User expectations: control, portability, immediacy Consumers today expect their media to be portable and immediate. They want their favorite news channel, sports feed, or regional channel accessible in a few taps on a phone, a smart TV, or an HTPC. An M3U playlist promises exactly that: a way to break free from single-vendor ecosystems and to make viewing habits device-agnostic. This is particularly compelling where regional content or niche channels are otherwise hard to find across standard app stores.