Troubleshooting HTTP/HLS reception

Common HTTP codes

HTTP response codes are three-digit numerical indicators given by a server in reply to a client's HTTP request.

On successful request, the server returns code 200 and the associated response content, such as a media stream or HLS media playlist.

404 Not Found

This status code signifies that the server cannot locate any match for the requested URL. Possible causes:

  • incomplete URL address or typographical error
  • temporary link to the channel has expired and is no longer available
  • channel has been disabled on the server
  • server is unable to retransmit the channel due to reception errors

403 Forbidden

Indicates that the client's request was understood by the server, but the server is refusing to complete it. Possible causes:

  • temporary token has expired or has not been provided
  • access to the channel is restricted based on IP address (GEO location) or User-Agent header
  • access has been revoked by the server administrator

Connection timeout

Typically occurs when a client's request to a server takes too long time. Possible causes:

  • network issues
  • overloaded servers or a configured connection limit
  • server-side restriction on the allowed connection duration
  • firewall restrictions on the connection
  • incorrect port number or server address

Why is the stream quality lower after retransmission?

When working with HLS reception, it's possible to encounter quality issues after retransmitting a stream. For instance, a stream may play in HD quality in VLC player, but after retransmission, the video appears in low resolution. This problem typically arises because the HLS stream contains variants with different resolutions.

To resolve this issue, download HLS playlist and open in a text editor: The playlist will have content that looks like this:

#EXTM3U
#EXT-X-STREAM-INF:PROGRAM-ID=1,BANDWIDTH=6221600,RESOLUTION=1920x1080
https://example.com/video/1080.m3u8
#EXT-X-STREAM-INF:PROGRAM-ID=1,BANDWIDTH=246440,RESOLUTION=320x184
https://example.com/video/240.m3u8

Examine the playlist content and look for the #EXT-X-STREAM-INF lines that define the different quality streams available. In this example, two streams are available: one with a resolution of 1920x1080 and another with a resolution of 320x184.

Select the URL corresponding to the desired quality. In the example playlist, the HD stream URL is https://example.com/video/1080.m3u8

Use this URL in the Input settings