A guide download ends before the closing XML element

IPTV Complete Forum editorial lab

2026-11-13

A partial response can fail parsing even if its opening channel data looks right.

Reproduce the condition

The XMLTV sample below is a small synthetic file. It carries no active media source or account data.

<tv><channel id="news.example"><display-name>Example News</display-name>

What the local check found

What to do next

Compare the download length with a clean export. Retry through the provider's official tool and inspect the file locally before importing.

What to share if the problem continues

• The exact parser result and version of the importer or player.
• A minimal redacted sample with dates, IDs or segment names retained as needed.
• The output after checking the source export separately from the viewer app.

Check whether the saved body is a complete document

Open a copy of the response from a guide feed you administer or are authorised to use. If it is compressed, use its documented compression method and inspect the unpacked file. A response that begins with the expected XML can still end in the middle of a programme. Validate the complete copy before changing channel IDs or trying to repair individual programme rows.

If the saved body instead starts with an HTML sign-in page or an error message, report that response to the feed operator. A filename ending in .xml, a successful network connection or an early channel entry is insufficient evidence that the response contains a complete guide.

Keep the last verified copy while investigating

Suppose the morning export validates and the afternoon copy stops halfway through a title. Keep the last validated guide and ask the operator whether the new transfer finished. Compare byte counts only when the same feed and encoding are expected. A legitimate new guide can be longer or shorter. Check the parser error and response format as well.

Once you have a complete file, verify one known channel, the date range and the programme count before replacing the working copy. Share the time of failure and a short redacted parser message. Keep the feed URL and signed requests private.