diff --git a/main.go b/main.go
index ed64f14..5adc71c 100644
--- a/main.go
+++ b/main.go
@@ -186,6 +186,7 @@ type appState struct {
 	playerViewSource        string
 	renderingPlayerView     bool
 	playerViewRefreshNeeded bool
+	lastPlayerViewRender    time.Time
 	progressQuit            chan struct{}
 	convertCancel           context.CancelFunc
 	playerSurf              *playerSurface
@@ -586,13 +587,19 @@ func (s *appState) showPlayerView() {
 		fmt.Printf("⏳ player view render already in progress, skipping\n")
 		return
 	}
-	s.renderingPlayerView = true
-	defer func() { s.renderingPlayerView = false }()
-
 	currentPath := ""
 	if s.source != nil {
 		currentPath = s.source.Path
 	}
+	// Hard throttle: if we rendered recently for the same source, skip.
+	if !s.playerViewRefreshNeeded && s.active == "player" && s.playerViewSource == currentPath && time.Since(s.lastPlayerViewRender) < time.Second {
+		fmt.Printf("⏳ throttle: rendered recently for %s\n", currentPath)
+		return
+	}
+
+	s.renderingPlayerView = true
+	defer func() { s.renderingPlayerView = false }()
+
 	if !s.playerViewRefreshNeeded && s.active == "player" && s.source != nil && s.playerViewSource == currentPath {
 		fmt.Printf("📺 already in player view for this source; skipping rebuild\n")
 		return
@@ -605,6 +612,7 @@ func (s *appState) showPlayerView() {
 		s.lastSourcePath = s.source.Path
 	}
 	fmt.Printf("📺 s.source is nil: %v\n", s.source == nil)
+	s.lastPlayerViewRender = time.Now()
 
 	// Helper to refresh the view after selection/loads.
 	refresh := func() {
@@ -4510,7 +4518,11 @@ func (s *appState) loadVideo(path string) {
 	fyne.CurrentApp().Driver().DoFromGoroutine(func() {
 		s.playerViewRefreshNeeded = true
 		s.switchToVideo(s.currentIndex)
-		s.showPlayerView()
+		// Avoid immediate re-render storm; defer minimal trigger.
+		time.AfterFunc(10*time.Millisecond, func() {
+			s.playerViewRefreshNeeded = true
+			s.showPlayerView()
+		})
 	}, false)
 }
 
@@ -4637,7 +4649,10 @@ func (s *appState) loadVideos(paths []string) {
 		fyne.Do(func() {
 			s.playerViewRefreshNeeded = true
 			s.switchToVideo(0)
-			s.showPlayerView()
+			time.AfterFunc(10*time.Millisecond, func() {
+				s.playerViewRefreshNeeded = true
+				s.showPlayerView()
+			})
 		})
 	}()
 }