InputStreamPlayer

Playlist formats

InputStream Player imports UTF-8 encoded M3U/M3U8 and JSON playlists (anything else is read as Windows-1252). A playlist can contain clear channels and channels with a ClearKey/raw key; keys are optional and must never be shared without the content owner’s permission.

M3U / M3U8

Declare each channel with #EXTINF and its URL on the next line. The app reads the tvg-logo and group-title attributes. tvg-id can remain in the playlist as metadata for other clients.

#EXTM3U
#EXTINF:-1 tvg-id="demo-channel" tvg-logo="https://example.invalid/logo.png" group-title="Demo",Demo Channel
https://example.invalid/live/playlist.m3u8

Use Kodi’s inputstream.adaptive convention before the URL to declare the manifest type or a ClearKey:

#EXTINF:-1 group-title="Demo",DASH channel with ClearKey
#KODIPROP:inputstream.adaptive.manifest_type=mpd
#KODIPROP:inputstream.adaptive.license_type=clearkey
#KODIPROP:inputstream.adaptive.license_key=00112233445566778899aabbccddeeff:ffeeddccbbaa99887766554433221100
https://example.invalid/channel/manifest.mpd

Supported manifest_type values:

Value Format
hls HLS, including SAMPLE-AES with an authorized key
mpd (or dash) DASH / MPD with an authorized ClearKey/raw key
ism Smooth Streaming (.ism/.isml) with an authorized ClearKey/raw key

Keys use KID:KEY, with both values encoded as 16-byte hexadecimal strings (32 hexadecimal characters each). When each track is encrypted with a different key, list several pairs separated by commas (KID1:KEY1,KID2:KEY2); the ClearKey JSON object is accepted too.

#EXTVLCOPT:http-user-agent= can set a user agent, and inputstream.adaptive.stream_headers can set HTTP headers, in the form Name=value&Other=value:

#KODIPROP:inputstream.adaptive.stream_headers=X-Token=abc123&Referer=https://example.invalid/

Other ways to set headers, all accepted:

#EXTGRP:Name on its own line works as group-title when the #EXTINF has none.

Other DRM forms

An #EXTINF with type="playlist" (a link to another playlist, as OTT Navigator uses it) is skipped: it is not a channel.

Movies and series (on demand)

A playlist can mix live channels with movies and episodes. On-demand entries show up under Emisiones → Bajo demanda (On demand), not in live TV. M3U has no field for this, so it is worked out from what each entry says, in this order:

  1. The declared type: tvg-type, type, media-type, or group-type set to movie, series, vod, episode… (or live to force live).
  2. The Xtream Codes path: /movie/… and /series/… are on demand; /live/… is live.
  3. The extension: .mp4, .mkv, .avi, .mov… are video files.
  4. The #EXTINF duration: channels use -1; a duration of two minutes or more is taken as a movie.

The group name does not count: there are live channels in groups called “Movies” or “Series”.

Episodes are grouped by series and season from their name: Show S01E02, Show.s1.e2, Show - T01E02, or Show 1x02.

#EXTINF:120 tvg-type="movie" tvg-logo="https://example.invalid/poster.jpg" group-title="Movies",Demo Movie
https://example.invalid/vod/demo-movie.mp4
#EXTINF:-1 tvg-type="series" group-title="Series",Demo Show S01E01
https://example.invalid/vod/demo-show/s01e01.mkv

JSON

The flat format is an array of channels. name and url are required; the rest are optional:

Field Purpose
key ClearKey key, in the same forms as the M3U license_key
group Channel group
logo Logo
tvg_id Channel identifier in the guide
user_agent User agent used to request the video
headers Other HTTP headers (a CDN token, Referer…): a JSON object or Name=value&Other=value text. A User-Agent in it wins over user_agent
type movie, episode, series… for on-demand content; live for live
serie_name, season, episode Which series, season, and episode it is
catchup_url, catchup_key, catchup_days… See Catch-up 
[
  {
    "name": "Demo Channel",
    "url": "https://example.invalid/live/playlist.m3u8",
    "key": "00112233445566778899aabbccddeeff:ffeeddccbbaa99887766554433221100",
    "tvg_id": "demo-channel",
    "group": "Demo",
    "logo": "https://example.invalid/demo-channel.png"
  }
]

key uses the same KID:KEY syntax as M3U. tvg_id is accepted as extra metadata for compatibility with existing playlists; the app safely ignores fields it does not need.

The grouped schema is also supported: each group declares name, an optional logo, and samples; each sample can declare name, uri, logo, kid, key, and user_agent.

See the complete files in samples.

OTT Navigator channel list (JSON)

The OTT Navigator “OTC” format is also read: an object with provider, categories, and channels.

{
  "provider": { "epg": "https://example.invalid/guide.xml.gz", "archive_type": "shift", "archive_days": 3 },
  "categories": { "news": { "name": "News", "name:es": "Noticias" } },
  "channels": [
    {
      "category": "news",
      "name": "Demo Channel",
      "url": "https://example.invalid/live/demo/manifest.mpd",
      "icon": "https://example.invalid/demo.png",
      "epg_id": "demo-channel",
      "user_agent": "Demo/1.0",
      "referrer": "https://example.invalid/",
      "drm_type": "clearkey",
      "drm_key": "00112233445566778899aabbccddeeff:ffeeddccbbaa99887766554433221100"
    }
  ]
}
Field Purpose
provider.epg Guide for the whole list (offered like x-tvg-url)
provider.archive_type, provider.archive_days Catch-up default for every channel
provider.base64 Fields encoded in BASE64 ("url,name", or * for every text)
categories Id → name; a channel’s category points here
name, url Required
icon Logo
epg_id (or epg_name) Channel in the guide
epg_shift Guide shift, like tvg-shift
user_agent, referrer, headers HTTP headers (headers as Name=value&… or an object)
drm_type clearkey or widevine (Widevine only on Android)
drm_key ClearKey keys, as in M3U
drm_url License server (ClearKey or Widevine)
archive_type, archive_source, archive_days Catch-up, like catchup, catchup-source, catchup-days
source-format hls, dash, or ss (Smooth) when the address does not say
type movie, series… for on-demand content

Per-language text ("name:es") works as in the catalogs. Fields that belong to OTT Navigator’s own player (codec, preferred tracks, number…) are ignored.

Movie and series catalogs (JSON)

For on-demand content with full details there is a third JSON schema: an array of titles (or a single title). It is the same format as OTT Navigator’s “Media library file”, so its playlists work as they are. Everything in it goes to Bajo demanda (On demand). A movie has video (or videos, a list of versions); a series has seasons.

[
  {
    "name": "Demo Movie",
    "category": "Movies",
    "trailer": "https://example.invalid/trailers/demo-movie.mpd",
    "video": "https://example.invalid/vod/demo-movie/manifest.mpd",
    "drm": "clearkey",
    "drmkey": "00112233445566778899aabbccddeeff:ffeeddccbbaa99887766554433221100",
    "headers": "X-Token=abc123",
    "info": {
      "poster": "https://example.invalid/posters/demo-movie.jpg",
      "bg": "https://example.invalid/backdrops/demo-movie.jpg",
      "plot": "Movie plot.",
      "rating": "7.4",
      "year": "2025",
      "genre": ["Drama", "Adventure"],
      "cast": ["Actress One", "Actor Two"],
      "director": ["Demo Director"],
      "country": ["Spain"],
      "duration": 6540
    }
  },
  {
    "name": "Demo Show",
    "category": "Series",
    "info": { "plot": "Plot of the whole series.", "year": "2026", "genre": "Comedy" },
    "seasons": [
      {
        "season": 1,
        "episodes": [
          {
            "episode": 1,
            "name": "The beginning",
            "video": "https://example.invalid/vod/demo-show/s01e01.m3u8",
            "info": { "plot": "Episode plot.", "duration": 47 }
          }
        ]
      }
    ]
  }
]
Field Purpose
name Title
category Group it appears in (Movies, Series…)
video Video address (HLS, DASH, Smooth, or a file)
videos The movie as a list of versions, each with its own video, drm, drmkey, headers, and info. The first one with a video is played
seasons Seasons: season (number) and episodes, each with episode, name, video, drm, drmkey, headers, and info. Without numbers, they are numbered by position (1, 2, 3…)
drm clearkey if encrypted; without it, it plays in the clear
drmkey Key as KID:KEY (or several, separated by commas)
headers HTTP headers, as Name=value&Other=value or as an object ({"User-Agent": "…"})
trailer Trailer: a video address, or a YouTube one (or just the video id), which opens in YouTube. Adds a “Tráiler” button to the detail page. Also accepted inside info
info The details (see below)

info fields, all optional:

Field Content
poster, bg (or backdrop) Poster and backdrop
plot Plot. In a series, the series plot; each episode can carry its own
rating, year Rating and year; numbers or text both work
genre, cast, director, country A list of names or comma-separated text
duration In minutes (47) or seconds (3420): above 400 it is taken as seconds

The parser is lenient: unused fields are ignored, an empty or zero value ("rating": "0", "plot": "") counts as unknown, and a title, season, or episode that cannot be read is skipped without breaking the rest. An episode inherits from the series whatever it lacks (year, genres, cast…), and without a name it is called “Episodio N”.

As in OTT Navigator, these are accepted too:

drm only accepts clearkey: Widevine and others needing a license server are not supported.

Complete example in samples/catalogo-vod.json.

Programme guide (EPG)

The app matches each channel against an XMLTV guide. Matching uses tvg-id first and falls back to the normalized channel name, so declare tvg-id with the same identifier the guide uses.

A playlist can declare its guide in the #EXTM3U header with x-tvg-url (url-tvg and tvg-url are also accepted). Separate several guides with commas. The app offers to add it; it never downloads one without permission, because guides are usually tens of megabytes.

#EXTM3U x-tvg-url="https://example.invalid/guide.xml.gz"

Plain and gzipped guides are both supported.

tvg-shift moves a channel’s guide, for “+1” channels that reuse the original’s guide: in hours from -12 to 12 (tvg-shift="1", "1.5"), in seconds outside that range. On the #EXTM3U header it applies to the whole playlist.

Catch-up

Catch-up plays a programme that already aired. The app needs two things: the guide, which says when each programme started and ended, and the archive declaration in the playlist, which says where to request it.

M3U

The attributes go on the #EXTINF line, and also work on the #EXTM3U header, where they act as a default for the whole playlist: a channel only declares what differs.

Attribute Purpose
catchup (or catchup-type) Mode: default, append, shift, flussonic or xc. Defaults to default
catchup-source The archive address (default) or the query fragment appended to the channel URL (append)
catchup-days Days the archive keeps. Assumed to be 8 when absent
catchup-correction Correction in hours, for archives not aligned with the guide
timeshift, tvg-rec, catchup-time Legacy ways of declaring the archive length

Modes:

catchup-source placeholders

They expand to the moment of the chosen programme. Times are computed in UTC.

Placeholder Value
{utc} · ${start} Programme start, in seconds since the epoch
{utcend} · ${end} Programme end
{lutc} · ${now} · ${timestamp} Current moment
{duration} · {duration:X} Duration in seconds, or divided by X
{offset} · {offset:X} Seconds elapsed since the start, or divided by X
{Y} {m} {d} {H} {M} {S} Parts of the start date, zero padded
{utc:Ymd-H-M} · ${end:YmdHM} Composed date: the letters YmdHMS are substituted and anything else passes through as a separator
{start_iso} · {end_iso} · {now_iso} ISO-8601 date in UTC: 2026-09-21T09:30:00Z

The last three are not standard: no player defines them, and the usual way is to compose the date by hand with {Y}-{m}-{d}T{H}:{M}:{S}Z, which is also accepted. They exist because some archives want the time in that shape, and writing it by hand is a typo waiting to happen.

Anything unrecognized is left untouched, so an address that contains braces for other reasons is not mangled.

If catchup-source carries no time placeholder at all, start_time and end_time are appended in ISO form. That is what archives which only publish their base address need: without the window they do not know what to serve.

The archive’s own key

Archives are usually encrypted with a different key from the live channel. Declare it with its own #KODIPROP or with an attribute, whichever is handier:

#KODIPROP:inputstream.adaptive.catchup_license_key=KID:KEY
#KODIPROP:inputstream.adaptive.catchup_manifest_type=ism

or, on the #EXTINF line, catchup-key="KID:KEY" and catchup-manifest-type="ism". It accepts the same forms as inputstream.adaptive.license_key: kid:key, several comma-separated pairs, and the JSON object.

Without its own key, the live one is used. A malformed catch-up key leaves the channel without an archive, but not without its live stream.

catchup-manifest-type is only needed when the archive uses a different protocol from the live stream; otherwise it is inferred from the address.

Complete example

#EXTM3U x-tvg-url="https://example.invalid/guide.xml.gz"

#EXTINF:-1 tvg-id="demo-channel" group-title="Demo" catchup="default" catchup-days="8" catchup-source="https://example.invalid/archive/demo-channel/Manifest?device_profile=mss&start_time={start_iso}&end_time={end_iso}",Demo Channel
#KODIPROP:inputstream.adaptive.manifest_type=ism
#KODIPROP:inputstream.adaptive.license_type=clearkey
#KODIPROP:inputstream.adaptive.license_key=00112233445566778899aabbccddeeff:ffeeddccbbaa99887766554433221100
#KODIPROP:inputstream.adaptive.catchup_license_key=aabbccddeeff00112233445566778899:99887766554433221100ffeeddccbbaa
https://example.invalid/live/demo-channel/Manifest

In append mode the same thing reads:

#EXTINF:-1 catchup="append" catchup-days="7" catchup-source="?utc={utc}&utcend={utcend}",Demo Channel
https://example.invalid/live/demo-channel/manifest.mpd

JSON

In the flat schema the catch-up fields are optional:

[
  {
    "name": "Demo Channel",
    "url": "https://example.invalid/live/demo-channel/Manifest",
    "key": "00112233445566778899aabbccddeeff:ffeeddccbbaa99887766554433221100",
    "tvg_id": "demo-channel",
    "group": "Demo",
    "catchup_url": "https://example.invalid/archive/demo-channel/Manifest?device_profile=mss",
    "catchup_key": "aabbccddeeff00112233445566778899:99887766554433221100ffeeddccbbaa",
    "catchup_days": 8
  }
]
Field Equivalent to
catchup_url catchup-source in default mode
catchup_key catchup_license_key
catchup_days catchup-days
catchup_type catchup
catchup_source catchup-source, if you prefer the M3U name

In the example catchup_url carries no placeholders, so the app appends start_time and end_time in ISO form. A channel without catchup_url (or with an empty one) simply offers no archive.

How far back you can watch

The server’s archive and the guide are different things, and both have a say: you can only watch a programme the archive keeps and the guide lists.

Most XMLTV guides look forward and carry little or no past. The app keeps the already-aired programmes from each refresh, so the past fills in day by day up to whatever catchup-days declares. Freshly installed you will only see what your guide brings; the rest arrives with the days.

Public demonstrations

The M3U sample includes public Unified Streaming streams and an Axinom ClearKey test vector. They are provided to test app compatibility, not as a guarantee of availability or a source of content. Only add keys and URLs that you may legally use and redistribute.