Test M3U8 and HLS streams online.
Paste a public `.m3u8` URL to see whether the stream loads, starts playing, and exposes available quality levels in a standard browser environment.
Live
This page tells you whether an HLS stream works in the browser. If the source needs auth, lacks CORS headers, or serves broken segments, the failure will still show up here.
Troubleshooting
If an HLS stream does not start, the problem is usually upstream rather than inside the player. For a broader decision tree, use the Troubleshooting Hub.
- Make sure the playlist is publicly reachable. If the manifest requires cookies, tokens, or a private network, a public browser page will not be able to fetch it.
- Check CORS on both the manifest and the media chunks. The `.m3u8` file may load while `.ts` or `.m4s` segment requests still fail because the origin blocks cross-site access.
- Keep the full request chain on HTTPS. If your page is secure but the playlist or segment URLs drop to plain HTTP, most browsers will block playback before the stream can start.
FAQ
What is this page for?
It is a quick way to test whether a public HLS stream can play in a normal browser using `hls.js`.
Does it work for live and on-demand streams?
Yes. If the playlist is valid and publicly accessible, this page can handle both live HLS and VOD playback.
Why does it work in VLC but not here?
Desktop media players do not follow the same browser rules. In the browser, CORS, mixed content, cookies, and expiring tokens still apply.
Should I be using M3U8 or MP4 instead?
If you are deciding between a streaming playlist and a direct file, read M3U8 vs MP4 before you lock the format in.