The script wasn't just copying data; it was emulating a handshake. It spoofed the identity of the set-top box, tricking the server into believing the hardware was present. Then, instead of decoding the video feed for an HDMI port, it scraped the metadata.

There it was. Not a channel list of numbers, but names.

In the world of digital streaming, is a utility used to convert MAC-based IPTV portals into M3U playlists.

Elias sat back. He had bypassed the hardware. He had taken a physical lock and turned it into a ghost. The MAC address was dead; the playlist lived.