[Bug]: Cannot seek during live stream due to YouTube enforcing SABR

[lonix1]

Guidelines

• I have encountered this bug in the latest release of FreeTube.
• I have encountered this bug in the official downloads of FreeTube.
• I have searched the issue tracker for open and closed issues that are similar to the bug report I want to file, without success.
• I have searched the documentation for information that matches the description of the bug I want to file, without success.
• This issue contains only one bug.
• I have read and agree to follow the rules.

Describe the bug

In the latest version, if one opens a livestream then it starts playing at the current time... one cannot rewind to the beginning.
(The seek bar is not shown)

Expected Behavior

In the previous version, one could start watching at the beginning.

Issue Labels

visual bug, usability issue, feature stopped working

FreeTube Version

v0.24.0 Beta

Operating System Version

ubtuntu 24

Installation Method

.deb

Primary API used

Local API

Last Known Working FreeTube Version (If Any)

previous

Upload screenshots or videos

No response

Additional Information

No response

Nightly Build

• I have encountered this bug in the latest nightly build.

[absidue]

Please provide the link to the livestream that you are talking about and please check that it is seekable on youtube.com, some livestreams are set to not seekable by the uploader e.g. https://youtu.be/3MOrgUjiigE

[lonix1]

Too late... after the livestream ended, the video started to work properly, seeking included. Seems to be an issue only during a livestream.

Obviously anything I post will be irrelevant once my comment is actually seen. Unsure how to repro this.

I'll close this for now, and if I see the same behaviour for another livestream, I'll update with details.

[absidue]

Probably because YouTube is phasing out the DASH manifest URL on livestreams so FreeTube is falling back to the HLS manifest URL instead which doesn't support seeking.

[duht66]

Could you reopen this issue? I'm experiencing it on all live streams now.

[absidue]

Even if we reopen the issue it is unlikely to get resolved any time soon, as that would require implementing SABR for live streams and a lot of users are already having issues with SABR for VOD/non-live videos (so it would go for not being able to seek to not being able to watch live streams at all).

[duht66]

oh, I'm so sorry to hear that :( I follow streams from white-tailed eagle and black stork nests and without the ability to rewind the stream it's pretty much pointless.