Castmate

HLS and DASH stream inspector

Paste the text of an .m3u8 (HLS) or .mpd (DASH) playlist, or open the file. You'll see what's inside and whether a Chromecast is likely to play it. It runs in this page; nothing is sent anywhere. (Fetching a playlist by URL usually fails in a web page because of the site's CORS rules, so paste its contents instead: open the URL in a new tab and copy what it shows.)

How to read the result

• H.264 (avc1) with AAC (mp4a) plays on every Chromecast. HEVC (hvc1/hev1) needs a Chromecast with Google TV or Chromecast Ultra, VP9 a newer model, AV1 the newest ones.
• DRM (Widevine, PlayReady, FairPlay) means only the site's own app or Cast button can play it.
• Separate audio is normal for good players; a Cast receiver handles it, but saving it needs picture and sound joined.
• Live streams have no end; they can be cast but not saved.

Even a compatible stream can be refused if the site only serves it to its own pages. What to do when the TV connects but the video doesn't play.