Vlc-record-2021-05-24-16h17m26s-index-dvr.m3u8-... -

Instead of downloading the actual video chunks, VLC often just records the text-based index file or creates a raw dump of the incoming stream.

Go to the top menu and click > Convert / Save (or press Ctrl + R on Windows / Cmd + R on Mac). Click the Network tab at the top.

This specific file name format— vlc-record-2021-05-24-16h17m26s-index-dvr.m3u8- —is the classic digital footprint of a user trying to save a live network stream using the VLC media player. vlc-record-2021-05-24-16h17m26s-index-dvr.m3u8-...

: The exact date the recording was initiated (May 24, 2021).

Paste your .m3u8 live stream URL into the box and click the button at the bottom. Instead of downloading the actual video chunks, VLC

: This is the default prefix VLC gives to any file created using its manual recording feature.

Do you have any stubborn that refuse to play? Drop a comment below and let's try to troubleshoot them! : This is the default prefix VLC gives

To understand why this happens, we can look at the anatomy of the file name itself: