Nothing plays at all - Couldn't generate master playlist

Channels DVR Server Troubleshooting
#1

I am at a loss as to what to do. I have used Channels for years now and have used the same m3u provider also for years.

Yesterday I suddenly started getting an error where nothing would play on any Channels device. My source is from a m3u. Url filtered for sensitive information, but format is identical.

my log shows the following:

2026/02/18 19:17:52.731189 [ERR] Failed to start stream for ch229: M3U: GET: http://myprovider.com:80/username/password/485354: 461

2026/02/18 19:17:53.134891 [HLS] Couldn't generate master playlist for ch229-dANY-ip192.168.0.55: M3U: GET: http://myprovider.com:80/username/password/485354: 461

I have uninstalled and reinstalled Channels, restoring from backup. I completely redid my m3u.

I can take the url it says it can not play and I can play it fine in VLC. I can also use my m3u in other apps and everything works fine. It is only ChannelsDVR that seems to have an issue and it just started.

I did think it is odd that it says HLS. It is a MPEG-TS stream, and if I switch it to HLS in settings the logs then say no, it is a MPEG-TS stream. So i am not sure why it says HLS at all.

This is on a Synology NAS.

Edited to add: I just found that I can load my m3u into another program which generates a new m3u from the original, and if i put that into Channels as my source. it works fine. It has an option to "use Direct stream urls". If i turn that on...it fails the same as before. If i turn that off (so its using its "proxied" version) it works fine

I have Submitted Logs: 297a6d1b-f9d5-45ef-b712-2764adb559e7

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#2

Did you install latest beta dvr and have Tailscale on. If Tailscale is on turn it off and see if it works? This is all just a guess.

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#3

I have the latest beta (upgraded from stable to test that also). Tailscale is off (thought that was a great suggestion).

Someone else suggested it could be a user agent being blocked by my provider and the other program i put i through i can set the user agent to VLC which could be why it works, but I do not know if that is a thing or if possible to even change that in Channels?

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#4

I believe to have found a reason for this. Some providers will occasionally start blocking user agents, especially generic ones.

I would like the devs to perhaps confirm, but I believe the user agent used in Channels is:

Go-http-client/1.1

If so, that is likely the reason for this block.

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#5

I know a few years back they were not clear on what a user agent was - i assume that has likely changed now - so hopefully they will consider adding in the option to change user the agent to something like vlc!

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#6

I'm having the same issue. All of my m3u's stopped working through Channels. They work fine on other apps.

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#7

So weird. It was all of a sudden too. It recorded Will Trent tuesday at 8p and when we sat down to watch stuff around 10 everything was dead.

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#8

I think i found the issue…maybe….

IMG_5134
IMG_51341179×2556 134 KB

In my main post i commented how i thought it was weird it was handling the streams as HLS.
So could it be taking our MPEG-TS streams and converting them to HLS which then throws the error?

This is the exact timeframe when things broke and the error does seem to make sense of it saying cant play format if its looking for ts and is getting hls….

#9

The error is an HTTP error code coming from the server. This isn’t an issue with the DVR. The server is returning an error when the DVR makes an HTTP request.

#10

Is there any clear reason why it works in every other player but Channels?

#11

Exact same issue, it just stopped working for me the other day.
Same config, same sources. Multiple different sources, so it isn't that just one blocked or stopped working.

#12

You’re having a GET error with HTTP status 461?

#13

I don’t know why your custom channel source would return an error. You would have to follow up with them.

#14

Looks like it might be blocking the channels user agent because it could appear like a restreamer or proxy.

Is there any way we could modify the usersgent it utilizes in its request…maybe to VLC

VLC/3.0.20 LibVLC/3.0.20

#15

We're now using a non-default User-Agent.

#16

That solved it! Thank you!!!!!!

#17

I have been having this exact problem for 3 or 4 days now. Same error using Custom Channels with two different M3U sources. It literally popped up out of the blue. It was working, and then a few hours later I get the "Couldn't get the master playlist... *.ts: 461. Absolutely nothing will record.

I'm not using Tailscale, and I try and route all of my traffic through a VPN. I've tried different VPN endpoints, and even bypassing the VPN. Nada.

#18

Welcome to the Channels Community Forum!

If you feel it's the same problem, did you try the solution described in the post a couple above yours?

#19
  1. update to the latest prerelease version.
  2. make sure no port 80 in your url

Https://myprovider.com:80/etcetc

Remove the :80.

If you filter your url/playlist elsewhere before channels make sure your original input url has that port removed or all your stream urls will still have the port.

#20

I'm assuming you mean for me to download the latest pre-release, correct? That could be a problem.

I use Tim Stephens docker container in Unraid, and unless he has the prelease in his repository, it's going to be hard to do.

Just for the sake of argument, where are the pre-Releases stored?

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