October 10, 2026
Catch-up TV on B Player: Watch What You Missed

Life gets busy. Dinner runs late, the kids need a bath, or you simply forget a programme was on. With catch-up in B Player, you can often go back and watch it anyway. This article explains what catch-up is, where to find it, and what to do if a programme won't play.
Quick answer
Catch-up lets you watch programmes that have already aired, on channels that keep an archive. Open the TV Guide, move back to a programme that has finished, and press OK to watch it from the archive. You can also reach catch-up from Live TV.
What is catch-up?
Some channels keep an archive of their recent programmes. On those channels, B Player lets you watch programmes from the past days, just like you would watch something that is on now.
Two things are worth knowing:
- Not every channel has an archive. Catch-up only works on channels that offer it.
- It's for past programmes. For something that hasn't started yet, use Remind me or Record instead (more on that below).
How to watch a past programme from the TV Guide
The TV Guide is the easiest way to find what you missed, because you can see each programme with its time.
- Press Up on your remote to reach the top bar.
- Select TV Guide and press OK.
- Use Up and Down to find the channel.
- Press Left to move back in time to a programme that has already finished.
- Press OK on that programme.
- If the channel has catch-up, the programme plays from the archive.
That's it – no extra menus and no setup needed.
How to use catch-up from Live TV
Live TV has its own Catch-up page that lists only the channels with an archive, so you don't have to guess.
- Select Live TV in the top bar.
- Select the Catch-up button at the top of Live TV.
- Pick a channel from the list. The app shows how long that channel keeps its recordings, for example "Recordings kept 3 days".
- Choose a programme from the list of past shows (each one shows its start and end time) and press OK to play it.
- To pick a different channel, select Channels to go back to the list.
Make catch-up easier to find
A little setup makes it quicker to get to the channels you care about:
- Add channels to Favourites. In Live TV, hold OK on a channel to open the "Add to group" dialog, then choose Favourites or one of your own groups.
- Create your own groups. Pick "New group…" in the same dialog. Use Edit groups above the category list to rename, reorder or delete groups.
- Set a remote button for the guide. In Settings → Remote buttons, you can set a coloured button or the Guide button to open the TV Guide straight away.
- Use profiles. Each profile has its own favourites, groups and history, so your shortcuts don't get mixed up with someone else's.
Catch-up, recording or reminders?
B Player gives you three ways to avoid missing a programme. Here's when to use each:
- Catch-up – the programme has already aired and the channel has an archive. Just go back in the guide and press OK.
- Remind me – the programme hasn't started yet and you want a nudge. You'll get a notification 2 minutes before, with a Watch now button.
- Record – the programme hasn't started yet and you want to keep a copy on your device. Scheduled recordings start 1 minute early and end 2 minutes late. Find them in My List → Recordings.
To set a reminder or recording, press OK on a future programme in the TV Guide and choose Remind me or Record.
If a catch-up programme won't play
- Check the channel has an archive. Past programmes only play on channels with catch-up.
- Try another programme or channel. This tells you whether the problem is with one programme or all of them.
- Reload the lists. Go to Settings → Reload content to download the channel lists again.
- Check your connection. If everything buffers, restart your router and TV box. Wired Ethernet or 5 GHz Wi-Fi works best. For HD we recommend at least 15 Mbps, and 25 Mbps for the best quality.
- Still stuck? Message support with the code shown on your screen.
Summary
Catch-up lets you watch programmes you missed on channels with an archive. Go back in the TV Guide and press OK, or open it from Live TV. For programmes still to come, use Remind me or Record instead. New to B Player? Install B Player on Fire TV, Android TV, Google TV or an Android phone or tablet.
Need help? Real people are on WhatsApp and live chat, usually within a few minutes. Visit /help to get in touch.
