Abstract: A method for controlling the data flow of the time-shift TV is disreleased and includes: establishing and holding a control channel between a playing terminal and a media server; transmitting a time-shift playing command to the media server by the playing terminal through the control channel; and upon receiving the time-shift playing command, performing a operation corresponding to the time-shift playing command by the media server. A playing terminal, a media server and a time-shift TV system are also disreleased. Using the control channel, the time-shift playing command can be transmitted to the media server and the time-shift player can transmit the time-shift data flow and the live data flow to the playing terminal, improving the speed of implementing the time-shift playing, providing better experiences for subscribers and being good for the development and application of the time-shift TV technique.