MPEG-DASH (Dynamic Adaptive Streaming over HTTP) is an adaptive streaming standard similar in concept to HLS, developed by the MPEG standards organization rather than a single company.
How it works
Like HLS, MPEG-DASH splits video into small segments available at multiple quality levels, described in a manifest file (called an MPD, rather than M3U8) that the player reads to decide which segments to request.
Key difference from HLS
MPEG-DASH is codec-agnostic — it doesn't mandate a specific video compression format the way HLS traditionally favored H.264/H.265. This flexibility made it attractive to browser-based and cross-platform streaming services.
For a direct feature comparison, see HLS vs MPEG-DASH.
Where you'll encounter it
Many browser-based streaming platforms use MPEG-DASH, sometimes alongside HLS depending on the requesting device. As an IPTV viewer, this happens transparently — your player app handles protocol selection automatically.