The end marker has a narrow meaning
EXT-X-ENDLIST says that no more media segments will be added to that media playlist. A player no longer needs to treat it as a continuously growing list. The marker does not say that every listed resource was downloaded, decoded or retained by the viewer.
A finite on-demand presentation ordinarily has a different update pattern from a continuing live window. When a broadcast ends, a publisher may finalise one resource and start another. A viewer cannot infer that an old live URL will become a permanent programme archive.
Event and on-demand update rules
EXT-X-PLAYLIST-TYPE can indicate EVENT or VOD. An EVENT playlist can have new media appended under the specified rules; VOD describes a playlist that does not change. A live sliding window is another publication pattern and may omit the playlist-type tag.
Imagine an event that begins with ten minutes of entries and later grows to two hours without removing its beginning. That is different from a six-entry rolling list whose oldest item disappears every update. Both can show ongoing material, but their available history and update constraints differ substantially.
Retention and permission stay separate
Even if a final playlist lists a whole programme, the server controls whether referenced media remains available and whether the account is authorised to access it. The player may also offer only a limited seek interface. Publication structure cannot substitute for the operator's actual recording, catch-up or download conditions.
For an event that stops unexpectedly, distinguish a received end marker from a playlist that simply stops changing. The first is explicit finalisation; the second requires more evidence about delivery and publication. Record the last visible content time before repeatedly refreshing a session that may already have ended.
Questions about this guide
Does ENDLIST mean the download completed?
No. It describes future playlist updates, not the completeness of a client download.
Does EVENT always allow seeking to the beginning?
No. Available media, access conditions and player behaviour must also support that task.