json_decode() problems in PHP

Question

http://pastebin.com/Jp7WRPcz

The following JSON response returns null using json_decode()

Any ideas why it is invalid, and how can I make it valid to decode.

Answer 1

Look at http://jsonlint.com/

Accoring to JSONLint, you have the following error:

Parse error on line 82:
...            "text": "Make it easier for 
-----------------------^
Expecting 'STRING', 'NUMBER', 'NULL', 'TRUE', 'FALSE', '{', '['

The error is with this in the string '\x27s'

The same again for line 92.

"Roger\x27scompanion\x3cem\x3ehelped\x3c/em\x3ehimwiththeren"

Replace them with their appropriate unicode characters or add an extra slash as one slash is escaping your string.

Answer 2

from PHP.net:

NULL is returned if the json cannot be decoded or if the encoded data is deeper than the recursion limit.

perhaps that is the issue?