Introduction

HLS (HTTP Live Streaming) is a popular streaming technology that enables content developers to offer variable bitrate video streams over the internet. In this post, we'll look into HLS M3U8 URLs, and several Chrome extensions and websites developed expressly for testing.

Understanding HLS M3U8 URLs

HLS M3U8 URLs are essential for providing video content to viewers. An M3U8 file is a plain text playlist format containing a list of video segments and their associated URLs. To accommodate various network circumstances, these parts are typically separated into different bitrates. When a user wishes to see an HLS stream, their device chooses the suitable bitrate depending on network speed and available resources, delivering a seamless watching experience.

Testing Video Streams Tools

Suppose you are aware of a website that streams a specific HLS M3U8 video or live shows that you wish to test. You want to ensure that the video is functioning correctly and verify that it is not the website element that is preventing it from being playable. This is where testing tools, Chrome plugins, and dedicated websites come into play.

  1. Video m3u8 Sniffer - Find HLS Streaming URLs (Chrome Plugin):
    This Chrome plugin is designed to identify HLS streaming URLs on web pages. It helps you locate M3U8 URLs from websites, making it easier to test specific video streams. By capturing these URLs, you can then use other tools to analyze and assess the quality of the streams (Depending on how the video format is loading, the plugin may not detect it at all).
  2. VLC Media Player: VLC is a versatile media player that supports a wide range of formats, including HLS streams. By opening the "Open Network Stream" option and entering an HLS M3U8 URL, you can easily test the stream's playback, quality, and buffering behavior. VLC's debug tools provide insights into the stream's performance (Some links served over HTTP may not work).
  3. Stream Recorder - Download HLS as MP4 (Chrome Plugin): This Chrome plugin allows you to capture HLS streams and save them as MP4 files. It's particularly useful for testing offline playback and analyzing the content further. By recording the stream, you can review the video quality, buffering behavior, and potential issues.
  4. HLS Player - m3u8 Streaming Player (Chrome Plugin): The "HLS Player" Chrome plugin offers an integrated way to test HLS streams directly within your browser. It accepts M3U8 URLs and provides playback controls, allowing you to assess stream quality, buffering, and overall performance.
  5. HLS Player - m3u8 Streaming Player (Website): This is a dedicated website for testing HLS streams directly from your web browser (). Simply enter the HLS M3U8 URL into the provided field, and the website will initiate the playback. It's a convenient option for quick testing without the need for additional software.
  6. Other: livepush , m3u8play .

HLS M3U8 URL Examples

Here are a few HLS M3U8 URLs for testing only:

  1. Tears of Steel HLS M3U8: This example showcases an HLS M3U8 URL for the movie "Tears of Steel." It's a typical HLS stream that provides adaptive bitrate streaming for smooth playback. URL: https://demo.unified-streaming.com/k8s/features/stable/video/tears-of-steel/tears-of-steel.ism/.m3u8
  2. MP4 HLS M3U8: In contrast to the previous examples, this M3U8 URL points to a traditional MP4 video stream delivered through HLS. This might be useful for specific compatibility scenarios. URL: https://demo.unified-streaming.com/k8s/features/stable/video/tears-of-steel/tears-of-steel.mp4/.m3u8
  3. fMP4 HLS M3U8: This M3U8 URL demonstrates the use of fragmented MP4 (fMP4) segments for HLS streaming. fMP4 is designed to improve efficiency and compatibility across different devices. URL: https://devstreaming-cdn.apple.com/videos/streaming/examples/img_bipbop_adv_example_fmp4/master.m3u8
  4. Dolby VOD HLS M3U8: This M3U8 URL points to a video-on-demand (VOD) stream with Dolby audio. Note that this URL is served over HTTP, which might lead to media errors. URL: http://d3rlna7iyyu8wu.cloudfront.net/skip_armstrong/skip_armstrong_stereo_subs.m3u8
  5. Azure 4K HLSv4 M3U8: This M3U8 URL demonstrates a 4K video stream served through Azure Media Services. The format parameter specifies HLSv4. URL: http://amssamples.streaming.mediaservices.windows.net/634cd01c-6822-4630-8444-8dd6279f94c6/CaminandesLlamaDrama4K.ism/manifest(format=m3u8-aapl)
  6. United States EWTN TV Live M3U8 Stream: https://cdn3.wowza.com/1/QjRzVXJtVml5SUVx/WGJRSWxz/hls/wb3brfx9/720/chunklist.m3u8
  7. The Weather Channel M3U8 Stream: Link 1: https://1161275585.rsc.cdn77.org/qX_HECKqPJqhkHOB-QGAlg==,1712563374/LS-ATL-54548-7/tracks-v1a1/mono.m3u8 Link 2: https://twcprod-live.twc-tv.com/v1/manifest/TEST/////test-only - b4d4d63a49309cc5140171fb2e92485c31be1e9e/DSP_6228e4760505741a116f1ba2_twcprod-live/6bf09ce5-366b-463c-b67e-c4b799f73c3f/4.m3u8
  8. IP TV list on Github: https://github.com/iptv-org/iptv - https://iptv-org.github.io/iptv/index.m3u

Other Project:

https://github.com/matthuisman/frndlytv-for-channels

Conclusion

This above example is only one of the example URLs that you can use for testing, you can use many others, and you can certainly use many other examples.