diff --git a/packages/web/src/routes/api/stream-recording.ts b/packages/web/src/routes/api/stream-recording.ts
index f0f81c6b..290c42c0 100644
--- a/packages/web/src/routes/api/stream-recording.ts
+++ b/packages/web/src/routes/api/stream-recording.ts
@@ -177,6 +177,43 @@ const endRecording = async ({ request }: { request: Request }) => {
   }
 }
 
+// GET /api/stream-recording/chunk - Get a specific chunk file
+const getChunk = async ({ request }: { request: Request }) => {
+  try {
+    const url = new URL(request.url)
+    const streamId = url.searchParams.get("streamId")
+    const index = url.searchParams.get("index")
+
+    if (!streamId || index === null) {
+      return new Response(
+        JSON.stringify({ error: "Missing streamId or index" }),
+        { status: 400, headers: { "content-type": "application/json" } }
+      )
+    }
+
+    const chunkPath = `${STORAGE_PATH}/${streamId}/chunk-${String(index).padStart(6, "0")}.bin`
+
+    try {
+      const chunkData = await fs.readFile(chunkPath)
+      return new Response(chunkData, {
+        status: 200,
+        headers: { "content-type": "application/octet-stream" }
+      })
+    } catch (err) {
+      return new Response(
+        JSON.stringify({ error: "Chunk not found" }),
+        { status: 404, headers: { "content-type": "application/json" } }
+      )
+    }
+  } catch (error) {
+    console.error("[stream-recording] Get chunk error:", error)
+    return new Response(
+      JSON.stringify({ error: "Internal server error" }),
+      { status: 500, headers: { "content-type": "application/json" } }
+    )
+  }
+}
+
 // GET /api/stream-recording/list - List all recordings
 const listRecordings = async ({ request }: { request: Request }) => {
   try {
@@ -212,7 +249,15 @@ const listRecordings = async ({ request }: { request: Request }) => {
 export const Route = createFileRoute("/api/stream-recording")({
   server: {
     handlers: {
-      GET: listRecordings,
+      GET: (ctx) => {
+        const url = new URL(ctx.request.url)
+        // If streamId and index are provided, return chunk data
+        if (url.searchParams.has("streamId") && url.searchParams.has("index")) {
+          return getChunk(ctx)
+        }
+        // Otherwise list recordings
+        return listRecordings(ctx)
+      },
       POST: (ctx) => {
         const url = new URL(ctx.request.url)
         const action = url.searchParams.get("action")
diff --git a/packages/web/src/routes/api/streams.$username.check-hls.ts b/packages/web/src/routes/api/streams.$username.check-hls.ts
index ef69d869..cd33d195 100644
--- a/packages/web/src/routes/api/streams.$username.check-hls.ts
+++ b/packages/web/src/routes/api/streams.$username.check-hls.ts
@@ -47,12 +47,68 @@ const resolveEnvCloudflareHlsUrl = (): string | null => {
 
 function isHlsPlaylistLive(manifest: string): boolean {
   const upper = manifest.toUpperCase()
+
+  // Basic validation
+  const isValidManifest = upper.includes("#EXTM3U")
+  if (!isValidManifest) return false
+
+  // Master playlists are always "live" in the sense they redirect to variants
+  const isMasterPlaylist = upper.includes("#EXT-X-STREAM-INF")
+  if (isMasterPlaylist) return true
+
+  // Check for obvious VOD markers
   const hasEndlist = upper.includes("#EXT-X-ENDLIST")
   const isVod = upper.includes("#EXT-X-PLAYLIST-TYPE:VOD")
+  if (hasEndlist || isVod) return false
+
+  // Must have segments
   const hasSegments = upper.includes("#EXTINF") || upper.includes("#EXT-X-PART")
-  const isValidManifest = upper.includes("#EXTM3U")
-  const isMasterPlaylist = upper.includes("#EXT-X-STREAM-INF")
-  return isValidManifest && (isMasterPlaylist || (!hasEndlist && !isVod && hasSegments))
+  if (!hasSegments) return false
+
+  // CRITICAL: Check for segment freshness
+  // Extract #EXT-X-PROGRAM-DATE-TIME tags which indicate segment timestamps
+  const programDateTimeMatches = manifest.match(/#EXT-X-PROGRAM-DATE-TIME:([^\n]+)/gi)
+
+  if (programDateTimeMatches && programDateTimeMatches.length > 0) {
+    // Get the most recent timestamp
+    const lastTimestamp = programDateTimeMatches[programDateTimeMatches.length - 1]
+      .replace(/#EXT-X-PROGRAM-DATE-TIME:/i, '')
+      .trim()
+
+    try {
+      const segmentDate = new Date(lastTimestamp)
+      const now = new Date()
+      const ageSeconds = (now.getTime() - segmentDate.getTime()) / 1000
+
+      // Only consider live if last segment is less than 60 seconds old
+      // This prevents showing old recordings as "live"
+      if (ageSeconds > 60) {
+        console.log(`[check-hls] Segment too old: ${ageSeconds}s ago - NOT LIVE`)
+        return false
+      }
+
+      console.log(`[check-hls] Fresh segment: ${ageSeconds}s ago - LIVE`)
+      return true
+    } catch (err) {
+      console.error(`[check-hls] Failed to parse timestamp: ${lastTimestamp}`, err)
+    }
+  }
+
+  // If no program-date-time tags, check for media sequence
+  // A live stream should have a non-zero media sequence
+  const mediaSequenceMatch = manifest.match(/#EXT-X-MEDIA-SEQUENCE:(\d+)/i)
+  if (mediaSequenceMatch) {
+    const sequence = parseInt(mediaSequenceMatch[1], 10)
+    // If media sequence is incrementing, it's likely live
+    // But without timestamps, we can't be sure it's not an old recording
+    console.log(`[check-hls] Media sequence: ${sequence}, no timestamps - assuming NOT LIVE (safety)`)
+    return false
+  }
+
+  // If we get here, manifest looks like a live stream but has no timestamps
+  // Be conservative and return false to avoid showing old streams
+  console.log(`[check-hls] No timestamp markers - assuming NOT LIVE (safety)`)
+  return false
 }
 
 export const Route = createFileRoute("/api/streams/$username/check-hls")({
diff --git a/packages/web/src/routes/streams.tsx b/packages/web/src/routes/streams.tsx
index 30c8fa53..9e1efbd3 100644
--- a/packages/web/src/routes/streams.tsx
+++ b/packages/web/src/routes/streams.tsx
@@ -103,9 +103,8 @@ function StreamsPage() {
           // Fetch and push chunks
           for (const chunk of rec.chunks) {
             try {
-              const chunkPath = `/Users/nikiv/fork-i/garden-co/jazz/glide-storage/stream-recordings/${rec.streamId}/chunk-${String(chunk.index).padStart(6, "0")}.bin`
               const chunkData = await fetch(
-                `/api/stream-recording/chunk?path=${encodeURIComponent(chunkPath)}`
+                `/api/stream-recording/chunk?streamId=${encodeURIComponent(rec.streamId)}&index=${chunk.index}`
               ).then((r) => r.arrayBuffer())
 
               fileStream.push(new Uint8Array(chunkData))