diff --git a/services/mam-api/src/routes/recorders.js b/services/mam-api/src/routes/recorders.js
index cf6bff3..316d39e 100644
--- a/services/mam-api/src/routes/recorders.js
+++ b/services/mam-api/src/routes/recorders.js
@@ -197,7 +197,7 @@ router.post('/', async (req, res, next) => {
     // Defaults — written on insert so the DB row is always self-contained.
     const defaults = {
       source_config:           {},
-      recording_codec:         'prores_hq',
+      recording_codec:         'hevc_nvenc',
       recording_resolution:    'native',
       recording_audio_codec:   'pcm_s24le',
       recording_audio_channels: 2,
diff --git a/services/web-ui/public/modal-new-recorder.jsx b/services/web-ui/public/modal-new-recorder.jsx
index ba4041a..fa341c7 100644
--- a/services/web-ui/public/modal-new-recorder.jsx
+++ b/services/web-ui/public/modal-new-recorder.jsx
@@ -148,8 +148,18 @@ function NewRecorderModal({ open, onClose }) {
   });
   const [dcDevices, setDcDevices] = React.useState(null);
   const [recTab, setRecTab] = React.useState('video');
-  const [recCodec, setRecCodec] = React.useState('prores_hq');
-  const [recContainer, setRecContainer] = React.useState('mov');
+  // All-Intra HEVC (NVENC) is the default master — GPU-encoded, growing-file
+  // capable in fragmented MOV. ProRes stays selectable for 4:2:2 mezzanine.
+  const [recCodec, setRecCodec] = React.useState('hevc_nvenc');
+  // Custom target bitrate in Mbps for bitrate-controlled codecs (NVENC / x264 /
+  // x265 / DNxHD). ProRes ignores bitrate (quality is profile-driven).
+  const [recBitrate, setRecBitrate] = React.useState('60');
+  // Container is derived from the codec, not manually chosen: HEVC/ProRes/DNxHR
+  // → MOV (fragmented, growing-capable); H.264 → MP4.
+  const recContainer = (recCodec === 'h264' || recCodec === 'h264_nvenc' || recCodec === 'libx264') ? 'mp4' : 'mov';
+  // Codecs whose bitrate is operator-controlled (everything except ProRes).
+  const BITRATE_CODECS = new Set(['hevc_nvenc', 'h264_nvenc', 'libx264', 'libx265', 'dnxhd', 'dnxhr_hq']);
+  const codecUsesBitrate = BITRATE_CODECS.has(recCodec);
   const [proxyOn, setProxyOn] = React.useState(true);
   const [projectId, setProjectId] = React.useState(PROJECTS[0]?.id || '');
   const [submitting, setSubmitting] = React.useState(false);
@@ -198,7 +208,14 @@ function NewRecorderModal({ open, onClose }) {
       generate_proxy: proxyOn,
       recording_codec: recCodec,
       recording_container: recContainer,
+      // Framerate + resolution are auto-detected from the source signal/stream.
+      recording_framerate: '',          // empty = match source
+      recording_resolution: 'native',
     };
+    // Custom bitrate only applies to bitrate-controlled codecs (ProRes ignores it).
+    if (codecUsesBitrate && recBitrate) {
+      body.recording_video_bitrate = `${recBitrate}M`;
+    }
 
     if (sourceType === 'SRT') {
       body.source_config = { url: srtUrl };
@@ -382,22 +399,48 @@ function NewRecorderModal({ open, onClose }) {
                   <div className="field">
                     <label className="field-label">Video codec</label>
                     <select className="field-input" value={recCodec} onChange={e => setRecCodec(e.target.value)} style={{ appearance: 'auto' }}>
-                      <option value="prores_4444xq">ProRes 4444 XQ</option>
-                      <option value="prores_4444">ProRes 4444</option>
-                      <option value="prores_hq">ProRes 422 HQ</option>
+                      <option value="hevc_nvenc">All-Intra HEVC (NVENC) — GPU, growing</option>
+                      <option value="h264_nvenc">H.264 (NVENC) — GPU</option>
+                      <option value="prores_hq">ProRes 422 HQ — 4:2:2 CPU</option>
                       <option value="prores">ProRes 422</option>
                       <option value="prores_lt">ProRes 422 LT</option>
                       <option value="prores_proxy">ProRes 422 Proxy</option>
-                      <option value="libx264">H.264 (x264)</option>
-                      <option value="libx265">H.265 / HEVC (x265)</option>
-                      <option value="dnxhd">DNxHD 185x</option>
                       <option value="dnxhr_hq">DNxHR HQ</option>
-                      <option value="xdcam_hd422">XDCAM HD422</option>
+                      <option value="libx264">H.264 (x264, CPU)</option>
+                      <option value="libx265">H.265 (x265, CPU)</option>
                     </select>
                   </div>
-                  <Field label="Resolution" value="Source (native)" select />
-                  <Field label="Color space" value="Rec. 709" select />
-                  <Field label="Bit depth" value="10-bit" select />
+                  {codecUsesBitrate ? (
+                    <div className="field">
+                      <label className="field-label">Target bitrate (Mbps)</label>
+                      <input
+                        className="field-input"
+                        type="number" min="1" max="400" step="1"
+                        value={recBitrate}
+                        onChange={e => setRecBitrate(e.target.value)}
+                      />
+                    </div>
+                  ) : (
+                    <Field label="Bitrate" value="Quality-based (profile)" select />
+                  )}
+                  <Field label="Resolution" value="Auto — from source" select />
+                  <Field label="Framerate" value="Auto — from source" select />
+                  {/* #3: warn when the configured bitrate exceeds the probed source
+                      bitrate — re-encoding above source adds storage, not quality. */}
+                  {codecUsesBitrate && (() => {
+                    const d = probeResult && probeResult.ok ? (probeResult.data || {}) : null;
+                    const raw = d && (d.bitrate ?? d.bit_rate ?? d.video_bitrate ?? (d.video && d.video.bit_rate));
+                    const srcMbps = raw ? (Number(raw) > 100000 ? Number(raw) / 1e6 : Number(raw)) : null;
+                    const cfg = parseFloat(recBitrate);
+                    if (srcMbps && cfg && cfg > srcMbps * 1.05) {
+                      return (
+                        <div style={{ gridColumn: '1 / -1', fontSize: 11.5, color: 'var(--warn, #d9a441)', border: '1px solid var(--warn, #d9a441)', borderRadius: 6, padding: '8px 10px', background: 'rgba(217,164,65,0.08)' }}>
+                          ⚠ Target {cfg} Mbps exceeds the source stream (~{srcMbps.toFixed(1)} Mbps). Encoding above the source bitrate increases file size without adding quality.
+                        </div>
+                      );
+                    }
+                    return null;
+                  })()}
                 </div>
               )}
               {recTab === 'audio' && (
@@ -410,16 +453,8 @@ function NewRecorderModal({ open, onClose }) {
               )}
               {recTab === 'container' && (
                 <div style={{ display: 'grid', gridTemplateColumns: '1fr 1fr', gap: 10 }}>
-                  <div className="field">
-                    <label className="field-label">Container</label>
-                    <select className="field-input" value={recContainer} onChange={e => setRecContainer(e.target.value)} style={{ appearance: 'auto' }}>
-                      <option value="mov">MOV (QuickTime)</option>
-                      <option value="mxf">MXF (SMPTE)</option>
-                      <option value="mkv">MKV (Matroska)</option>
-                      <option value="mp4">MP4</option>
-                    </select>
-                  </div>
-                  <Field label="Segment" value="None (single file)" select />
+                  <Field label="Container" value={recContainer === 'mp4' ? 'MP4 (auto)' : 'Fragmented MOV (auto)'} select />
+                  <Field label="Growing-file" value={recContainer === 'mov' ? 'Supported (edit-while-record)' : 'No'} select />
                 </div>
               )}
             </div>