How to choose an M3U player: a 12-point checklist

1. Large playlist speed — opens 100k+ entries without freezing.
2. EPG quality — timeline grid, XMLTV .gz support, auto-matching.
3. Catch-up TV — Xtream archives and M3U catchup tags.
4. Codec support — HEVC/H.265, HDR, AC3/E-AC3 passthrough.
5. Multi-screen — picture-in-picture and 2×2 view.
6. Casting — Chromecast and AirPlay.
7. Subtitles — online search plus audio/subtitle delay adjustment.
8. Custom headers — User-Agent and Referer per playlist.
9. Failover — switches to backup streams automatically.
10. Privacy — credentials in the device keychain, encrypted sync.
11. TV friendliness — D-pad navigation and phone pairing.
12. Family controls — profiles and a PIN-protected kids mode.

StreamPulse was designed against this list — try the free Creative Commons demo to see it in action.