Streaming reference / programme duration metadata · Standards-based explanation; no UK IPTV delivery implementation verified. Instructions are based on publisher guidance; a UK IPTV account was not tested on this platform.
Identify the two durations
A guide can show a start and stop time for a broadcast slot as well as a programme-length field. The XMLTV DTD describes programme length separately from the slot interval and explains that advertising or trailers can affect the relationship. A difference between the two values is therefore not automatically evidence that the file is truncated or that the clock is incorrectly set.
Use a clearly labelled example
Imagine a hypothetical 90-minute programme placed in a 110-minute schedule slot. The 20-minute difference is a comparison of two supplied or assumed values, not a measured fact about a particular broadcaster. It illustrates why subtracting the start time from the stop time does not always yield the programme’s pure running time. First ask which quantity the player is displaying.
Check the recording outcome independently
If a recording is the concern, inspect what was actually saved, its duration and whether the expected beginning and ending are present. Compare those observations with the configured timer. A runtime label can be accurate for the programme while the scheduled interval includes additional material. Conversely, a plausible label cannot prove that the recorded file contains every intended scene. The metadata and the file result require separate checks.
Keep the support question precise
Describe whether you are asking about a guide label, a schedule interval or missing recorded content. Include the programme edition and the actual date without exposing private EPG or playlist URLs. This avoids unnecessary changes to a device clock merely to make two different duration fields match. It also prevents a metadata convention from being mistaken for a guarantee that recording or replay is available for every item.
Questions, answered
Must the programme-length field always equal stop time minus start time?
The XMLTV model distinguishes programme length from the scheduled slot. Check what each field represents before interpreting a difference as an error in the timer, source or device clock.