diff --git a/services/web-ui/public/screens-ingest.jsx b/services/web-ui/public/screens-ingest.jsx
index e951fef..95c9b14 100644
--- a/services/web-ui/public/screens-ingest.jsx
+++ b/services/web-ui/public/screens-ingest.jsx
@@ -387,23 +387,61 @@ function HlsPreview({ assetId, muted = true, controls = false, className }) {
     if (!assetId || !videoRef.current) return;
     const url = '/live/' + assetId + '/index.m3u8';
     const v = videoRef.current;
+    let destroyed = false;
+    let retryTimer = 0;
+    let retryCount = 0;
+    const MAX_RETRIES = 8;
+
+    const clearRetry = () => { if (retryTimer) { clearTimeout(retryTimer); retryTimer = 0; } };
 
     // Safari can play HLS natively; everything else needs hls.js.
     if (v.canPlayType('application/vnd.apple.mpegurl')) {
-      v.src = url;
-      const onErr = () => setErr('playback failed');
+      const tryLoad = () => {
+        if (destroyed) return;
+        v.removeAttribute('src');
+        v.load();
+        v.src = url;
+        v.play().catch(() => {});
+      };
+      const onErr = () => {
+        if (destroyed || retryCount >= MAX_RETRIES) { setErr('playback failed'); return; }
+        retryCount++;
+        clearRetry();
+        retryTimer = setTimeout(tryLoad, Math.min(500 * Math.pow(2, retryCount - 1), 8000));
+        setErr('connecting…');
+      };
       v.addEventListener('error', onErr);
-      return () => v.removeEventListener('error', onErr);
+      v.addEventListener('playing', () => { retryCount = 0; setErr(null); }, { once: false });
+      tryLoad();
+      return () => { destroyed = true; clearRetry(); v.removeEventListener('error', onErr); };
     }
     if (!window.Hls) { setErr('hls.js missing'); return; }
 
-    const hls = new window.Hls({ liveSyncDurationCount: 2, lowLatencyMode: true });
-    hls.loadSource(url);
-    hls.attachMedia(v);
-    hls.on(window.Hls.Events.ERROR, (_e, data) => {
-      if (data.fatal) setErr(data.details || 'hls error');
-    });
-    return () => { try { hls.destroy(); } catch (_) {} };
+    let hls = null;
+
+    const startHls = () => {
+      if (destroyed) return;
+      hls = new window.Hls({ liveSyncDurationCount: 2, lowLatencyMode: true });
+      hls.loadSource(url);
+      hls.attachMedia(v);
+      hls.on(window.Hls.Events.ERROR, (_e, data) => {
+        if (data.fatal) {
+          if (retryCount >= MAX_RETRIES) { setErr(data.details || 'hls error'); return; }
+          retryCount++;
+          clearRetry();
+          try { hls.destroy(); } catch (_) {}
+          hls = null;
+          setErr('connecting…');
+          retryTimer = setTimeout(startHls, Math.min(500 * Math.pow(2, retryCount - 1), 8000));
+        }
+      });
+      hls.on(window.Hls.Events.MANIFEST_PARSED, () => { retryCount = 0; setErr(null); });
+    };
+
+    startHls();
+    v.play().catch(() => {});
+
+    return () => { destroyed = true; clearRetry(); if (hls) { try { hls.destroy(); } catch (_) {} } };
   }, [assetId]);
 
   return (