benmoose39/YouTube_to_m3u — reverse-engineered prompt

Build me a small Python project that creates an IPTV playlist from YouTube live channels. I want to keep a simple text file of channel names and YouTube channel or live URLs, run the tool, and get a youtube.m3u file that I can paste into VLC, Kodi, TiviMate, or any player that supports M3U playlists.

It should grab the current playable live stream links, format them properly in the playlist, and refresh them because those links expire. Please include simple run scripts for Windows and Linux, plus clear instructions for running it locally and setting it up on a schedule every few hours.

Make it easy for someone to add more channels later by editing the text file. If a channel can’t be found or isn’t live, skip it cleanly and show a useful message instead of crashing. Keep it lightweight and practical, and look up current YouTube livestream extraction docs online if you need to.