ONE LINK. YOUR WHOLE LINEUP.
Your M3U playlist. From iPhone to CarPlay.
To add an M3U playlist URL on iPhone, choose Add → M3U Playlist in Dashow. For a saved .m3u file, choose Add → Files and select the playlist. Open the imported lineup and play a channel, then choose your compatible car display while parked.
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A playlist address, a channel stream, and a normal webpage are different inputs.
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Local M3U imports can reference remote HTTP(S) channels; they do not copy the broadcasts offline.
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Test the imported channel list and one actual stream as two separate checks.
How it works
Your quick start
- 01
Identify what you have
Use the channel-list URL or M3U file from your source, not its login or preview webpage.
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Choose URL or file
For a URL, choose Add → M3U Playlist. For a saved .m3u file, choose Add → Files.
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Open the imported lineup
Browse the resulting channels and any groups supplied by the playlist.
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Play a channel
Check it on iPhone, then choose a compatible car display while parked.
Find the playlist rather than the website around it.
A provider can give you several kinds of address: a sign-in page, a programme guide, a direct stream, or a playlist of channels. For M3U Playlist, use the list that contains the actual channel entries. A web page with a play button is not automatically that list.
If your source supplies a downloadable M3U file, keep that file available in Files on iPhone. If it supplies a remote playlist address, use the complete address it provides. Do not paste private playlist credentials into public support screenshots when checking a connection.
Import the list, then test one channel.
For a remote list, open Add → M3U Playlist and enter the complete playlist URL. For a saved .m3u file, open Add → Files and select it in the file picker. After importing, open Live TV and inspect the channel names. Use any groups supplied by the source to find the part of the lineup you want.
Choose a known channel and check the actual picture and sound. A successful import means Dashow read the list; it does not guarantee every stream in that list is online. Testing one channel gives you a clear starting point for the rest of the setup.
Choose how to open an M3U8 link.
When you enter a URL ending in .m3u8, Dashow shows an Open As selector. Choose M3U Playlist for a lineup of channels, or Video link when the address describes one HLS stream. The same extension can serve different jobs, so choose according to what your source supplied.
If a playlist reports that it is not UTF-8 text, export the actual list as UTF-8 and try again. Renaming the extension does not change the encoding. Check that the response is a playlist rather than a provider sign-in page; the M3U vs M3U8 guide explains the formats in more detail.
A local playlist can still point to remote television.
Dashow’s local M3U import supports channel entries using HTTP or HTTPS addresses. The playlist file can live on your phone while the programmes continue coming from the internet. Local relative movie paths inside an M3U are not imported as a folder of offline videos.
For HLS, use the online stream URL rather than importing a local manifest whose separate media segments have not been managed as a complete video. For offline watching, import an actual movie file or use a supported server download instead.
Take a working channel from iPhone to the car.
Once the stream plays on iPhone, connect to your car while parked and choose the compatible video display in Dashow. Confirm the actual channel picture there. Keep the source reachable; a car connection is the video destination, not a replacement for the channel’s network access.
If a channel fails, compare another entry from the same list. If the list will not import, recheck that it is a playlist rather than an HTML page. If everything works on the phone but not the car screen, return to display support and test a known local video.
The right control for your playlist
| What you have | Choose in Dashow | Successful result |
|---|---|---|
| A remote channel-list URL | Add → M3U Playlist | Channels appear in Live TV |
| A saved .m3u playlist file | Add → Files | The selected file imports its supported channel entries |
| An .m3u8 URL describing one HLS stream | Add → Video link; choose Video link under Open As | The stream opens as one video |
