A guide offset is a manual or configured adjustment to the times displayed from programme data. It can help when a source's schedule is consistently shifted, but it should be applied only after checking the device clock, time zone and data interpretation. A correct offset for one source may be wrong for another.
A practical example
If one guide source is consistently two hours late while others are correct, a player may provide a source-specific adjustment. Applying it only to the affected source avoids moving every correctly aligned channel in the household's guide.
A common misunderstanding
Do not use a guide offset to conceal an incorrect device clock or a mismatched channel. Establish whether the error is consistent and where it originates before making changes.
Related terms
Stable technical definition. Editorial approach