Catch-up is useful only when the viewer understands where a past broadcast should be found. Sometimes the programme is visible in EPG, sometimes the channel timeline is faster, and sometimes archive is not available for a specific channel or period. To avoid mixing these cases, test from simple to complex: choose a channel, find a finished programme, launch it from the guide and then compare playback through the alternative interface.
Search path
Start with a programme that has definitely finished and should be available under the service rules. Open EPG, check date, timezone and programme title. If launch from EPG works but the timeline is empty, the issue may be in the app interface. If neither method works, check whether the chosen channel has catch-up at all. Not every channel must provide archive, so a missing button is not automatically a failure.
If archive is empty only on one device, compare another app or media box. If it is empty everywhere, write down channel, date, time and programme. This is more useful than a general message that archive is broken. Also check the device timezone, because a time offset can create a fake empty archive: the viewer looks at the wrong time window while data exists nearby.
When archive looks empty
A good workflow for past broadcasts should be the same for users and support. Choose channel, date and programme, then launch path, then compare on another device. This sequence checks EPG, catch-up and UI without local extra logic. In the test set the article also provides enough long content for the second list page and search result checks.
After this kind of check, keep a short protocol: initial state, changed setting, control channel, test duration and whether the problem returned after rollback. This note is not needed every day, but it prevents arguments with memory and makes diagnostics repeatable. When the article is used to verify the interface, this longer closing block also shows how cards, article pages, search and pagination behave with normal editorial volume instead of a tiny placeholder. It is also worth returning to the material the next day and repeating the steps with a clear head. If the result repeats, the setting can be treated as stable. If it does not, an external factor is still in the chain: evening load, unstable access point, app update or a different control channel. This final pass turns the guide from a one-time hint into a calm working procedure.