STREAMING GLOSSARY
Definitions, examples and related terms for this part of your viewing setup.
TERMS & EXAMPLES
M3U is a playlist format that lists media locations and can include descriptive information understood by compatible players. The entries may reference files, internet resources or streams. A playlist organizes access points; it does not contain a whole television catalogue inside itself or establish that every listed resource is reachable and authorized.
Read more →M3U8 commonly identifies an M3U-style playlist encoded as UTF-8. HLS also uses this playlist format for its streaming instructions. The extension alone therefore does not tell the whole story: the file's contents determine whether it is a general media list, an HLS playlist or something the player cannot interpret.
Read more →Extended M3U adds metadata lines to a basic M3U playlist so a player can receive information such as entry names or other attributes alongside media addresses. Some attribute conventions vary between services and players. Supported metadata can improve organisation, but an app may ignore fields it does not understand or use different matching rules.
Read more →A playlist URL is an internet address from which a player retrieves a playlist. It can point to a static file or a server-generated response associated with an account. The address may include private credentials or tokens, and it can stop working if its host, parameters, permission or account state changes.
Read more →A local playlist is a playlist stored on the viewing device or a storage location it can read, rather than fetched afresh from a remote playlist address. It can be useful for controlled media collections or offline organisation. Internet entries inside that file still need working network access when selected for playback.
Read more →A channel group is an organisational category used to collect related entries in a playlist or player interface. Groups can reflect language, region, subject or a user's own choices. Their names are not reliable technical specifications, and different players can display the same source organisation in different ways on screen.
Read more →A channel identifier is a value used to distinguish or match a channel entry within a particular system. In playlist and guide workflows, a matching identifier can connect an entry to its programme information. Its usefulness depends on consistent values; similar display names do not necessarily mean that two entries use the same identifier.
Read more →A logo URL points to an image used for a channel, programme, app or other catalogue item. A player may fetch that image separately from the playlist and media. A missing logo can therefore be an image-path, format or caching issue even when the corresponding channel continues to play normally.
Read more →An Xtream-style login generally asks for a server address, username and password rather than a single playlist file. Compatible software uses that account information to request available categories and streams from the corresponding service interface. The exact fields and supported features depend on the app and server implementation being used.
Read more →A portal URL is an address used by certain device or player systems to reach a service interface. Some arrangements also use device registration information. It is not interchangeable with every M3U address or username-and-password login, and a portal workflow needs support from both the chosen player and the service.
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