diff --git a/src/components/VideoPlayer.tsx b/src/components/VideoPlayer.tsx
index be96a78..dfb5f63 100644
--- a/src/components/VideoPlayer.tsx
+++ b/src/components/VideoPlayer.tsx
@@ -9,9 +9,12 @@ export interface VideoPlayerProps {
   label: string;
 }
 
+const UNPLAYABLE = "Video can't be played here.";
+
 /**
- * Real <video controls>. Native HLS where the browser has it, otherwise hls.js,
- * loaded only when a video card mounts. Never autoplays.
+ * Real <video controls>. hls.js (loaded only when a video card mounts) is
+ * preferred; native HLS is used only where hls.js is unsupported. Never
+ * autoplays. Any failure falls back to the thumbnail with a short note.
  */
 export function VideoPlayer({ hlsUrl, poster, label }: VideoPlayerProps) {
   const ref = useRef<HTMLVideoElement>(null);
@@ -22,28 +25,26 @@ export function VideoPlayer({ hlsUrl, poster, label }: VideoPlayerProps) {
     if (!video) return;
     let destroy: (() => void) | undefined;
     let cancelled = false;
-    const native = supportsNativeHls(video);
-    if (native) {
-      if (choosePlayback(hlsUrl, { nativeHls: true, hlsJsSupported: false }) === "native") {
-        video.src = hlsUrl;
-      }
-      return;
-    }
     import("hls.js")
       .then(({ default: Hls }) => {
         if (cancelled) return;
-        const mode = choosePlayback(hlsUrl, { nativeHls: false, hlsJsSupported: Hls.isSupported() });
-        if (mode !== "hlsjs") {
-          setFailed(true);
-          return;
-        }
-        const hls = new Hls();
-        hls.on(Hls.Events.ERROR, (_e, data) => {
-          if (data.fatal) setFailed(true);
+        const mode = choosePlayback(hlsUrl, {
+          nativeHls: supportsNativeHls(video),
+          hlsJsSupported: Hls.isSupported(),
         });
-        hls.loadSource(hlsUrl);
-        hls.attachMedia(video);
-        destroy = () => hls.destroy();
+        if (mode === "hlsjs") {
+          const hls = new Hls();
+          hls.on(Hls.Events.ERROR, (_e, data) => {
+            if (data.fatal) setFailed(true);
+          });
+          hls.loadSource(hlsUrl);
+          hls.attachMedia(video);
+          destroy = () => hls.destroy();
+        } else if (mode === "native") {
+          video.src = hlsUrl;
+        } else {
+          setFailed(true);
+        }
       })
       .catch(() => setFailed(true));
     return () => {
@@ -52,9 +53,16 @@ export function VideoPlayer({ hlsUrl, poster, label }: VideoPlayerProps) {
     };
   }, [hlsUrl]);
 
-  if (failed && poster) {
-    // eslint-disable-next-line @next/next/no-img-element
-    return <img src={poster} alt="Video thumbnail" loading="lazy" />;
+  if (failed) {
+    return (
+      <div>
+        {poster ? (
+          // eslint-disable-next-line @next/next/no-img-element
+          <img src={poster} alt="Video thumbnail" loading="lazy" />
+        ) : null}
+        <p role="status">{UNPLAYABLE}</p>
+      </div>
+    );
   }
   return (
     <video
@@ -64,6 +72,7 @@ export function VideoPlayer({ hlsUrl, poster, label }: VideoPlayerProps) {
       preload="none"
       poster={poster ?? undefined}
       aria-label={label}
+      onError={() => setFailed(true)}
     />
   );
 }
diff --git a/src/lib/video-playback.ts b/src/lib/video-playback.ts
index 6c0407b..788dc73 100644
--- a/src/lib/video-playback.ts
+++ b/src/lib/video-playback.ts
@@ -9,11 +9,15 @@ export interface PlaybackEnv {
   hlsJsSupported: boolean;
 }
 
-/** No hlsUrl: thumbnail only. Native HLS wins; hls.js is the fallback. */
+/**
+ * No hlsUrl: thumbnail only. hls.js (Media Source Extensions) is preferred
+ * because Chromium reports partial native HLS support it cannot honour; native
+ * HLS is only chosen where hls.js is unsupported (Safari on iOS).
+ */
 export function choosePlayback(hlsUrl: string | null | undefined, env: PlaybackEnv): Playback {
   if (!hlsUrl) return "none";
-  if (env.nativeHls) return "native";
-  return env.hlsJsSupported ? "hlsjs" : "none";
+  if (env.hlsJsSupported) return "hlsjs";
+  return env.nativeHls ? "native" : "none";
 }
 
 export function supportsNativeHls(video: Pick<HTMLVideoElement, "canPlayType">): boolean {
diff --git a/tests/video-playback.test.ts b/tests/video-playback.test.ts
index b083e1f..6a96356 100644
--- a/tests/video-playback.test.ts
+++ b/tests/video-playback.test.ts
@@ -19,10 +19,13 @@ describe("choosePlayback", () => {
     expect(choosePlayback(null, { nativeHls: true, hlsJsSupported: true })).toBe("none");
     expect(choosePlayback(undefined, { nativeHls: false, hlsJsSupported: true })).toBe("none");
   });
-  it("uses native HLS where supported, hls.js otherwise", () => {
-    expect(choosePlayback(HLS, { nativeHls: true, hlsJsSupported: true })).toBe("native");
+  it("prefers hls.js whenever it is supported, even if native HLS is reported", () => {
+    expect(choosePlayback(HLS, { nativeHls: true, hlsJsSupported: true })).toBe("hlsjs");
     expect(choosePlayback(HLS, { nativeHls: false, hlsJsSupported: true })).toBe("hlsjs");
   });
+  it("uses native HLS only when hls.js is unsupported", () => {
+    expect(choosePlayback(HLS, { nativeHls: true, hlsJsSupported: false })).toBe("native");
+  });
   it("falls back to none when neither is available", () => {
     expect(choosePlayback(HLS, { nativeHls: false, hlsJsSupported: false })).toBe("none");
   });