diff --git a/app.py b/app.py
index 86ecfe3..91dd708 100644
--- a/app.py
+++ b/app.py
@@ -204,7 +204,60 @@ def update_tuner_urls(name, xml_url, m3u_url):
         conn.commit()
 
 def add_tuner(name, xml_url, m3u_url):
-    """Insert a new tuner into DB."""
+    """Insert a new tuner into DB with validation."""
+    # Check for duplicate name
+    tuners = get_tuners()
+    if name in tuners:
+        raise ValueError(f"Tuner '{name}' already exists")
+    
+    # Validate M3U URL
+    if not m3u_url or not m3u_url.strip():
+        raise ValueError("M3U URL is required")
+    if not m3u_url.startswith(('http://', 'https://')):
+        raise ValueError("M3U URL must start with http:// or https://")
+    
+    # Validate XML URL if provided
+    if xml_url and xml_url.strip():
+        if not xml_url.startswith(('http://', 'https://')):
+            raise ValueError("XML URL must start with http:// or https://")
+    
+    # Optional: Check URL reachability with SSRF protection
+    try:
+        # Parse the URL to validate the hostname
+        parsed_url = urlparse(m3u_url)
+        hostname = parsed_url.hostname
+        
+        if not hostname:
+            raise ValueError("M3U URL must have a valid hostname")
+        
+        # Block localhost to prevent SSRF attacks on local services
+        try:
+            # Resolve hostname to IP address
+            ip_addr = socket.gethostbyname(hostname)
+            ip_obj = ipaddress.ip_address(ip_addr)
+            
+            # Block localhost (127.0.0.0/8) to prevent SSRF
+            if ip_obj.is_loopback:
+                raise ValueError("M3U URL cannot point to localhost (127.0.0.0/8)")
+            # Block link-local addresses (169.254.0.0/16) which could be cloud metadata
+            if ip_obj.is_link_local:
+                raise ValueError("M3U URL cannot point to link-local addresses (169.254.0.0/16)")
+        except socket.gaierror:
+            # If hostname can't be resolved, it will fail in the requests call anyway
+            pass
+        
+        # Make the request with security restrictions
+        r = requests.head(m3u_url, timeout=5, allow_redirects=True)
+        r.raise_for_status()
+    except requests.RequestException as e:
+        raise ValueError(f"M3U URL unreachable: {str(e)}")
+    except ValueError:
+        # Re-raise ValueError from our validation
+        raise
+    except Exception as e:
+        raise ValueError(f"M3U URL validation failed: {str(e)}")
+    
+    # Insert into database
     with sqlite3.connect(TUNER_DB, timeout=10) as conn:
         c = conn.cursor()
         c.execute(
@@ -272,6 +325,38 @@ def parse_m3u(m3u_url):
     except:
         return channels
     
+    # Filter out empty lines and comments (except #EXTINF)
+    non_empty_lines = [line.strip() for line in lines if line.strip()]
+    
+    # Check if this is a single-channel playlist (no #EXTINF tags)
+    has_extinf = any(line.startswith('#EXTINF:') for line in non_empty_lines)
+    
+    if not has_extinf:
+        # Look for a single stream URL
+        stream_urls = [line for line in non_empty_lines 
+                      if line.startswith(('http://', 'https://')) 
+                      and not line.startswith('#')]
+        
+        if len(stream_urls) == 1:
+            url = stream_urls[0]
+            # Extract a channel name from the URL or use default
+            try:
+                parsed = urlparse(url)
+                name = parsed.path.split('/')[-1].replace('.m3u8', '').replace('_', ' ').title()
+                if not name:
+                    name = 'Live Stream'
+            except Exception:
+                name = 'Live Stream'
+            
+            channels.append({
+                'name': name,
+                'logo': '',
+                'url': url,
+                'tvg_id': 'stream_1'
+            })
+            return channels
+    
+    # Existing multi-channel parsing logic
     for i, line in enumerate(lines):
         if line.startswith('#EXTINF:'):
             info = line.strip()
@@ -749,12 +834,14 @@ def change_tuner():
 
             if not name:
                 flash("Tuner name cannot be empty.", "warning")
-            elif name in get_tuners():
-                flash(f"Tuner {name} already exists.", "warning")
             else:
-                add_tuner(name, xml_url, m3u_url)
-                log_event(current_user.username, f"Added tuner {name}")
-                flash(f"Tuner {name} added successfully.")
+                try:
+                    add_tuner(name, xml_url, m3u_url)
+                    log_event(current_user.username, f"Added tuner {name}")
+                    flash(f"Tuner {name} added successfully.")
+                except ValueError as e:
+                    flash(str(e), "warning")
+                    log_event(current_user.username, f"Failed to add tuner {name}: {str(e)}")
 
         elif action == "update_auto_refresh":
             # Expect form fields: auto_refresh_enabled ('0' or '1') and auto_refresh_interval_hours (2/4/6/12/24)
diff --git a/tests/test_tuner_validation.py b/tests/test_tuner_validation.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..527d12b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/test_tuner_validation.py
@@ -0,0 +1,257 @@
+# tests/test_tuner_validation.py
+# Tests for tuner validation and M3U parsing improvements
+
+import pytest
+import sys
+import os
+import sqlite3
+import tempfile
+from unittest.mock import Mock, patch, MagicMock
+
+# Add the parent directory to the path to import app
+sys.path.insert(0, os.path.dirname(os.path.dirname(os.path.abspath(__file__))))
+
+import app as app_module
+
+
+class TestAddTunerValidation:
+    """Test validation logic in add_tuner() function."""
+    
+    def setup_method(self):
+        """Set up test database before each test."""
+        self.temp_db = tempfile.NamedTemporaryFile(delete=False, suffix='.db')
+        self.temp_db.close()
+        app_module.TUNER_DB = self.temp_db.name
+        
+        # Initialize database
+        with sqlite3.connect(self.temp_db.name, timeout=10) as conn:
+            c = conn.cursor()
+            c.execute('''CREATE TABLE IF NOT EXISTS tuners
+                        (name TEXT PRIMARY KEY, xml TEXT, m3u TEXT)''')
+            c.execute('''CREATE TABLE IF NOT EXISTS settings
+                        (key TEXT PRIMARY KEY, value TEXT)''')
+            conn.commit()
+    
+    def teardown_method(self):
+        """Clean up test database after each test."""
+        try:
+            os.unlink(self.temp_db.name)
+        except OSError:
+            pass
+    
+    def test_duplicate_name_prevention(self):
+        """Test that duplicate tuner names are rejected."""
+        # Add a tuner first
+        with patch('app.requests.head') as mock_head:
+            mock_response = Mock()
+            mock_response.raise_for_status = Mock()
+            mock_head.return_value = mock_response
+            
+            app_module.add_tuner("TestTuner", "http://example.com/epg.xml", "http://example.com/playlist.m3u")
+        
+        # Try to add duplicate
+        with pytest.raises(ValueError, match="Tuner 'TestTuner' already exists"):
+            with patch('app.requests.head') as mock_head:
+                mock_response = Mock()
+                mock_response.raise_for_status = Mock()
+                mock_head.return_value = mock_response
+                
+                app_module.add_tuner("TestTuner", "http://example.com/epg2.xml", "http://example.com/playlist2.m3u")
+    
+    def test_m3u_url_required(self):
+        """Test that M3U URL is required."""
+        with pytest.raises(ValueError, match="M3U URL is required"):
+            app_module.add_tuner("TestTuner", "http://example.com/epg.xml", "")
+        
+        with pytest.raises(ValueError, match="M3U URL is required"):
+            app_module.add_tuner("TestTuner", "http://example.com/epg.xml", "   ")
+    
+    def test_m3u_url_must_be_http_or_https(self):
+        """Test that M3U URL must start with http:// or https://."""
+        with pytest.raises(ValueError, match="M3U URL must start with http:// or https://"):
+            app_module.add_tuner("TestTuner", "http://example.com/epg.xml", "ftp://example.com/playlist.m3u")
+        
+        with pytest.raises(ValueError, match="M3U URL must start with http:// or https://"):
+            app_module.add_tuner("TestTuner", "http://example.com/epg.xml", "/local/playlist.m3u")
+    
+    def test_xml_url_must_be_http_or_https_if_provided(self):
+        """Test that XML URL must start with http:// or https:// if provided."""
+        with pytest.raises(ValueError, match="XML URL must start with http:// or https://"):
+            with patch('app.requests.head') as mock_head:
+                mock_response = Mock()
+                mock_response.raise_for_status = Mock()
+                mock_head.return_value = mock_response
+                
+                app_module.add_tuner("TestTuner", "ftp://example.com/epg.xml", "http://example.com/playlist.m3u")
+    
+    def test_xml_url_can_be_empty(self):
+        """Test that XML URL can be empty or whitespace."""
+        with patch('app.requests.head') as mock_head:
+            mock_response = Mock()
+            mock_response.raise_for_status = Mock()
+            mock_head.return_value = mock_response
+            
+            # Should not raise an error
+            app_module.add_tuner("TestTuner1", "", "http://example.com/playlist.m3u")
+            app_module.add_tuner("TestTuner2", "   ", "http://example.com/playlist2.m3u")
+    
+    def test_url_reachability_check(self):
+        """Test that unreachable URLs are rejected."""
+        import requests
+        with patch('app.requests.head') as mock_head:
+            mock_head.side_effect = requests.RequestException("Connection refused")
+            
+            with pytest.raises(ValueError, match="M3U URL unreachable"):
+                app_module.add_tuner("TestTuner", "http://example.com/epg.xml", "http://unreachable.example.com/playlist.m3u")
+    
+    def test_localhost_blocked(self):
+        """Test that localhost URLs are blocked to prevent SSRF."""
+        with pytest.raises(ValueError, match="M3U URL cannot point to localhost"):
+            app_module.add_tuner("LocalhostTuner", "http://example.com/epg.xml", "http://localhost:8080/playlist.m3u")
+        
+        with pytest.raises(ValueError, match="M3U URL cannot point to localhost"):
+            app_module.add_tuner("LocalhostTuner", "http://example.com/epg.xml", "http://127.0.0.1:8080/playlist.m3u")
+    
+    def test_link_local_blocked(self):
+        """Test that link-local addresses are blocked to prevent SSRF."""
+        with pytest.raises(ValueError, match="M3U URL cannot point to link-local"):
+            app_module.add_tuner("LinkLocalTuner", "http://example.com/epg.xml", "http://169.254.169.254/latest/meta-data/")
+    
+    def test_successful_tuner_addition(self):
+        """Test successful tuner addition with valid inputs."""
+        with patch('app.requests.head') as mock_head:
+            mock_response = Mock()
+            mock_response.raise_for_status = Mock()
+            mock_head.return_value = mock_response
+            
+            app_module.add_tuner("ValidTuner", "http://example.com/epg.xml", "http://example.com/playlist.m3u")
+            
+            # Verify tuner was added
+            tuners = app_module.get_tuners()
+            assert "ValidTuner" in tuners
+            assert tuners["ValidTuner"]["xml"] == "http://example.com/epg.xml"
+            assert tuners["ValidTuner"]["m3u"] == "http://example.com/playlist.m3u"
+
+
+class TestSingleChannelM3U8:
+    """Test single-channel M3U8 playlist parsing."""
+    
+    def test_single_channel_m3u8_with_simple_url(self):
+        """Test parsing a simple M3U8 with just one stream URL."""
+        m3u_content = """#EXTM3U
+https://example.com/live/stream.m3u8"""
+        
+        with patch('app.requests.get') as mock_get:
+            mock_response = Mock()
+            mock_response.text = m3u_content
+            mock_response.raise_for_status = Mock()
+            mock_get.return_value = mock_response
+            
+            channels = app_module.parse_m3u("http://example.com/single.m3u8")
+            
+            assert len(channels) == 1
+            assert channels[0]['url'] == "https://example.com/live/stream.m3u8"
+            assert channels[0]['tvg_id'] == 'stream_1'
+            assert channels[0]['logo'] == ''
+            # Name should be extracted from URL
+            assert channels[0]['name'] == 'Stream'
+    
+    def test_single_channel_m3u8_with_descriptive_name(self):
+        """Test that channel name is extracted from URL path."""
+        m3u_content = """#EXTM3U
+https://example.com/live/my_awesome_channel.m3u8"""
+        
+        with patch('app.requests.get') as mock_get:
+            mock_response = Mock()
+            mock_response.text = m3u_content
+            mock_response.raise_for_status = Mock()
+            mock_get.return_value = mock_response
+            
+            channels = app_module.parse_m3u("http://example.com/single.m3u8")
+            
+            assert len(channels) == 1
+            assert channels[0]['name'] == 'My Awesome Channel'
+    
+    def test_single_channel_m3u8_with_no_extinf(self):
+        """Test M3U8 without any #EXTINF tags."""
+        m3u_content = """https://example.com/live/stream.m3u8"""
+        
+        with patch('app.requests.get') as mock_get:
+            mock_response = Mock()
+            mock_response.text = m3u_content
+            mock_response.raise_for_status = Mock()
+            mock_get.return_value = mock_response
+            
+            channels = app_module.parse_m3u("http://example.com/single.m3u8")
+            
+            assert len(channels) == 1
+            assert channels[0]['url'] == "https://example.com/live/stream.m3u8"
+    
+    def test_single_channel_default_name(self):
+        """Test default name when URL doesn't provide a good name."""
+        m3u_content = """https://example.com/"""
+        
+        with patch('app.requests.get') as mock_get:
+            mock_response = Mock()
+            mock_response.text = m3u_content
+            mock_response.raise_for_status = Mock()
+            mock_get.return_value = mock_response
+            
+            channels = app_module.parse_m3u("http://example.com/single.m3u8")
+            
+            assert len(channels) == 1
+            assert channels[0]['name'] == 'Live Stream'
+    
+    def test_multiple_urls_not_single_channel(self):
+        """Test that multiple URLs without #EXTINF don't parse as single channel."""
+        m3u_content = """https://example.com/stream1.m3u8
+https://example.com/stream2.m3u8"""
+        
+        with patch('app.requests.get') as mock_get:
+            mock_response = Mock()
+            mock_response.text = m3u_content
+            mock_response.raise_for_status = Mock()
+            mock_get.return_value = mock_response
+            
+            channels = app_module.parse_m3u("http://example.com/multi.m3u8")
+            
+            # Should return empty since it's not a valid single-channel playlist
+            assert len(channels) == 0
+    
+    def test_multi_channel_m3u_still_works(self):
+        """Test that existing multi-channel M3U parsing still works."""
+        m3u_content = """#EXTM3U
+#EXTINF:-1 tvg-id="ch1" tvg-logo="http://example.com/logo1.png",Channel 1
+http://example.com/stream1.m3u8
+#EXTINF:-1 tvg-id="ch2" tvg-logo="http://example.com/logo2.png",Channel 2
+http://example.com/stream2.m3u8"""
+        
+        with patch('app.requests.get') as mock_get:
+            mock_response = Mock()
+            mock_response.text = m3u_content
+            mock_response.raise_for_status = Mock()
+            mock_get.return_value = mock_response
+            
+            channels = app_module.parse_m3u("http://example.com/multi.m3u8")
+            
+            assert len(channels) == 2
+            assert channels[0]['name'] == 'Channel 1'
+            assert channels[0]['tvg_id'] == 'ch1'
+            assert channels[0]['logo'] == 'http://example.com/logo1.png'
+            assert channels[0]['url'] == 'http://example.com/stream1.m3u8'
+            assert channels[1]['name'] == 'Channel 2'
+            assert channels[1]['tvg_id'] == 'ch2'
+    
+    def test_empty_m3u_returns_empty_channels(self):
+        """Test that an empty M3U returns empty channel list."""
+        m3u_content = ""
+        
+        with patch('app.requests.get') as mock_get:
+            mock_response = Mock()
+            mock_response.text = m3u_content
+            mock_response.raise_for_status = Mock()
+            mock_get.return_value = mock_response
+            
+            channels = app_module.parse_m3u("http://example.com/empty.m3u8")
+            
+            assert len(channels) == 0