DEV Community: IPTV Harmony Editorial

Validate a Streaming-Guide Test Record with JSON Schema

IPTV Harmony Editorial — Tue, 22 Sep 2026 02:04:10 +0000

A device guide becomes easier to review when each test record declares the same minimum facts: device, software version, country or market, date, source type, and outcome. JSON Schema can validate that structure before an editorial record is saved.

This example validates structure, not truth. A record can match the schema and still contain an incorrect observation, so editorial review and source checking remain necessary.

Example record

{
  "device": "Example streaming box",
  "softwareVersion": "1.2.3",
  "market": "DE",
  "checkedOn": "2026-09-22",
  "sourceType": "manufacturer-support",
  "outcome": "passed",
  "notes": "Menu path was present on the test device."
}

Schema

{
  "$schema": "https://json-schema.org/draft/2020-12/schema",
  "type": "object",
  "additionalProperties": false,
  "required": [
    "device",
    "softwareVersion",
    "market",
    "checkedOn",
    "sourceType",
    "outcome"
  ],
  "properties": {
    "device": { "type": "string", "minLength": 2, "maxLength": 100 },
    "softwareVersion": { "type": "string", "minLength": 1, "maxLength": 40 },
    "market": { "type": "string", "pattern": "^[A-Z]{2}$" },
    "checkedOn": { "type": "string", "format": "date" },
    "sourceType": {
      "enum": ["manufacturer-support", "publisher-docs", "direct-test"]
    },
    "outcome": { "enum": ["passed", "failed", "inconclusive"] },
    "notes": { "type": "string", "maxLength": 500 }
  }
}

Why these fields matter

The model and version limit overgeneralization. The market records regional scope. The date makes staleness visible. The source type separates a manufacturer's instruction from a direct observation. The outcome allows an inconclusive test instead of forcing a pass or fail.

The setting additionalProperties: false is useful here because a misspelled field should not silently enter the record. In a larger system you may prefer a more flexible policy, but the decision should be explicit.

What should stay out

Do not put account passwords, payment data, tokens, private playlist addresses, or personal contact details into an editorial test record. Use anonymized labels when a device or account name could identify a person.

Start2Watch uses source and scope checks as part of its public device-guide workflow.

References

Export a Privacy-Safe Device Test Log as JSON, Entirely in the Browser

IPTV Harmony Editorial — Tue, 22 Sep 2026 02:02:30 +0000

Support reports are easier to compare when they use the same fields. They are also safer when the form deliberately excludes secrets. This small browser-only page creates a local JSON file containing a device label, app name, network type, observation, and result. It has no server endpoint and sends nothing over the network.

The example is intended for ordinary troubleshooting notes. Do not add passwords, payment data, private playlist addresses, complete account identifiers, or authentication tokens.

<!doctype html>
<meta charset="utf-8">
<title>Local device test note</title>
<form id="note">
  <label>Device <input name="device" maxlength="80" required></label>
  <label>App <input name="app" maxlength="80" required></label>
  <label>Network
    <select name="network">
      <option>Wi-Fi</option>
      <option>Ethernet</option>
      <option>Other</option>
    </select>
  </label>
  <label>Observed result
    <textarea name="observed" maxlength="500" required></textarea>
  </label>
  <label>Test outcome
    <select name="outcome">
      <option>Passed</option>
      <option>Failed</option>
      <option>Inconclusive</option>
    </select>
  </label>
  <button>Download JSON</button>
</form>
<script>
document.querySelector('#note').addEventListener('submit', event => {
  event.preventDefault();
  const data = Object.fromEntries(new FormData(event.currentTarget));
  data.recordedAt = new Date().toISOString();

  const blob = new Blob([JSON.stringify(data, null, 2)], {
    type: 'application/json'
  });
  const url = URL.createObjectURL(blob);
  const link = Object.assign(document.createElement('a'), {
    href: url,
    download: 'device-test.json'
  });
  link.click();
  URL.revokeObjectURL(url);
});
</script>

Why keep the field list small?

Each field answers a practical comparison question. Did the same app fail on two devices? Did Wi-Fi and Ethernet behave differently? Was the second test recorded before or after an update? Free-form diagnostic dumps often include far more personal data than support needs.

What this page does not prove

A downloaded JSON record does not diagnose a cause. It only preserves what was observed under one set of conditions. Repeat a test after changing one variable, keep both files, and compare them. Do not change multiple network and app settings at once.

Safe extension ideas

You can add a software-version field, a controlled list of test steps, or a boolean indicating whether another app worked. Keep the form local. If you later add a server, review consent, retention, access control, and data minimization before transmitting anything.

The IPTV Harmony support information page uses the same principle: provide the smallest useful set of facts, without publishing private access details.

Technical references

Build a Reproducible Streaming-Device Bug Report with a Tiny JSON Checklist

IPTV Harmony Editorial — Tue, 22 Sep 2026 00:33:41 +0000

When a streaming app fails, ‘it does not work’ is rarely enough information to reproduce the problem. A short, structured report is more useful than a long message because it separates facts from guesses and makes repeated tests comparable.

Start with a minimal record:

{
  "device_family": "Google TV / Fire TV / Apple TV / Roku / other",
  "device_model": "model shown in system settings",
  "os_version": "version shown in system settings",
  "app_version": "version shown in the app details page",
  "connection": "Wi-Fi 2.4 GHz / Wi-Fi 5 GHz / Ethernet",
  "symptom": "one sentence describing what happened",
  "started_at": "local date and time",
  "reproducible": true
}

Do not include passwords, payment details, full account identifiers, private playlist addresses, or screenshots that expose personal information. The goal is to capture the environment, not the customer’s secrets.

Use one controlled change at a time

A reproducible test keeps everything constant except one variable. Restart the app and repeat the same action. If the issue remains, restart the device and repeat it again. Only then compare another connection such as Ethernet or a different Wi-Fi band. Changing the app, network, device, and account together makes the result impossible to interpret.

Add each result as a compact event:

{

  "step": "restart device",

  "result": "app opened, playback stopped after 40 seconds"

}

Record the first failure, not every symptom

The earliest visible failure is often the most useful. A frozen menu followed by an app crash should be recorded in that order. Likewise, note whether the issue affects one app, several apps, or the whole device. That distinction helps separate an app-level problem from a device or network problem.

Finish with a safe summary

End the report with what changed, what did not change, and whether the issue can still be reproduced. This small discipline saves time for both the person asking for help and the person investigating it.

For additional device-oriented support notes and reader-friendly troubleshooting resources, visit IPTV Harmony.