A programme title identifies the show or work. An episode subtitle can identify a particular instalment, while a description explains its subject or story. Keeping these fields separate makes a guide easier to scan and gives search more useful material when the player supports it.
In XMLTV, the sub-title field is a secondary or episode title. It is not the same concept as playback captions. Confusing those meanings can lead someone to report missing subtitles when the actual issue is an absent episode name in the guide.
Choose the field that answers the question
If you remember the show name, the programme title is the natural starting point. If you remember a guest, topic or plot detail, the description may hold the clue. The application’s search scope determines whether that longer text is included; a search box does not necessarily search every imported field.
Descriptions can also exist in several languages. A translated summary does not establish the language of the audio track. Guide text, programme language and available playback captions are separate metadata or playback observations.
Investigate a discovery problem
Do not concatenate a whole synopsis into the title merely to make a limited search find it. That can make the grid hard to scan and obscure programme identity. A supported search or metadata improvement is better than filling the primary label with unrelated terms.
- Identify whether the missing clue belongs in the title, episode subtitle or description.
- Inspect the current guide record for that field and language.
- Check which fields the player’s search actually covers.
- Compare the exact dated programme rather than another showing of the same series.
- Request a specific metadata correction if the source field is absent or wrong.
Preserve useful detail during export
A simplified export can retain titles but omit descriptions or alternate languages. If search becomes less useful after migration, inspect the exported fields before assuming the new player’s index is broken. Missing data and unsearched data require different fixes.
Avoid copying copyrighted programme summaries wholesale into public support posts. A brief identifying excerpt or a description of the missing field can usually establish the issue. Keep private source addresses out of the example as well.
A good report says, for example, that a dated episode has a title but no imported secondary title, or that description text exists but is outside the current search scope. That level of precision helps separate a source omission, importer limitation and search-interface choice. The aim is useful programme discovery without distorting the fields that tell viewers what they are selecting.
Useful answers
Does XMLTV sub-title mean selectable captions?
No. It is a secondary or episode title field.
Does an English description prove English audio?
No. Guide text language and playback audio are separate.
Why can a programme be visible but absent from a topic search?
The topic may exist only in a field the current search does not include.