▶ Interactive Lab

HLS Segment Timeline

See how HLS playlist segments are generated and consumed.

Advertisement
Encoder produces segments. Playlist grows. Player fetches behind live edge.

What you're seeing

HLS: media stream split into N-second segments (typically 4-6s). Playlist (.m3u8) lists segments. Player downloads from start (or live edge for live streams). Latency ≈ 2-3 × segment duration.

LL-HLS: partial segments + delivery directives → 2-3 second latency vs traditional 30s.

★ KEY TAKEAWAY
HLS: encoder produces N-second segments; player downloads behind the live edge. Latency ~ 2-3× segment duration.
▶ WHAT TO TRY
  • Click Start stream — watch segments fill in.
  • Adjust Segment dur — shorter = lower latency but more overhead.