An XMLTV channel id is the key that programme entries use to identify a station. It need not resemble the on-screen name. Reliable guide matching requires the player’s channel mapping to point to the correct key, especially when several regional or delayed editions share the same brand.
Follow the identifier through the data
Find the channel record’s id and a programme record’s channel attribute. They should refer to the same station key. Then compare that key with the player’s mapping or playlist tvg-id. A familiar display name alone is not enough to establish the association.
Keep station editions separate
A regional news schedule or a one-hour delayed channel can have a different guide despite nearly identical artwork. Mapping both to one identifier can produce convincing but inaccurate listings. Record the edition as part of any correction request.
Fix one mapping before the whole lineup
A single confirmed channel is a good controlled test. Refresh its guide and compare a currently airing programme. If the correction works, apply the same reasoning to other affected entries without changing unrelated working mappings.
A practical sequence
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An example to work through
The visible name City One may correspond to city.one.east in the guide. Assigning city.one.west can show the wrong regional news programme even when most daytime listings look similar.
Questions about this topic
Must the id match the channel name?
No. It is a matching key.
Can two editions share one guide safely?
Only if their schedules are actually the same for the intended use.
