Guide refresh frequency should match how often the source changes and what the reader can handle. Repeatedly downloading an unchanged guide wastes bandwidth and processing time. A sensible schedule keeps current listings available without creating constant background work, especially on a small streaming device.
Look at the source’s coverage window
A guide with several days of future listings does not necessarily need a full refresh every few minutes. Live schedule changes can still occur, but the source must publish a correction before a refresh can retrieve it.
Avoid overlapping imports
Starting another update while an import is still running can make it harder to tell whether the first one succeeded. Use the reader’s scheduled update feature where available and wait for its completion status before retrying.
Keep manual refresh for a clear reason
A newly corrected mapping, a source update or missing current listings can justify a manual refresh. Constantly pressing refresh without inspecting dates or errors can hide the underlying issue and increase server requests.
A practical sequence
- Check the latest available programme dates.
- Use the reader’s documented scheduled-update option.
- Refresh manually after a specific correction or stale-data finding.
An example
If the source republishes daily, refreshing it every minute is unlikely to produce new listings. It can repeatedly import the same data while the device could be idle.
Questions about this topic
Can a refresh create an unpublished schedule correction?
No. It only retrieves what the source currently provides.
Is the shortest interval always best?
No. Freshness, source behavior and device workload should guide the choice.
