Compare: Native HLS Playback vs HLS Player - m3u8 Streaming Player

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Metric	Native HLS Playback	HLS Player - m3u8 Streaming Player
User count	200,000	100,000
Average rating	4.35	4.46
Rating count	245	50
Last updated	2025-08-16	2025-07-01
Size	1.21 MB	0.30 MB
Version	1.6.10	3.1.1

Short description	Play HLS (m3u8) streams natively in Chrome via hls.js. Click the icon to play embedded videos, enable debug, subtitles, and switch player versions.	Stream m3u8 HTTP Live Streaming videos smoothly with HLS Player, a powerful Chrome extension using HTML5 and MediaSource Extensions.
Full summary	Native HLS Playback is a lightweight Chrome extension that wraps the hls.js library to let your browser play HLS (m3u8) streams natively. Click the extension icon to play any m3u8 URL embedded as an HTML video element on the current page, or use the quick command: type "m3u8" then Tab then your URL to open a stream directly in the extension. Features include toggling the URL catcher, enabling hls.js debug mode, switching between hls.js 0.14.x and 1.6.x (default is 1.6.10), subtitle support, zoom vs native video sizing, and timed metadata output to the console — ideal for developers, stream testers, and power users who need reliable HLS playback and debugging tools.	HLS Player is a Chrome extension designed to enable seamless playback of .m3u8 HTTP Live Streaming (HLS) content directly within your browser. Utilizing HTML5 video elements combined with MediaSource Extensions, it converts MPEG-2 Transport Streams and AAC/MP3 audio into MP4 fragments for smooth streaming. This extension harnesses asynchronous processing with Web Workers when available, ensuring efficient transmuxing and playback performance. It fully supports both classic HLS and fmp4 formats, providing a versatile streaming experience for users seeking reliable media playback without additional software. Whether you need a straightforward m3u8 player or a robust streaming tool, HLS Player offers an efficient, user-friendly solution for Chrome users.