How to find an M3U8 URL in Chrome or Edge developer tools
Open the page you are authorized to inspect, start playback, open Developer Tools, select Network, and filter for m3u8. The first result is often a master playlist, while later results may be quality-specific media playlists.
Copy the request URL rather than the player page URL. Signed query parameters may be required, so copy the complete address and remember that it can expire.
How to distinguish a master M3U8 playlist from a media playlist
A master playlist contains EXT-X-STREAM-INF entries that point to variants with different bandwidths or resolutions. A media playlist contains EXTINF entries and segment URLs.
Use the manifest analyzer to resolve the highest-quality child playlist and view its declared codecs, duration, and segment container before converting anything.
How to handle cookies and headers for an authorized HLS source
A copied URL may depend on session cookies, Referer, Authorization, or other headers. This public browser tool deliberately omits credentials and cannot reproduce a private session.
For systems you operate, use the FFmpeg command generator to create a local command with an approved Referer header, or provide a properly scoped download endpoint that enforces your access policy.