diff --git a/public/js/components/VideoPlayer.js b/public/js/components/VideoPlayer.js
index 16e22b8..3eaef0f 100644
--- a/public/js/components/VideoPlayer.js
+++ b/public/js/components/VideoPlayer.js
@@ -68,12 +68,16 @@ class VideoPlayer {
             maxBufferLength: 30,           // Buffer up to 30 seconds of content
             maxMaxBufferLength: 60,        // Absolute max buffer 60 seconds
             maxBufferSize: 60 * 1000 * 1000, // 60MB max buffer size
+            maxBufferHole: 0.5,            // Allow 0.5s holes in buffer (helps with discontinuities)
             // Live stream settings - stay further from live edge for stability
             liveSyncDurationCount: 3,      // Stay 3 segments behind live
             liveMaxLatencyDurationCount: 10, // Allow up to 10 segments behind before catching up
-            // Handle audio discontinuities (fixes garbled audio during ad transitions)
+            liveBackBufferLength: 30,      // Keep 30s of back buffer for seeking
+            // Audio discontinuity handling (fixes garbled audio during ad transitions)
             stretchShortVideoTrack: true,  // Stretch short segments to avoid gaps
             forceKeyFrameOnDiscontinuity: true, // Force keyframe sync on discontinuity
+            // More aggressive discontinuity recovery
+            maxAudioFramesDrift: 1,        // Allow minimal audio drift before correction
             // Faster recovery from errors
             levelLoadingMaxRetry: 4,
             manifestLoadingMaxRetry: 4,
@@ -101,9 +105,10 @@ class VideoPlayer {
         // Initialize HLS.js if supported
         if (Hls.isSupported()) {
             this.hls = new Hls(this.getHlsConfig());
+            this.lastDiscontinuity = -1; // Track discontinuity changes
 
             this.hls.on(Hls.Events.ERROR, (event, data) => {
-                console.error('HLS error:', data);
+                console.error('HLS error:', data.type, data.details);
                 if (data.fatal) {
                     switch (data.type) {
                         case Hls.ErrorTypes.NETWORK_ERROR:
@@ -131,6 +136,10 @@ class VideoPlayer {
                     // Non-fatal media error - try to recover (handles audio codec issues)
                     console.log('Non-fatal media error, attempting recovery...');
                     this.hls.recoverMediaError();
+                } else if (data.details === 'bufferAppendError' || data.details === 'fragParsingError') {
+                    // Buffer/parsing errors during ad transitions - try recovery
+                    console.log('Buffer/parsing error during segment, recovering...');
+                    this.hls.recoverMediaError();
                 }
             });
 
@@ -145,6 +154,27 @@ class VideoPlayer {
                 this.hls.recoverMediaError();
             });
 
+            // Detect discontinuity changes (ad transitions) and help decoder reset
+            this.hls.on(Hls.Events.FRAG_CHANGED, (event, data) => {
+                const frag = data.frag;
+                // Debug: log every fragment change
+                console.log(`[HLS] FRAG_CHANGED: sn=${frag?.sn}, cc=${frag?.cc}, level=${frag?.level}`);
+
+                if (frag && frag.sn !== 'initSegment') {
+                    // Check if we crossed a discontinuity boundary using CC (Continuity Counter)
+                    if (frag.cc !== undefined && frag.cc !== this.lastDiscontinuity) {
+                        console.log(`[HLS] Discontinuity detected: CC ${this.lastDiscontinuity} -> ${frag.cc}`);
+                        this.lastDiscontinuity = frag.cc;
+
+                        // Small nudge to help decoder sync (only if playing)
+                        if (!this.video.paused && this.video.currentTime > 0) {
+                            const nudgeAmount = 0.01;
+                            this.video.currentTime += nudgeAmount;
+                        }
+                    }
+                }
+            });
+
             this.hls.on(Hls.Events.MANIFEST_PARSED, () => {
                 this.video.play().catch(e => console.log('Autoplay prevented:', e));
             });
@@ -265,6 +295,28 @@ class VideoPlayer {
                         } else {
                             console.error('Fatal HLS error:', data);
                         }
+                    } else if (data.type === Hls.ErrorTypes.MEDIA_ERROR) {
+                        // Non-fatal media error - just log it (auto-recovery can cause black screens)
+                        console.log('Non-fatal media error:', data.details);
+                    }
+                });
+
+                // Detect discontinuity changes (ad transitions) and help decoder reset
+                this.lastDiscontinuity = -1;
+                this.hls.on(Hls.Events.FRAG_CHANGED, (event, data) => {
+                    const frag = data.frag;
+                    if (frag && frag.sn !== 'initSegment') {
+                        // Check if we crossed a discontinuity boundary using CC (Continuity Counter)
+                        if (frag.cc !== undefined && frag.cc !== this.lastDiscontinuity) {
+                            console.log(`[HLS] Discontinuity detected: CC ${this.lastDiscontinuity} -> ${frag.cc}`);
+                            this.lastDiscontinuity = frag.cc;
+
+                            // Small nudge to help decoder sync (only if playing)
+                            if (!this.video.paused && this.video.currentTime > 0) {
+                                const nudgeAmount = 0.01;
+                                this.video.currentTime += nudgeAmount;
+                            }
+                        }
                     }
                 });
             } else if (this.video.canPlayType('application/vnd.apple.mpegurl') === 'probably' ||
diff --git a/server/routes/transcode.js b/server/routes/transcode.js
index c59af3d..093ae39 100644
--- a/server/routes/transcode.js
+++ b/server/routes/transcode.js
@@ -20,15 +20,17 @@ router.get('/', (req, res) => {
     console.log(`[Transcode] Using binary: ${ffmpegPath}`);
 
     // FFmpeg arguments for transcoding
-    // Video: Copy (passthrough) - most sources are already H264/HEVC which browsers support
-    // Audio: Transcode to AAC - fixes Dolby/AC3/EAC3 that browsers can't play
+    // Optimized for VOD content with incompatible audio (Dolby/AC3/EAC3)
+    // NOT recommended for live streams - use HLS.js directly for those
     const args = [
         '-hide_banner',
-        '-loglevel', 'info',
+        '-loglevel', 'warning',
         '-fflags', '+genpts',
         '-i', url,
-        '-c:v', 'copy', // Video passthrough (no re-encoding = fast!)
-        '-c:a', 'aac',  // Transcode audio to browser-compatible AAC
+        // Video: passthrough (no re-encoding = fast!)
+        '-c:v', 'copy',
+        // Audio: Transcode to browser-compatible AAC with consistent parameters
+        '-c:a', 'aac',
         '-ac', '2',
         '-ar', '48000',
         '-b:a', '128k',