m3u8 link not playing in NPVR

[joeijm]

Could someone try playing following m3u8 link?
I tried but nothing happens then NPVR goes into "not responding"
http://ak-hls-brs-espn1.espn.go.com/hls/...-4500.m3u8

It's same as http://yoursports.stream/live.php?v=espn from Firefox.

[sub]

Could someone try playing following m3u8 link?
I tried but nothing happens then NPVR goes into "not responding"
http://ak-hls-brs-espn1.espn.go.com/hls/...-4500.m3u8

That stream link doesn't work in other players either. It's because of stuff they're doing to protect the stream. I could modify NextPVR to jump through hoops to make it work, but it's probably not worth the effort.

[joeijm]

Thanks for trying.
I figured it was some kind of protection or it only allow to access the site only once. I am already playing the site, so will not let me access it again to record.

[joeijm]

Sub;
Can you answer why URL/website can play in browser(firefox) but NVR can not record it?
I assume playing in browser or NVR recording are accessing same video/audio information from website.
Maybe in recording process, it's accessing different type of video/audio information from webste?

Also same website playing in Firefox can't play in NVR, just a blank black screen.

You can test this website. Try playing ESPN link, http://yoursports.stream/live.php?v=espn
It will play fine in Firefox/Chrome but not in NVR.

[sub]

You can test this website. Try playing ESPN link, http://yoursports.stream/live.php?v=espn
It will play fine in Firefox/Chrome but not in NVR.

Remember, that isn't a stream - it's a web application (sure, that web application includes a player that plays a stream, but there is more to it than that). The actual underlying stream is http://ak-hls-brs-espn1.espn.go.com/hls/...pn1-p.m3u8 (or something like that). Unfortunately that m3u8 stream doesn't work in isolation. The m3u8 needs specifies keys that are to be downloaded from the web app, and web app goes to some lengths to ensure that that only users of the web app will get those keys.

ie, If I really wanted to view/record this stream, I could do all sorts of things in NextPVR to pretend to be the web app (faking same cookies, an making the same proprietary backend api calls etc), and could probably get it working. It's a lot of work though, and specific to this particular website, so just not worth the effort.

[joeijm]

Thanks Sub,
As usual great explanation. Now I understand better.
Yes, no need for you to spend lotta time creating web app..there are many streams..waste your time.

I do have another question. forgive me but I have to mention a program(Firefox addon) in order to ask my question.
Try this website, https://www.streamlive.to/view/48051/ESPN-(HD),
and url https://nlcache6.streamlive.to/edge/xoaa...IwJmlkPTA=

There's addon called Video Downloader Helper (VDH). Simple to install in Firefox.
Then load website https://www.streamlive.to/view/48051/ESPN-(HD) , there will be (3)smallballs upper right corner turning to color.
VDH record url, but NPVR cannot (or maybe NPVR can but I didn't do something right?)

Can you load url in NPVR and see if you can record?
Can you understand how VDH is recording url?

As I can discern VDH is one man show. but somehow VHD can record LIVE streams like LIVE games that all other downloaders cannot.
Even VLC cannot record url stream like VDH.

p.s I assume you know how to extract url from https://www.streamlive.to/view/48051/ESPN-(HD) website?

[sub]

There's addon called Video Downloader Helper (VDH). Simple to install in Firefox.
Then load website https://www.streamlive.to/view/48051/ESPN-(HD) , there will be (3)smallballs upper right corner turning to color.
VDH record url, but NPVR cannot (or maybe NPVR can but I didn't do something right?)

Browser extensions are well placed to do this type of thing. ie, they can sit back and let a web app do whatever they need to do, including any authentication/authorization stuff for security etc, then is able to see the urls to the full stream, including any keys urls etc, so is well placed to download streams without having to do much work.

As mentioned earlier, for NextPVR to access these types of protected streams, NextPVR would have emulate the web app (faking same cookies, and making the same proprietary backend api calls etc) before it'd be in the position to get access to these streams. To do this in NextPVR would take quite a bit of time for analysis of how the web app works, and development time to fake the same behaviour.

[joeijm]

Browser extensions are well placed to do this type of thing. ie, they can sit back and let a web app do whatever they need to do, including any authentication/authorization stuff for security etc, then is able to see the urls to the full stream, including any keys urls etc, so is well placed to download streams without having to do much work.

As mentioned earlier, for NextPVR to access these types of protected streams, NextPVR would have emulate the web app (faking same cookies, and making the same proprietary backend api calls etc) before it'd be in the position to get access to these streams. To do this in NextPVR would take quite a bit of time for analysis of how the web app works, and development time to fake the same behaviour.

Interesting. Great explanation.
Thanks for your time.