A programme-guide event needs a start time, but an XMLTV end time is not always supplied. Treat the stop value as a schedule boundary when present, and do not manufacture an exact duration merely because an interface displays a neat programme block.
This distinction is useful when a guide looks stretched, two events seem to overlap or an overnight programme appears on the wrong day. Begin with the dated records. Changing the device clock is a different operation and can obscure a source-data problem.
Read the complete timestamp
A timestamp represents more than an hour and minute. The date determines which day the event belongs to, and an offset can establish its relationship to UTC. A fictional event beginning at 23:30 and ending after midnight needs an end date on the following day. Comparing only the clock digits can make a valid event look as though it ends before it starts.
When a source omits the stop value, a player may apply its own display behaviour or use surrounding information. Do not assume that every application will draw the same block. The source and the player have separate responsibilities: one supplies metadata, while the other turns that metadata into a guide view.
Inspect a boundary problem
A blank period between events is not automatically downtime. It can be missing schedule metadata. An overlap is not automatically proof of two simultaneous broadcasts either; it can come from duplicate or inconsistent records. Keep the interpretation tied to what the guide actually says.
- Pick one programme whose displayed boundary looks wrong.
- Record its channel identifier, title and actual date privately.
- Compare the full start value and any supplied stop value in the source data.
- Inspect the neighbouring event on that same channel, rather than an unrelated channel with a similar name.
- Note whether the error exists in the source or appears only in the player’s display.
Distinguish listings from playback controls
Programme boundaries do not themselves grant recording, replay or catch-up access. A player may let you select a past guide item while the account or source has no replay for it. Equally, a live programme can continue beyond a scheduled end time. The guide is a schedule, not a guarantee of exact real-time editorial timing.
If a correction is needed, report the channel, dated programme and mismatching boundary. Avoid broad statements such as “all times are wrong” when the evidence concerns one event. Include the displayed local zone if it helps explain the comparison, but do not send private playlist tokens with the schedule example.
Keep an unedited copy before making local guide adjustments. That lets you tell whether a later refresh corrected the source or whether your own override is still changing how the programme is drawn.
Useful answers
Is stop mandatory for every XMLTV programme?
The XMLTV DTD permits it to be omitted. A player’s display of an end boundary should not be mistaken for a supplied exact stop time.
Does a gap in the EPG mean the channel stopped?
No. It may be a gap in schedule metadata. Playback availability is a separate observation.
Can an overnight event end on the next date?
Yes. Compare the complete dates and offsets, not only the hour and minute.