Video Streaming HLS Protocol

HLS (HTTP Live Streaming) is Apple's protocol for streaming video over standard HTTP connections. It segments video into small chunks (typically 4–10 seconds) and serves them as a series of HTTP requests. A playlist file (M3U8) instructs the player which segments to fetch in which order, allowing dynamic bitrate switching and resumable playback. HLS is ubiquitous: YouTube, Netflix, Apple TV, Twitch, and almost every streaming service use HLS. It works over standard HTTP infrastructure (CDNs, proxies, firewalls), making it the de facto standard for internet video delivery.