Does HLS protocol stream work in vlc?

[Joejim]

I have iptv service .m3u8 file to play in vlc. I assume m3u8 is HLS protocol streams?

Can vlc handle HLS protocol network streams?
Does Preference/Stream Ouput/Streaming Output mixer cache (ms) setting or any other cache settings work for HLS streams?

[Rémi Denis-Courmont]

VLC can handle HLS as of version 3.0.

[Joejim]

VLC can handle HLS as of version 3.0.

I heard that before but can't find version 3? Only version 2.2.4.
where/how can I get version 3?
I am using PC, Win 7.

[Lotesdelere]

VLC 3.0.0 is still in beta stage but you can download it here:
http://nightlies.videolan.org

[Joejim]

VLC can handle HLS as of version 3.0.

It's same version 3 that I found before. It's worse than v 2.2.4. HLS stream constantly freezes in version 3, unplayable and unwatchable,

It says not complete, still beta testing BUT playing HLS stream should be an elementary function. It should've worked.

I am just an end user, point/click, not technical like you guys. Playing iptv network stream in vlc is very common, yet I can't seem to get any straight answers here in vlc forum.
Source server could be the problem, an easy blame, BUT same iptv HLS stream plays great in Kodi at the same time, so it can;t be the server. I can't record in Kodi, that's why I am trying to use vlc to record.

Most of forum topics I don;t even understand the question muchless the replies.
All I am trying to do is enjoy vlc by trying to stream network feed. I got NO answers here.
VLC is a media player, it's designed to play from device like HDD or stream network feed.
Why is it so hard find answers here?

Incredible. Very very disappointing.

[Lotesdelere]

HLS streams are working pretty fine for me with VLC 3.0.0, I'm using them almost every day.
So I don't know what is going wrong on your system because, as I said, it's playing fine for me without doing anything special.

[Joejim]

HLS streams are working pretty fine for me with VLC 3.0.0, I'm using them almost every day.
So I don't know what is going wrong on your system because, as I said, it's playing fine for me without doing anything special.

Like I said, I am just a simple end user, nothing technical, just following instructions.

So I donwloaded vlc version 3. file named, "vlc-3.0.0-20161114-0251-git-win32". I have 32bit, windows Vista laptop.
HLS stream I have is http://198.144.148.113:9850/live/userID ... d/140.m3u8 (140 is ESPN)
It plays fins in vlc 2.2.4. But in vlc 3.0, it is not playing but skips to next stream.
Maybe I don;t have proper preference settings in vlc 3.0?

[Joejim]

VLC can handle HLS as of version 3.0.

I thought I understood your meaning but maybe not.
Are you saying vlc v2.2.4 can NOT play HLS streams? only in vlc 3.0?
But I am able to play HLS stream (http://198.144.148.113:9850/live/userID ... d/140.m3u8) in vlc 2.2.4 now.
But I can't play it in vlc v3.0.

[Rémi Denis-Courmont]

HLS support in VLC 2.2.4 is very experimental and very buggy.

[Joejim]

HLS streams are working pretty fine for me with VLC 3.0.0, I'm using them almost every day.
So I don't know what is going wrong on your system because, as I said, it's playing fine for me without doing anything special.

I send you PM with my HLS stream. Can you play in your vlc 3.0?

[Lotesdelere]

I send you PM with my HLS stream. Can you play in your vlc 3.0?

Yes, it works, but it's not fluid, there are a lot of freezes and looooooong lock ups.

Code: Select all

adaptative debug: Retrieving ://198.144.148.113:9850/streaming/clients_live.php?extension=m3u8&username=user&password=pass&stream=140&type=hls&segment=140_4382.ts&from_playlist=1 @0 core debug: net: connecting to 198.144.148.113 port 9850 core debug: connection succeeded (socket = 1720) ts error: libdvbpsi error (PSI decoder): TS discontinuity (received 1, expected 15) for PID 17 ts debug: SDTCallBack called ts error: libdvbpsi error (PSI decoder): TS discontinuity (received 5, expected 8) for PID 0 ts debug: PATCallBack called ts error: libdvbpsi error (PSI decoder): TS discontinuity (received 5, expected 8) for PID 4096 ts debug: PMTCallBack called for program 1 ts warning: discontinuity received 0xf instead of 0xa (pid=256) ts error: send queued data for pid 256: DTS -1 >= PCR 3943899012 core debug: net: connecting to 198.144.148.113 port 9850 core debug: connection succeeded (socket = 4052) adaptative debug: Retrieving ://198.144.148.113:9850/live/user/pass/140.m3u8 @0 adaptative debug: Updated playlist ID http://198.144.148.113:9850/live/user/pass/140.m3u8, next update in 27s adaptative debug: Representation http://198.144.148.113:9850/live/user/pass/140.m3u8 adaptative debug: Segment #4382 url=http://198.144.148.113:9850/streaming/clients_live.php?extension=m3u8&username=user&password=pass&stream=140&type=hls&segment=140_4382.ts&from_playlist=1 adaptative debug: Segment #4383 url=http://198.144.148.113/streaming/clients_live.php?extension=m3u8&username=user&password=pass&stream=140&type=hls&segment=140_4383.ts&from_playlist=1 adaptative debug: Segment #4384 url=http://198.144.148.113/streaming/clients_live.php?extension=m3u8&username=user&password=pass&stream=140&type=hls&segment=140_4384.ts&from_playlist=1 adaptative debug: Segment #4385 url=http://198.144.148.113/streaming/clients_live.php?extension=m3u8&username=user&password=pass&stream=140&type=hls&segment=140_4385.ts&from_playlist=1 adaptative debug: Segment #4386 url=http://198.144.148.113/streaming/clients_live.php?extension=m3u8&username=user&password=pass&stream=140&type=hls&segment=140_4386.ts&from_playlist=1 ts warning: discontinuity received 0x2 instead of 0xb (pid=257) core error: ES_OUT_SET_(GROUP_)PCR is called too late (pts_delay increased to 1000 ms) core error: ES_OUT_RESET_PCR called core debug: Buffering 0% core debug: Buffering 5% core debug: Buffering 10% core debug: Buffering 15% core debug: Buffering 20% core debug: Buffering 25% core debug: Buffering 30% core debug: Buffering 35% core debug: Buffering 40% core debug: Buffering 45% core debug: Buffering 50% core debug: Buffering 55% core debug: Buffering 60% core debug: Buffering 65% core debug: Buffering 70% core debug: Buffering 75% core debug: Buffering 80% core debug: Buffering 85% core debug: Buffering 90% core debug: Buffering 95% core debug: Buffering 100% core debug: Stream buffering done (1050 ms in 4 ms) avcodec debug: available hardware decoder output format 61 (dxva2_vld) avcodec debug: available hardware decoder output format 128 (d3d11va_vld) avcodec debug: available software decoder output format 0 (yuv420p) avcodec debug: reusing decoder output format 0 core debug: Received first picture core debug: Decoder wait done in 13 ms core warning: playback way too early (-610244): playing silence core debug: inserting 26911 zeroes core debug: net: connecting to 198.144.148.113 port 80 core debug: connection succeeded (socket = 1688) adaptative debug: Retrieving ://198.144.148.113:80/streaming/clients_live.php?extension=m3u8&username=user&password=pass&stream=140&type=hls&segment=140_4383.ts&from_playlist=1 @0 adaptative debug: Retrieving ://198.144.148.113:80/streaming/clients_live.php?extension=m3u8&username=user&password=pass&stream=140&type=hls&segment=140_4384.ts&from_playlist=1 @0 adaptative debug: Retrieving ://198.144.148.113:80/streaming/clients_live.php?extension=m3u8&username=user&password=pass&stream=140&type=hls&segment=140_4385.ts&from_playlist=1 @0 adaptative debug: Retrieving ://198.144.148.113:80/streaming/clients_live.php?extension=m3u8&username=user&password=pass&stream=140&type=hls&segment=140_4386.ts&from_playlist=1 @0 ts debug: Can't read TS packet at 4329076 core error: ES_OUT_SET_(GROUP_)PCR is called too late (pts_delay increased to 4155 ms) core error: ES_OUT_RESET_PCR called core debug: Received first picture core error: Timestamp conversion failed for 43830259223: no reference clock core error: Could not convert timestamp 0

I'm not sure what is going wrong there, maybe a port problem because it seems to change for some reason ?

Code: Select all

core debug: net: connecting to 198.144.148.113 port 9850 core debug: connection succeeded (socket = 4052) adaptative debug: Retrieving ://198.144.148.113:9850/live/user/pass/140.m3u8 @0 adaptative debug: Updated playlist ID http://198.144.148.113:9850/live/user/pass/140.m3u8, next update in 27s adaptative debug: Representation http://198.144.148.113:9850/live/user/pass/140.m3u8 adaptative debug: Segment #4382 url=http://198.144.148.113:9850/streaming/clients_live.php adaptative debug: Segment #4383 url=http://198.144.148.113/streaming/clients_live.php adaptative debug: Segment #4384 url=http://198.144.148.113/streaming/clients_live.php adaptative debug: Segment #4385 url=http://198.144.148.113/streaming/clients_live.php adaptative debug: Segment #4386 url=http://198.144.148.113/streaming/clients_live.php core debug: net: connecting to 198.144.148.113 port 80 core debug: connection succeeded (socket = 1688) adaptative debug: Retrieving ://198.144.148.113:80/streaming/clients_live.php adaptative debug: Retrieving ://198.144.148.113:80/streaming/clients_live.php adaptative debug: Retrieving ://198.144.148.113:80/streaming/clients_live.php adaptative debug: Retrieving ://198.144.148.113:80/streaming/clients_live.php

However, trust me, I have about half a dozen of adaptive (HLS) streams that I'm using on a daily basis, even some HD ones, and I rarely have any trouble with them.

[InTheWings]

If the core triggers a RESET_PCR, there's nothing you can do and that goes into evil loop, dropping all buffered data and asking for rebuffering the same amount (hence freezing because it's live).
And if it triggers RESET_PCR, either there's a bw adaption issue, or bw issue, or uncorrectable crap in ts.
The fact a SDT table is present in the TS stream hints encoder is not fully HLS compliant.