[thatguy7669]

A strm file, I haven't thought of that! But I tried it and still it doesn't work.

I can set my server as a video source, and the strm file will play without problems.
But with the IPTVSimple plugin there's still the same problem: I can't have a double playlist type setup. It seem the links in the main playlist needs to point directly to the media, not another playlist.

I'm seeing maybe two solutions here:
a) Tell the XBMC CPlayerSelectionRule "this is a playlist, reopen it". Not sure how to do that...
b) Add an option in IPTVSimple to read the content of .strm files instead of just passing the link. This is extra work for afedchin, which I wanted to avoid.

just chipping in my 2 cents...

hls/m3u8 links play fine using the iptv-plugin, provided the source of the stream is ok. i've been using several m3u8 links without problems for months now. the plugin (and xbmc for that matter) aren't interested in the m3u8 bit. they pay attention to the http/rtmp/rtsp part of the link, hence plugin:// links not working within the plugin or pvr section of xbmc. as long as xbmc gets the next chunk of the hls playlist from the streamer the stream should play just fine and a "reopening" of the playlist isn't needed. if xbmc doesn't get the next chunk, the stream dies and has to be selected again by the user.

as for reading the content of a .strm file...a .strm file doesn't contain anything more than the link you would normally just add to your iptv plugins playlist, thus making the plugin be able to read a .strm file kind of pointless. if the .strm file contained a plugin:// link (which is what i'm guessing the idea here is) it still wouldn't get played by xbmcs pvr unless that option was made possible by the pvr coders.