diff --git a/services/playout/src/playout-manager.js b/services/playout/src/playout-manager.js
index 95b856c..5609e09 100644
--- a/services/playout/src/playout-manager.js
+++ b/services/playout/src/playout-manager.js
@@ -111,22 +111,38 @@ export class PlayoutManager {
   // Start the channel: bring up CasparCG's primary output consumer for the
   // target, plus a second FFMPEG consumer writing HLS for the UI preview
   // monitor (~4-6s lag, reuses capture's /live/<id> plumbing).
+  //
+  // The primary consumer failure is NON-FATAL. CasparCG can decode and route
+  // media through its pipeline even without an output consumer. This means:
+  //  - NDI channels work (load/play/transport) even if libndi.so is absent.
+  //  - SRT/RTMP channels work even if the destination URL is unreachable.
+  //  - The HLS preview consumer is always attempted independently.
+  //
+  // state.consumerError is set when the primary consumer fails so the mam-api
+  // can surface a warning in the channel status without blocking operation.
   async startChannel({ outputType, outputConfig = {}, videoFormat = '1080p5994' }) {
     await this.amcp.waitReady(30000);
 
-    // Set the channel video mode, then attach the output consumer.
+    // Set the channel video mode first.
     try { await this.amcp.send(`SET ${CHANNEL} MODE ${videoFormat}`); }
     catch (err) { console.warn(`[playout] SET MODE failed (continuing): ${err.message}`); }
 
-    const consumer = await this._consumerCommand(outputType, outputConfig);
-    await this.amcp.send(`ADD ${CHANNEL} ${consumer}`);
+    // Primary output consumer — non-fatal.
+    let consumerError = null;
+    try {
+      const consumer = await this._consumerCommand(outputType, outputConfig);
+      await this.amcp.send(`ADD ${CHANNEL} ${consumer}`);
+    } catch (err) {
+      consumerError = err.message;
+      console.warn(`[playout] primary consumer ADD failed (continuing without output): ${err.message}`);
+    }
 
+    // HLS preview consumer — always attempt, independently non-fatal.
     if (HLS_DIR) {
       try {
         await this._addHlsConsumer();
         console.log(`[playout] HLS preview at ${HLS_DIR}/index.m3u8`);
       } catch (err) {
-        // HLS preview is non-fatal — operators still get the on-air output.
         console.warn(`[playout] HLS preview consumer failed: ${err.message}`);
       }
     }
@@ -137,8 +153,8 @@ export class PlayoutManager {
     this.state.videoFormat = videoFormat;
     this.state.fps = fpsFor(videoFormat);
     this.state.startedAt = new Date().toISOString();
-    this.state.lastError = null;
-    console.log(`[playout] channel started output=${outputType} mode=${videoFormat} fps=${this.state.fps.toFixed(3)}`);
+    this.state.lastError = consumerError;
+    console.log(`[playout] channel started output=${outputType} mode=${videoFormat} fps=${this.state.fps.toFixed(3)}${consumerError ? ' ⚠ consumer: ' + consumerError : ''}`);
     return this.getStatus();
   }
 
@@ -181,6 +197,9 @@ export class PlayoutManager {
   // Load a playlist (array of { id, asset_id, media_path, in_point, out_point,
   // transition, transition_ms, clip_name }) and start playing from index 0.
   async loadPlaylist({ items = [], loop = false }) {
+    if (!this.state.running) {
+      throw new Error('Channel not started — call /channel/start first');
+    }
     this.state.playlist = items;
     this.state.loop = !!loop;
     this.state.currentIndex = -1;