Video does NOT play with some .m3u files

Video does NOT play with some .m3u files - Printable Version

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Video does NOT play with some .m3u files - roisiano - 2022-12-29

Hello:

At first I thought it was a problem specific to CoreELEC 19.5 ( https://discourse.coreelec.org/t/coreelec-19-5-matrix-discussion/19918/11 ), but later we found that it also happened on Kodi 19.5 (x64) on Windows. When trying to play some .m3u files, specifically tvheadend links like:
http://user:password@tvheadendhost:9981/stream/channelid/12345678?profile=pass

by the method:
Videos > Browse to .m3u (tvheadend structure; user:pass@host:9981 etc.) file > .m3u file opens and I can see the channel list into .m3u file > Click on any channel has NO effect at all. No error information, no log information.

With previous Kodi (and CoreELEC) versions, this kind of links ( http://user:password@tvheadendhost:9981/stream/channelid/12345678?profile=pass ) in a .m3u file were played without any problem.

A suggestion made by @vpeter was useful to "solve" this problem.

Replacing:
http://user:pass@host:9981/stream/channelid

with:
#KODIPROP:inputstream=inputstream.ffmpegdirect
#KODIPROP:mimetype=video/mp4
http://user:pass@host:9981/stream/channelid

(using Notepad++)

all the channels seems of the .m3u (from tvheadend) are working.
A bit laborious, but it works.

Anyway, a fix would be good Big Grin

.

Other CoreELEC (19.5) users seem to have different problems playing .m3u files too. Problems that we did NOT have with previous versions.

Thanks in advance and kind regards

RE: Video does NOT play with some .m3u files - knb_limbiko - 2022-12-29

I have similiar problem with m3u video playlists.
All video m3u playlist are working fine with Kodi 19.4:

But the same playlist in Kodi 19.5 is not playable - all links in any given playlist are reported 0B

Any idea, any solution? I have had the problem in Windows and linux (CoreELEC).
Here is the sample free video playlist I used for this post: https://iptv-org.github.io/iptv/categories/shop.m3u

RE: Video does NOT play with some .m3u files - ultraman - 2022-12-29

(2022-12-29, 08:44)knb_limbiko Wrote: Here is the sample free video playlist I used for this post: https://iptv-org.github.io/iptv/categories/shop.m3u

Actually at least some links works like ch 21 ערוץ הקניות (360p). But it takes loooong time to start playback.
https://pastebin.com/zvz5bHaL

RE: Video does NOT play with some .m3u files - knb_limbiko - 2022-12-29

(2022-12-29, 11:13)ultraman Wrote:
(2022-12-29, 08:44)knb_limbiko Wrote: Here is the sample free video playlist I used for this post: https://iptv-org.github.io/iptv/categories/shop.m3u
Actually at least some links works like ch 21 ערוץ הקניות (360p). But it takes loooong time to start playback.
https://pastebin.com/zvz5bHaL

Yes, I noticed that some links works, but the rule is all playlists work fine with Kodi version below 19.5, and starting 19.5 playlists are somewhat not playable with OB tag (playing time?) of every link inside the playlist.

RE: Video does NOT play with some .m3u files - ultraman - 2022-12-29

(2022-12-29, 00:15)roisiano Wrote: When trying to play some .m3u files, specifically tvheadend links like:
http://user:password@tvheadendhost:9981/stream/channelid/12345678?profile=pass

I think the problems is this PR https://github.com/xbmc/xbmc/pull/21712 because of

cpp:
WARNING <general>: Playlist Player: ListItem type must be audio or video, use ListItem:etInfo to specify!

kodi.log https://pastebin.com/YVdqWZuA

RE: Video does NOT play with some .m3u files - knb_limbiko - 2022-12-30

(2022-12-29, 11:29)ultraman Wrote:
(2022-12-29, 00:15)roisiano Wrote: When trying to play some .m3u files, specifically tvheadend links like:
http://user:password@tvheadendhost:9981/stream/channelid/12345678?profile=pass
I think the problems is this PR https://github.com/xbmc/xbmc/pull/21712 because of
cpp:
WARNING <general>: Playlist Player: ListItem type must be audio or video, use ListItem:etInfo to specify!
kodi.log https://pastebin.com/YVdqWZuA

xspf lists partially work (only links with file extensions [*.mkv, *.avi. etc] work)
m3u lists don't work
m3u8 lists don'twork
html lists don't work

RE: Video does NOT play with some .m3u files - emveepee - 2022-12-30

Issues should really be raised on github to get developers' attention. I can duplicate it easily with a TVHeadend generated m3u and the logic is failing in my case even when the this a "hint" based on the folder.

Martin

RE: Video does NOT play with some .m3u files - CastagnaIT - 2022-12-31

Please dont use development PR thread to request to solve a problem
so open a new Issue appropriately

i tried play the sample playlist above (https://iptv-org.github.io/iptv/categories/shop.m3u)
on kodi 19.5 and 20 about 10 channels and playback has always worked

so when you open an Issue provide also right steps to replicate the problem

however the warning message "Playlist Player: ListItem type must be audio or video, use ListItem: Confused

etInfo to specify!"
was already in kodi code, so has not been introduced from mentioned PR https://github.com/xbmc/xbmc/pull/21712

the "hint" is only a hint, if item played has not been detected as audio or video, the hint will not works
and in any case then the behaviour of old kodi 19 versions is preserved
is need to be investigated better what is the root cause

RE: Video does NOT play with some .m3u files - emveepee - 2022-12-31

This TVHeadend m3u fails before loading with the log warning so it shouldn't matter that the URL isn't reachable.

Code:
#EXTINF:-1 logo="http://172.16.3.236:9981/imagecache/3" tvg-id="b62b8562aa37b215160ed149f278e068" tvg-chno="6.1",CIII-HD

http://172.16.3.236:9981/stream/channelid/1652894646?profile=pass

I believe the issue is the filename part of the URL doesn't give a clue to the content type and the hint is only used when a playlist is both audio and video.

Martin

RE: Video does NOT play with some .m3u files - knb_limbiko - 2023-01-01

I resolved my problem on my side:
1. All playlists must be imported/configured/added in .m3u8 format ("playlist file that contains a path to a media file or directory of media files and meta information about the playlist").
2. Playlists in .ts format ("video stream file") won't play in Kodi 19.5.

Happy New Year!
Thanks the developers and the community for their effort buliding Kodi!

RE: Video does NOT play with some .m3u files - ultraman - 2023-01-01

(2022-12-31, 18:33)emveepee Wrote: I believe the issue is the filename part of the URL doesn't give a clue to the content type and the hint is only used when a playlist is both audio and video.

My finding is the same: filename part is not recognized and kodi doesn't even try to open this url but instead it fails immediately.

For example same happen for url like

php:
http://server-name/extension_test.php

but

php:
http://server-name/extension_test.m3u

works and the url is open.

And this behaviour was changed from how it worked before.

RE: Video does NOT play with some .m3u files - knb_limbiko - 2023-01-01

(2023-01-01, 15:29)ultraman Wrote: [...]

And this behaviour was changed from how it worked before.

Yes, indeed. The bahaviour has been changed or maybe, the bug from previous versions has been amended... anyway, it works!

RE: Video does NOT play with some .m3u files - roisiano - 2023-01-01

(2022-12-31, 14:53)CastagnaIT Wrote: Please dont use development PR thread to request to solve a problem
so open a new Issue appropriately

i tried play the sample playlist above (https://iptv-org.github.io/iptv/categories/shop.m3u)
on kodi 19.5 and 20 about 10 channels and playback has always worked

so when you open an Issue provide also right steps to replicate the problem

however the warning message "Playlist Player: ListItem type must be audio or video, use ListItem:etInfo to specify!"
was already in kodi code, so has not been introduced from mentioned PR https://github.com/xbmc/xbmc/pull/21712

the "hint" is only a hint, if item played has not been detected as audio or video, the hint will not works
and in any case then the behaviour of old kodi 19 versions is preserved
is need to be investigated better what is the root cause

Sorry. My fault. I did NOT know that I should not post it there.

-------

The problem:

In Kodi interface (Kodi for Windows 64 bits -CoreELEC 19.5 has the same problems-):
Videos > Files > Downloads

Lists named "list.m3u", "list.m3u8" and "list-fixed.m3u" are placed in:
C:\Users\yo\Downloads\

The links of the lists are tvheadend generated, like:
http://user:pass@host:9981/stream/channelid

1)
When I try to open list.m3u file, the list is opened and I can see the channel list and select the cannel I want.
When I try to play the channel, I see NO message, but it seems that Kodi does NOT try to open the channel.

When I go to the kodi log it says:
"2023-01-01 16:15:07.552 T:14992 WARNING <general>: Playlist Player: ListItem type must be audio or video, use ListItem: Confused

etInfo to specify!"

2)
Now I try the same process with list.m3u8 (converted .m3u to .m3u8, same tvheadend structure, etc., with VLC).
When I try to open list.m3u8, I can't even arrive to the channel list. I see a error message in Kodi interface:
"Playback failed

One or more items failed to play. Check the log for more information about this message."

The log says:

"
2023-01-01 16:16:01.275 T:21240    INFO <general>: CActiveAESink::OpenSink - initialize sink
2023-01-01 16:16:04.636 T:6540    ERROR <general>: CDVDDemuxFFmpeg::Open - error probing input format, C:\Users\yo\Downloads\list.m3u8
2023-01-01 16:16:04.636 T:6540    ERROR <general>: CDVDFileInfo::ExtractThumb - Error creating demuxer
2023-01-01 16:16:06.100 T:14992    INFO <general>: VideoPlayer::OpenFile: C:\Users\yo\Downloads\list.m3u8
2023-01-01 16:16:06.100 T:17312    INFO <general>: Creating InputStream
2023-01-01 16:16:06.105 T:17312    INFO <general>: Creating Demuxer
2023-01-01 16:16:06.107 T:17312   ERROR <general>: CDVDDemuxFFmpeg::Open - error probing input format, C:\Users\yo\Downloads\list.m3u8
2023-01-01 16:16:06.107 T:17312   ERROR <general>: CVideoPlayer::OpenDemuxStream - Error creating demuxer
2023-01-01 16:16:06.107 T:17312    INFO <general>: CVideoPlayer::OnExit()
2023-01-01 16:16:06.210 T:14992    INFO <general>: CVideoPlayer::CloseFile()
2023-01-01 16:16:06.211 T:14992    INFO <general>: VideoPlayer: waiting for threads to exit
2023-01-01 16:16:06.211 T:14992    INFO <general>: VideoPlayer: finished waiting
2023-01-01 16:16:36.214 T:6540    ERROR <general>: CDVDDemuxFFmpeg::Open - error probing input format, C:\Users\yo\Downloads\list.m3u8
2023-01-01 16:16:36.214 T:6540    ERROR <general>: CDVDFileInfo::ExtractThumb - Error creating demuxer
"

So, no one of the options (.m3u or .m3u8) is useful to open the links (Kodi 19.5 Windows 64 bits).

3)
When I use a "corrected" "list-fix.m3u" file, with channel structure like:

#KODIPROP:inputstream=inputstream.ffmpegdirect
#KODIPROP:mimetype=video/mp4
http://user:pass@host:9981/stream/channelid

The channels work with no problem.

With previous versions of Kodi (<19.5), .m3u channels (same tvheadend structure) worked with any problem at all.

RE: Video does NOT play with some .m3u files - roisiano - 2023-01-01

(2023-01-01, 15:29)ultraman Wrote:
(2022-12-31, 18:33)emveepee Wrote: I believe the issue is the filename part of the URL doesn't give a clue to the content type and the hint is only used when a playlist is both audio and video.
My finding is the same: filename part is not recognized and kodi doesn't even try to open this url but instead it fails immediately.

I think so. I can NOT describe it "technically", but it seems that is exactly the problem. If Kodi (19.5) does NOT "see" a video (or audio, I guess) file extension, Kodi 19.5 does NOT try to play it, even if it is in a .m3u playlist.
Previous versions tried to play the file even if no video (audio) extensions were present in the link.

RE: Video does NOT play with some .m3u files - ultraman - 2023-01-01

I think there is a difference between handling M3U and M3U8 files here: https://github.com/xbmc/xbmc/blob/Matrix/xbmc/playlists/PlayListFactory.cpp#L57

Quote:online m3u8 files are for hls streaming -- do not treat as playlist