HLN channel error TVE: Stream Not Available

Channels DVR Server TV Everywhere
#1

Is HLN no longer working? (CNN and CNNI do work) When I do a channel scan, I see this in the log:

2025/11/19 11:49:19.157737 [TVE] Channel scan 12/151 HLN successful

However if I try watching HLN, the log shows:

2025/11/19 11:53:41.673895 [ERR] Failed to start stream for ch6031: TVE: Stream Not Available
2025/11/19 11:53:41.678350 [HLS] Couldn't generate stream playlist for ch6031-dANY-ip127.0.0.1: TVE: Stream Not Available
2025/11/19 11:53:41.678350 [HLS] Stopping transcoder session ch6031-dANY-ip127.0.0.1 (out=0s finished=false first_seq=0 last_seq=-1)
2025/11/19 11:53:42.818071 [ERR] Failed to start stream for ch6031: TVE: Stream Not Available
2025/11/19 11:53:42.818071 [HLS] Couldn't generate stream playlist for ch6031-dANY-ip127.0.0.1: TVE: Stream Not Available
2025/11/19 11:53:42.818071 [HLS] Stopping transcoder session ch6031-dANY-ip127.0.0.1 (out=0s finished=false first_seq=0 last_seq=-1)
2025/11/19 11:53:43.686768 [ERR] Failed to start stream for ch6031: TVE: Stream Not Available
2025/11/19 11:53:43.688328 [HLS] Couldn't generate stream playlist for ch6031-dANY-ip127.0.0.1: TVE: Stream Not Available
2025/11/19 11:53:43.688328 [HLS] Stopping transcoder session ch6031-dANY-ip127.0.0.1 (out=0s finished=false first_seq=0 last_seq=-1)
2025/11/19 11:53:44.923297 [ERR] Failed to start stream for ch6031: TVE: Stream Not Available
2025/11/19 11:53:44.923297 [HLS] Couldn't generate stream playlist for ch6031-dANY-ip127.0.0.1: TVE: Stream Not Available
2025/11/19 11:53:44.923297 [HLS] Stopping transcoder session ch6031-dANY-ip127.0.0.1 (out=0s finished=false first_seq=0 last_seq=-1)
2025/11/19 11:53:45.597044 [ERR] Failed to start stream for ch6031: TVE: Stream Not Available
2025/11/19 11:53:45.598998 [HLS] Couldn't generate stream playlist for ch6031-dANY-ip127.0.0.1: TVE: Stream Not Available
2025/11/19 11:53:45.598998 [HLS] Stopping transcoder session ch6031-dANY-ip127.0.0.1 (out=0s finished=false first_seq=0 last_seq=-1)
2025/11/19 11:53:46.760537 [ERR] Failed to start stream for ch6031: TVE: Stream Not Available
2025/11/19 11:53:46.760537 [HLS] Couldn't generate stream playlist for ch6031-dANY-ip127.0.0.1: TVE: Stream Not Available
2025/11/19 11:53:46.760537 [HLS] Stopping transcoder session ch6031-dANY-ip127.0.0.1 (out=0s finished=false first_seq=0 last_seq=-1)
2025/11/19 11:53:47.696388 [ERR] Failed to start stream for ch6031: TVE: Stream Not Available
2025/11/19 11:53:47.698461 [HLS] Couldn't generate stream playlist for ch6031-dANY-ip127.0.0.1: TVE: Stream Not Available
2025/11/19 11:53:47.698461 [HLS] Stopping transcoder session ch6031-dANY-ip127.0.0.1 (out=0s finished=false first_seq=0 last_seq=-1)
2025/11/19 11:53:48.885462 [ERR] Failed to start stream for ch6031: TVE: Stream Not Available
2025/11/19 11:53:48.885462 [HLS] Couldn't generate stream playlist for ch6031-dANY-ip127.0.0.1: TVE: Stream Not Available
2025/11/19 11:53:48.885979 [HLS] Stopping transcoder session ch6031-dANY-ip127.0.0.1 (out=0s finished=false first_seq=0 last_seq=-1)
#2

Seeing the same running the latest pre-release v2025.11.19.1617.
Doesn't matter which provider you use (I'm trying with YTTV) since the stream comes from the network website (not your providers).

I'm able to watch the channel at their website https://www.cnn.com/videos/hln

#3

Wanted to add that I'm also able to watch directly from the website (after logging in with TV Provider credentials)

1 Like
#4

Most likely the stream URL changed and the Channels developers will have to fix it.

#5

Still not working here either.

#6

Still not working here on latest v2025.11.19.1617
2025/11/20 15:01:45.542661 [ERR] Failed to start stream for ch6031: TVE: Stream Not Available

I would think it's easy for anyone to reproduce the error.

Still failing on v2025.11.23.0518

#7

I am noticing the same issue. Running the prerelease 2025.11.26.2338. Hopefully can be fixed in upcoming releases. Thanks

#8

I am noticing this myself as well

#9

Still broken on v2025.12.11.0247

Everyone should submit diagnostic logs
Logs have been submitted as 973ef234-0be3-4542-a3f7-8b95338b7d3b

#10

Apparently, we are all getting the same error. I generally don't watch HLN. But I still don't like seeing TVE channels going away. Maybe it can be fixed, but after this much time, it seems unlikely.

#11

I never watch or record that channel, was just posting a me too, showing the OP wasn't the only one that couldn't tune the channel.

If it was a channel I watched/recorded, I would keep posting diagnostics every time a new pre-release version came out, until the channel was either fixed, removed, or the devs replied.

#12

While the channel itself has basically been abandoned by the CNN media executives, it plays a lot of Forensic Files repeats, and being a fan of this show I do tend to watch this channel myself periodically.

I don't think this would be a big lift for the Channels developers to fix it, the URL of the stream as dumped in the logfiles is still alive and active and the playlist still plays in VLC for the short time the token is valid for. The Channels team did the heavy lifting to keep fetching a new token and so I assume the thing that changed in the M3U8 stream distributed is probably something minor and can hopefully issue a fix in an upcoming release.

#13

Your stream may be more recent than mine, but the URL I have simply loops the last 10 minutes that the old HLN stream was live for. It isn't truly live anymore.

Unfortunately, it seems like CNN has overhauled its TVE website since the launch of the CNN All Access service. They are DRMed and go up to 1080p/60fps with ads, which are completely different from the streams that Channels DVR are still pulling. While the old CNN and CNN International streams are still live, I'd expect them to be pulled sometime in the near future.

#14

@alai Indeed, I hadn't noticed when I checked the first time the URL is showing an old playback from the channel and ends there. But I am seeing the same thing as you now when checking the HLS playlist manually.

Thanks for clearing up the confusion - it does indeed seem unlikely that channel will get restored, and perhaps the other CNN channels will go away soon too - we'll see.