium, a recording folder and a loaded TV guide. Choose the folder under Settings, then Other, then Recording. Then open the guide, long-press a future show and choose Record. TiviMate can also repeat a recording for a weekly series.
- Turn on Premium. Buy it in the TiviMate Companion app on an Android phone, then sign in on the TV device.
- Plug in the drive. Use an OTG adapter on a Fire TV Stick, and allow access if asked.
- Pick the folder. Open Settings > Other > Recording > Recording folder and choose the drive. Labels can shift a little between versions.
- Schedule from the guide. Highlight a future show, hold OK and select Record. For a series, pick the recurring option.
- Test it. Record a short show and play it back from the Recordings section before a big game.
How much storage does IPTV recording need?
IPTV recording needs about 2.25 GB per hour in HD, 4.5 GB in Full HD and 11 GB in 4K. Those figures use the 5, 10 and 25 Mbps planning speeds from our internet speed guide for IPTV. They include some headroom, so real files are often a little smaller.
| Quality | Stream speed | Storage per hour | 64 GB drive | 128 GB drive |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| HD (720p) | 5 Mbps | about 2.25 GB | about 28 hours | about 56 hours |
| Full HD (1080p) | 10 Mbps | about 4.5 GB | about 14 hours | about 28 hours |
| 4K Ultra HD | 25 Mbps | about 11.25 GB | about 5 hours | about 11 hours |
The 4 GB file limit on FAT32 drives
A drive formatted as FAT32 cannot hold a single file over 4 GB, as Microsoft’s file system comparison shows. In Full HD, a recording reaches that size in a little under an hour, so a hockey game will not fit in one file. Depending on the player, the recording may then stop or split into parts.
Format the drive as exFAT where your device accepts it. Fire TV has long used FAT32 only, so test one long recording there before a big game.
Does recording use one of your IPTV screens?
Recording uses one IPTV screen, because the app opens its own stream to save the channel. A recording that runs while nobody watches fits in 1 screen. Watching another channel while it records needs 2 screens, and each extra TV, phone or catch-up replay in the home counts as one more.
On King IPTV, 2 screens cost $28 for 1 month or $128 for 12 months, against $18 and $78 for 1 screen, in CAD and paid once by Interac e-Transfer. The King IPTV subscription page lists every option from 1 to 5 screens.
The 1 November 2026 clock change and your recordings
On Sunday 1 November 2026, Ontario, Quebec, the Atlantic provinces and most of Nunavut turn their clocks back one hour. British Columbia (announced in March 2026), Alberta, Manitoba and the Northwest Territories stay put, and Saskatchewan and Yukon already keep one time all year. Shows on Eastern feeds then air one hour later out West.
| City | Until 31 October 2026 | From 1 November 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| Toronto, Montreal | 8 p.m. | 8 p.m. |
| Halifax | 9 p.m. | 9 p.m. |
| St. John’s | 9:30 p.m. | 9:30 p.m. |
| Winnipeg | 7 p.m. | 8 p.m. |
| Regina, Calgary, Edmonton | 6 p.m. | 7 p.m. |
| Vancouver | 5 p.m. | 6 p.m. |
Recordings scheduled from the guide follow the show. Timers set by clock time do not, so a 5 p.m. Vancouver timer for that show records the wrong hour from 1 November.
Check your box’s clock that Sunday too. A device without recent updates may still turn back an hour in B.C., Alberta or Manitoba, putting the whole guide an hour off. Install any system update, or set the time zone by hand to a city with the same clock all year, such as Regina for Alberta.
Is it legal to record TV to watch later in Canada?
Canada’s Copyright Act lets an individual record a program to watch later, under the conditions in section 29.23. The person must receive it legally, not break copy protection, make one copy, keep it only as long as needed, not give it away and use it privately. This is general information, not legal advice.
The same section leaves out on-demand content. Section 29.23(2) of the Copyright Act says: “Subsection (1) does not apply if the individual receives the work, performer’s performance or sound recording under an on-demand service.”
In plain terms, the exception covers time-shifting a live broadcast, not a permanent library or copies of on-demand movies. Whether an IPTV source counts as receiving a program legally is a separate question, covered in our guide on whether IPTV is legal in Canada.
Reader questions
Can you record IPTV on a Firestick?
Yes, on Fire TV Sticks that run Fire OS, such as the 4K Max. Install TiviMate, buy Premium, and connect a USB drive through an OTG adapter, because the stick’s own storage fills fast. Allow folder access when Fire OS asks for it. Vega OS sticks, including the Fire TV Stick 4K Select, cannot install TiviMate, so they cannot record IPTV.
Can IPTV Smarters Pro record live TV?
Sometimes. IPTV Smarters Pro has a basic recording option on some Android versions, while many TV and Apple versions have none. Look for a Record choice in the channel menu. Its Catch Up section is the more dependable way to replay a show. For regular recording, TiviMate Premium on an Android TV device is the more complete option.
How long does IPTV catch-up last?
IPTV catch-up lasts as long as each channel’s archive, which is set channel by channel and often runs from 1 to 7 days. Some channels keep no archive at all. In most players, the TV guide shows the limit, because catch-up icons appear only on past shows that can still be replayed. For anything you want to keep longer, record it.
Does recording IPTV use more internet data?
Recording uses the same data as watching, because the app downloads the full stream to save it. An hour of Full HD is about 4.5 GB either way. Recording one channel while you watch another doubles the download for that time. On a capped internet plan, count your recordings in the monthly data total, not only the hours you watch.
Can I record IPTV with the TV turned off?
Yes, as long as the streaming box stays powered and online. The TV screen can be off, but the box must not be unplugged. Formuler says its boxes wake from standby to record on schedule. Some Android boxes close apps in deep sleep, so run one overnight test before you trust a scheduled recording with an important show.
