diff --git a/android/app/src/main/java/tv/orbit/classic/ChannelScheduler.kt b/android/app/src/main/java/tv/orbit/classic/ChannelScheduler.kt
index c20b129d..eac128cb 100644
--- a/android/app/src/main/java/tv/orbit/classic/ChannelScheduler.kt
+++ b/android/app/src/main/java/tv/orbit/classic/ChannelScheduler.kt
@@ -70,6 +70,28 @@ internal class ChannelScheduler(private val store: ScheduleStore, private val cl
         Log.i("OrbitSchedule", "arrivals pages=${run.pages} read=${found.size} new=${arrivals.size} baseline=$baseline")
     }
 
+    /**
+     * Stage D evidence, when asked for from adb: every film and series on a channel's list and every library title premiered in
+     * the last 60 days, read in batches and appended to the evidence file, skipping any already read. Read only.
+     */
+    fun readEvidence(session: EmbySampleSession, userId: String, catalogue: CatalogueStore) {
+        if (!EvidenceRequest.take()) return
+        val today = java.time.LocalDate.now()
+        val ids = SmartChannels.flatMap { store.loadPool(userId, it.number)?.series.orEmpty().map { s -> s.id } } +
+            catalogue.releasedBetween(today.minusDays(NEWLY_RELEASED_DAYS).toString(), today.toString(), 2_000).map { it.id }
+        val file = store.evidenceFile()
+        val missing = evidenceMissing(file, ids).take(EVIDENCE_MAX_PER_RUN)
+        var read = 0; var failed = 0
+        for (batch in missing.chunked(EVIDENCE_BATCH)) {
+            try {
+                val lines = session.readEvidence(batch)
+                file.appendText(lines.joinToString("") { it.toString() + "\n" })
+                read += lines.size
+            } catch (failure: EmbyCheckException) { failed++; if (failed > 3) break }
+        }
+        Log.i("OrbitSchedule", "evidence asked=${ids.distinct().size} missing=${missing.size} read=$read failedBatches=$failed")
+    }
+
     fun topUpDriveIn(userId: String, session: EmbySampleSession? = null): ChannelPlan? {
         val now = clock()
         val existing = store.loadPlan(userId, DRIVE_IN_NUMBER)
diff --git a/android/app/src/main/java/tv/orbit/classic/EmbyConnectionScreen.kt b/android/app/src/main/java/tv/orbit/classic/EmbyConnectionScreen.kt
index e048c551..9bcc4891 100644
--- a/android/app/src/main/java/tv/orbit/classic/EmbyConnectionScreen.kt
+++ b/android/app/src/main/java/tv/orbit/classic/EmbyConnectionScreen.kt
@@ -269,6 +269,9 @@ internal fun EmbyConnectionScreen(modifier: Modifier = Modifier, visible: Boolea
             catch (cancelled: CancellationException) { throw cancelled }
             catch (_: Exception) { /* Tried again next hour. */ }
             // Stage C's light daily library refresh, in the background. A failure changes nothing and is tried next hour.
+            try { withContext(Dispatchers.IO) { scheduler.readEvidence(active, active.accountId, catalogue) } }
+            catch (cancelled: CancellationException) { throw cancelled }
+            catch (failure: Exception) { android.util.Log.w("OrbitSchedule", "evidence failed=${failure.javaClass.simpleName}") }
             try { withContext(Dispatchers.IO) { scheduler.refreshArrivals(active, active.accountId, catalogue) } }
             catch (cancelled: CancellationException) { throw cancelled }
             catch (failure: Exception) { android.util.Log.w("OrbitSchedule", "arrivals failed=${failure.javaClass.simpleName}") }
diff --git a/android/app/src/main/java/tv/orbit/classic/EmbyPlaybackProtocol.kt b/android/app/src/main/java/tv/orbit/classic/EmbyPlaybackProtocol.kt
index 46624c3c..30c0324a 100644
--- a/android/app/src/main/java/tv/orbit/classic/EmbyPlaybackProtocol.kt
+++ b/android/app/src/main/java/tv/orbit/classic/EmbyPlaybackProtocol.kt
@@ -244,6 +244,17 @@ internal class EmbySampleSession(private val transport: EmbyTransport, private v
         return films.associate { (film, person) -> film.itemId to checkEventFilm(film, byId[film.itemId], person, BoxDecoders::canDecode) }
     }
 
+    /** Stage D evidence for [ids], read only, in one request: see [evidenceLine]. */
+    fun readEvidence(ids: List<String>): List<JSONObject> {
+        val valid = ids.filter(EmbyClient::validId)
+        if (valid.isEmpty()) return emptyList()
+        val reply = transport.execute(EmbyRequest("GET", "/Items?UserId=$userId&Ids=${valid.joinToString(",")}&Fields=Overview,Tags,Genres,Studios,People,ProviderIds,ProductionYear,OfficialRating,CommunityRating,Taglines,ProductionLocations" +
+            "&EnableImages=false&EnableUserData=false", token = currentToken(), readTimeoutMs = WHOLE_SERIES_TIMEOUT_MS))
+        EmbyClient.expectSuccess(reply.status, false)
+        val rows = EmbyClient.parse(reply.body).optJSONArray("Items")
+        return (0 until (rows?.length() ?: 0)).mapNotNull { rows!!.optJSONObject(it)?.let(::evidenceLine) }
+    }
+
     internal class PoolRead(val series: List<PoolSeries>, val requests: Int,
         /** Shows whose read failed this time and kept their copy from the previous pool instead. */
         val carried: Int = 0)
diff --git a/android/app/src/main/java/tv/orbit/classic/EvidenceReader.kt b/android/app/src/main/java/tv/orbit/classic/EvidenceReader.kt
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..f31a9caf
--- /dev/null
+++ b/android/app/src/main/java/tv/orbit/classic/EvidenceReader.kt
@@ -0,0 +1,48 @@
+package tv.orbit.classic
+
+import org.json.JSONArray
+import org.json.JSONObject
+import java.io.File
+
+/**
+ * Stage D, phase 1 (approved by Paul on 4 November 2026): read-only evidence for channel fit. For each library item asked for,
+ * its description, tags, genres, studios, leading cast and directors, ratings and provider IDs, read from Emby in small batches
+ * and kept as one JSON line each in evidence-0.jsonl beside the schedules. Resumable: an item already read is skipped, so a
+ * long read can stop and carry on. Nothing in the library or any schedule changes; the log carries counts only.
+ * Missing fields are kept as missing, never as negative evidence.
+ */
+internal object EvidenceRequest {
+    /** Set from adb with --ez orbit_read_evidence true; read once by the next background round. */
+    @Volatile var pending = false
+    fun take(): Boolean = pending.also { pending = false }
+}
+
+internal const val EVIDENCE_BATCH = 40
+internal const val EVIDENCE_MAX_PER_RUN = 4_000
+
+/** One item's evidence as kept: only what the provider gave, trimmed, with people limited to leads and directors. */
+internal fun evidenceLine(row: JSONObject): JSONObject? {
+    val id = row.optString("Id").takeIf(EmbyClient::validId) ?: return null
+    fun strings(key: String, limit: Int) = row.optJSONArray(key)?.let { a -> (0 until minOf(a.length(), limit)).map { EmbyClient.clean(a.optString(it), 60) }.filter { it.isNotBlank() } }
+    val people = row.optJSONArray("People")?.let { a -> (0 until a.length()).mapNotNull { a.optJSONObject(it) } }.orEmpty()
+    val leads = people.filter { it.optString("Type") in setOf("Actor", "GuestStar") }.take(6).map { EmbyClient.clean(it.optString("Name"), 50) }
+    val directors = people.filter { it.optString("Type") == "Director" }.take(3).map { EmbyClient.clean(it.optString("Name"), 50) }
+    return JSONObject().put("id", id).put("type", row.optString("Type")).put("name", EmbyClient.clean(row.optString("Name"), 160))
+        .put("year", row.optInt("ProductionYear", 0).takeIf { it > 0 } ?: JSONObject.NULL)
+        .put("overview", row.optString("Overview").takeIf { it.isNotBlank() }?.let { EmbyClient.clean(it, 1_200) } ?: JSONObject.NULL)
+        .put("tags", strings("Tags", 30)?.let(::JSONArray) ?: JSONObject.NULL)
+        .put("genres", strings("Genres", 12)?.let(::JSONArray) ?: JSONObject.NULL)
+        .put("studios", row.optJSONArray("Studios")?.let { a -> JSONArray((0 until minOf(a.length(), 6)).map { EmbyClient.clean(a.optJSONObject(it)?.optString("Name").orEmpty(), 60) }) } ?: JSONObject.NULL)
+        .put("leads", if (people.isEmpty()) JSONObject.NULL else JSONArray(leads)).put("directors", if (people.isEmpty()) JSONObject.NULL else JSONArray(directors))
+        .put("rating", row.optString("OfficialRating").takeIf { it.isNotBlank() } ?: JSONObject.NULL)
+        .put("community", row.optDouble("CommunityRating").takeIf { !it.isNaN() } ?: JSONObject.NULL)
+        .put("taglines", strings("Taglines", 2)?.let(::JSONArray) ?: JSONObject.NULL)
+        .put("providerIds", row.optJSONObject("ProviderIds") ?: JSONObject.NULL)
+        .put("countries", strings("ProductionLocations", 4)?.let(::JSONArray) ?: JSONObject.NULL)
+}
+
+/** Which of [ids] the evidence file doesn't have yet. */
+internal fun evidenceMissing(file: File, ids: List<String>): List<String> {
+    val have = if (file.exists()) file.useLines { lines -> lines.mapNotNull { runCatching { JSONObject(it).optString("id") }.getOrNull() }.toHashSet() } else emptySet()
+    return ids.distinct().filter { it !in have }
+}
diff --git a/android/app/src/main/java/tv/orbit/classic/MainActivity.kt b/android/app/src/main/java/tv/orbit/classic/MainActivity.kt
index 90a6aa79..d5340f1f 100644
--- a/android/app/src/main/java/tv/orbit/classic/MainActivity.kt
+++ b/android/app/src/main/java/tv/orbit/classic/MainActivity.kt
@@ -52,6 +52,7 @@ class MainActivity : ComponentActivity() {
         window.addFlags(WindowManager.LayoutParams.FLAG_KEEP_SCREEN_ON)
         if (intent?.getBooleanExtra("orbit_intro_test", false) == true) IntroTrial.nextTune = true
         intent?.getStringExtra("orbit_inspect_series")?.take(120)?.let { SeriesInspection.title = it }
+        if (intent?.getBooleanExtra("orbit_read_evidence", false) == true) EvidenceRequest.pending = true
         // The hand-run playback test opens over Orbit, which stops in the background as it would for any other app, and comes back when it ends.
         intent?.getStringExtra("orbit_play_test")?.takeIf(EmbyClient::validId)?.let { item ->
             startActivity(android.content.Intent(this, PlaybackTestActivity::class.java).putExtra(PlaybackTestActivity.ITEM, item))
diff --git a/android/app/src/main/java/tv/orbit/classic/ScheduleStore.kt b/android/app/src/main/java/tv/orbit/classic/ScheduleStore.kt
index f827382a..4552dac5 100644
--- a/android/app/src/main/java/tv/orbit/classic/ScheduleStore.kt
+++ b/android/app/src/main/java/tv/orbit/classic/ScheduleStore.kt
@@ -48,6 +48,8 @@ internal class ScheduleStore(private val directory: File) {
     internal class SavedPool(val series: List<PoolSeries>, val fetchedAtMs: Long, val signature: String = "")
 
     private fun file(kind: String, number: Int) = File(directory, "$kind-$number.json")
+    /** Stage D's evidence lines ([evidenceLine]), one item a line. */
+    fun evidenceFile() = File(directory, "evidence-0.jsonl")
 
     /** Replaces in one step, keeping the last good copy. An interrupted write can't damage either. */
     private fun write(target: File, root: JSONObject) {
diff --git a/android/app/src/test/java/tv/orbit/classic/EvidenceReaderTest.kt b/android/app/src/test/java/tv/orbit/classic/EvidenceReaderTest.kt
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..f58beacd
--- /dev/null
+++ b/android/app/src/test/java/tv/orbit/classic/EvidenceReaderTest.kt
@@ -0,0 +1,38 @@
+package tv.orbit.classic
+
+import org.json.JSONArray
+import org.json.JSONObject
+import org.junit.Assert.*
+import org.junit.Test
+import java.io.File
+
+/** Stage D's evidence: only what the provider gave, missing kept as missing, and a read that can carry on where it stopped. */
+class EvidenceReaderTest {
+    private fun row() = JSONObject().put("Id", "8070341").put("Type", "Series").put("Name", "Blue Planet III").put("ProductionYear", 2026)
+        .put("Overview", "The oceans, from the deep sea to the coral reefs.").put("Tags", JSONArray(listOf("ocean", "nature")))
+        .put("Genres", JSONArray(listOf("Documentary"))).put("Studios", JSONArray().put(JSONObject().put("Name", "BBC Studios")))
+        .put("People", JSONArray().put(JSONObject().put("Name", "David Attenborough").put("Type", "GuestStar")).put(JSONObject().put("Name", "A Producer").put("Type", "Producer")))
+        .put("ProviderIds", JSONObject().put("Tmdb", "1"))
+
+    @Test fun keepsWhatTheProviderGave() {
+        val line = evidenceLine(row())!!
+        assertEquals("Blue Planet III", line.getString("name"))
+        assertEquals("ocean", line.getJSONArray("tags").getString(0))
+        assertEquals("David Attenborough", line.getJSONArray("leads").getString(0))
+        assertEquals(0, line.getJSONArray("directors").length())
+        assertEquals("BBC Studios", line.getJSONArray("studios").getString(0))
+    }
+
+    @Test fun missingIsMissingNotNegative() {
+        val bare = evidenceLine(JSONObject().put("Id", "123").put("Type", "Movie").put("Name", "Something"))!!
+        for (key in listOf("overview", "tags", "genres", "leads", "directors", "rating", "year")) assertTrue(key, bare.isNull(key))
+        assertNull(evidenceLine(JSONObject().put("Id", "../bad")))
+    }
+
+    @Test fun aReadCarriesOnWhereItStopped() {
+        val file = File.createTempFile("evidence", ".jsonl").apply { deleteOnExit() }
+        file.writeText(evidenceLine(row()).toString() + "\n")
+        assertEquals(listOf("2", "3"), evidenceMissing(file, listOf("8070341", "2", "3", "2")))
+        assertEquals(listOf("1"), evidenceMissing(File(file.parent, "none-${System.nanoTime()}.jsonl"), listOf("1")))
+    }
+}
diff --git a/docs/VERIFICATION-0.108.4.md b/docs/VERIFICATION-0.108.4.md
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..5f37fcc2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/docs/VERIFICATION-0.108.4.md
@@ -0,0 +1,17 @@
+# 0.108.4: Stage D evidence reader (phase 1, read only), built on the installed 0.108.3
+
+Paul approved phase 1 on 4 November 2026 at 23:01. This is 0.108.3 plus one diagnostic capability. It changes no schedule, pool or library item. The same change is on main.
+
+**What it does:**
+- **Trigger:** `am start ... --ez orbit_read_evidence true`. The next background round reads Emby for every film and series on any channel's list, plus every library title premiered in the last 60 days.
+- **Fields:** each item's description, tags, genres, studios, up to 6 leads, up to 3 directors, official and community ratings, taglines, production countries and provider IDs.
+- **How it reads:** 40 items per request, at most 4,000 items a run.
+- **Where it goes:** each item is appended as one JSON line to `no_backup/schedule/evidence-0.jsonl`. An item already there is skipped, so a run can stop and carry on.
+- **Logging:** one line of counts only: asked, missing, read, failed batches.
+- **Missing isn't negative:** a field the provider doesn't have is stored as missing (null), never as an empty value that would read as negative evidence.
+
+## Checks
+
+- 489 unit tests run, 0 failures; lint has no errors. `EvidenceReaderTest` adds 3 tests: it keeps what the provider gave, missing stays missing, and a read carries on where it stopped.
+
+APK: `outputs/revision-0.108.4`, signed, versionCode 164. **Not installed.** It goes on in the background with Paul's OK, and is then run once with Orbit idle.