diff --git a/src/dao/channel-db.js b/src/dao/channel-db.js
index ac81bf4..a09eeff 100644
--- a/src/dao/channel-db.js
+++ b/src/dao/channel-db.js
@@ -29,10 +29,8 @@ class ChannelDB {
     }
     
     async saveChannel(number, json) {
-        if (typeof(number) === 'undefined') {
-            throw Error("Mising channel number");
-        }
-        let f = path.join(this.folder, `${number}.json` );
+        await this.validateChannelJson(number, json);
+        let f = path.join(this.folder, `${json.number}.json` );
         return await new Promise( (resolve, reject) => {
             let data = undefined;
             try {
@@ -50,12 +48,30 @@ class ChannelDB {
     }
 
     saveChannelSync(number, json) {
-        json.number = number;
+        this.validateChannelJson(number, json);
+        
         let data = JSON.stringify(json);
-        let f = path.join(this.folder, `${number}.json` );
+        let f = path.join(this.folder, `${json.number}.json` );
         fs.writeFileSync( f, data );
     }
 
+    validateChannelJson(number, json) {
+        json.number = number;
+        if (typeof(json.number) === 'undefined') {
+            throw Error("Expected a channel.number");
+        }
+        if (typeof(json.number) === 'string') {
+            try {
+                json.number = parseInt(json.number);
+            } catch (err) {
+                console.error("Error parsing channel number.", err);
+            }
+        }
+        if ( isNaN(json.number)) {
+            throw Error("channel.number must be a integer");
+        }
+    }
+
     async deleteChannel(number) {
         let f = path.join(this.folder, `${number}.json` );
         await new Promise( (resolve, reject) => {
diff --git a/src/dao/plex-server-db.js b/src/dao/plex-server-db.js
index 02d19ed..7d83af4 100644
--- a/src/dao/plex-server-db.js
+++ b/src/dao/plex-server-db.js
@@ -134,7 +134,7 @@ class PlexServerDB
         s = s[0];
         let arGuide = server.arGuide;
         if (typeof(arGuide) === 'undefined') {
-            arGuide = true;
+            arGuide = false;
         }
         let arChannels = server.arChannels;
         if (typeof(arChannels) === 'undefined') {
@@ -176,7 +176,7 @@ class PlexServerDB
         name = resultName;
         let arGuide = server.arGuide;
         if (typeof(arGuide) === 'undefined') {
-            arGuide = true;
+            arGuide = false;
         }
         let arChannels = server.arGuide;
         if (typeof(arChannels) === 'undefined') {
diff --git a/src/database-migration.js b/src/database-migration.js
index 9ce4a9d..3eada1f 100644
--- a/src/database-migration.js
+++ b/src/database-migration.js
@@ -485,7 +485,7 @@ function splitServersSingleChannels(db, channelDB ) {
 
     let saveServer = (name, uri, accessToken, arGuide, arChannels) => {
         if (typeof(arGuide) === 'undefined') {
-            arGuide = true;
+            arGuide = false;
         }
         if (typeof(arChannels) === 'undefined') {
             arChannels = false;
diff --git a/src/services/tv-guide-service.js b/src/services/tv-guide-service.js
index cd3160d..6768b2f 100644
--- a/src/services/tv-guide-service.js
+++ b/src/services/tv-guide-service.js
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@ class TVGuideService
     constructor(xmltv, db, cacheImageService, eventService) {
         this.cached = null;
         this.lastUpdate = 0;
+        this.lastBackoff = 100;
         this.updateTime = 0;
         this.currentUpdate = -1;
         this.currentLimit = -1;
@@ -34,7 +35,15 @@ class TVGuideService
         let t = (new Date()).getTime();
         this.updateTime = t;
         this.updateLimit = t + limit;
-        let channels = inputChannels;
+
+        let channels = [];
+        for (let i = 0; i < inputChannels.length; i++) {
+            if (typeof(inputChannels[i]) !== 'undefined') {
+                channels.push(inputChannels[i]);
+            } else {
+                console.error(`There is an issue with one of the channels provided to TV-guide service, it will be ignored: ${i}` );
+            }
+        }
         this.updateChannels = channels;
         return t;
     }
@@ -345,10 +354,13 @@ class TVGuideService
             this.cached = await this.buildItManaged();
             console.log("Internal TV Guide data refreshed at " + (new Date()).toLocaleString() );
             await this.refreshXML();
+            this.lastBackoff = 100;
         } catch(err) {
             console.error("Unable to update internal guide data", err);
-            await _wait(100);
-            console.error("Retrying TV guide...");
+            let w = Math.min(this.lastBackoff * 2, 300000);
+            await _wait(w);
+            this.lastBackoff = w;
+            console.error(`Retrying TV guide after ${w} milliseconds wait...`);
             await this.buildIt();
 
         } finally {
diff --git a/web/directives/channel-config.js b/web/directives/channel-config.js
index 9885f29..b9008db 100644
--- a/web/directives/channel-config.js
+++ b/web/directives/channel-config.js
@@ -953,7 +953,7 @@ module.exports = function ($timeout, $location, dizquetv, resolutionOptions, get
                     scope.error.any = true;
 
    
-                    if (typeof channel.number === "undefined" || channel.number === null || channel.number === "") {
+                    if (typeof channel.number === "undefined" || channel.number === null || channel.number === "" ) {
                         scope.error.number = "Select a channel number"
                         scope.error.tab = "basic";
                     } else if (channelNumbers.indexOf(parseInt(channel.number, 10)) !== -1 && scope.isNewChannel) { // we need the parseInt for indexOf to work properly
@@ -962,6 +962,9 @@ module.exports = function ($timeout, $location, dizquetv, resolutionOptions, get
                     } else if (!scope.isNewChannel && channel.number !== scope.beforeEditChannelNumber && channelNumbers.indexOf(parseInt(channel.number, 10)) !== -1) {
                         scope.error.number = "Channel number already in use."
                         scope.error.tab = "basic";
+                    } else if ( ! checkChannelNumber(channel.number) ) {
+                        scope.error.number = "Invalid channel number.";
+                        scope.error.tab = "basic";
                     } else if (channel.number < 0 || channel.number > 9999) {
                         scope.error.name = "Enter a valid number (0-9999)"
                         scope.error.tab = "basic";
@@ -1670,3 +1673,12 @@ module.exports = function ($timeout, $location, dizquetv, resolutionOptions, get
 function validURL(url) {
     return /^(ftp|http|https):\/\/[^ "]+$/.test(url);
 }
+
+function checkChannelNumber(number) {
+    if ( /^[1-9][0-9]+$/.test(number) ) {
+        let x = parseInt(number);
+        return (0 <= x && x < 10000);
+    } else {
+        return false;
+    }
+}
diff --git a/web/directives/plex-settings.js b/web/directives/plex-settings.js
index f9714b1..53a51a2 100644
--- a/web/directives/plex-settings.js
+++ b/web/directives/plex-settings.js
@@ -192,7 +192,7 @@ module.exports = function (plex, dizquetv, $timeout) {
                                 accessToken: server.accessToken,
                             }
                         }
-                        connection.arGuide = true
+                        connection.arGuide = false
                         connection.arChannels = false // should not be enabled unless dizqueTV tuner already added to plex
                         await dizquetv.addPlexServer(connection);
                     } catch (err) {