Streaming Analyzer: score an HLS or DASH stream against best practice

Paste an HLS or DASH URL and the iReplay.tv Streaming Analyzer reads the manifest and the media behind it, then scores the delivery configuration against industry best practice and explains each verdict. It is free, and the scores appear immediately; the detailed findings open after signing in.

What it checks

• The encoding ladder, with bits per pixel computed for every variant and codec, so an over-provisioned or starved rung is visible as a number rather than a hunch.
• Codec profiles and levels across the ladder, where a mismatch breaks playback at a discontinuity rather than at startup.
• GOP structure, encoding mode (CBR or VBR) and frame rates, read with ffprobe from the actual media.
• Target duration and segment length against what the playlist declares.
• DRM signalling, failover and content steering.
• Accessibility signalling: captions, audio description and language tags.
• Apple mediastreamvalidator, run on our own Mac Mini farm and reported alongside the rest.
• Audio-only and radio streams, which most stream checkers refuse outright.

This tool works at the manifest and configuration level. To go a layer deeper and see where the bits actually went, the Video Quality Analyzer decodes a real segment frame by frame. iReplay.tv is run by a collective of streaming and broadcast engineers; you can also hire streaming and broadcast specialists.