diff --git a/js/services/playbackService.js b/js/services/playbackService.js
index 74f8d00e..cc557d4f 100644
--- a/js/services/playbackService.js
+++ b/js/services/playbackService.js
@@ -898,6 +898,20 @@ class PlaybackSession extends SimpleEventEmitter {
         }
         activeVideoEl.src = "";
         activeVideoEl.srcObject = null;
+        // Direct hosted playback must NOT require CORS. A leftover
+        // crossOrigin="anonymous" (e.g. set by a prior WebTorrent attempt on
+        // this reused element) makes the browser issue a CORS request that many
+        // CDNs — and redirect targets like archive.org's storage nodes — do not
+        // answer with Access-Control-Allow-Origin, so the load dies with
+        // MEDIA_ERR_SRC_NOT_SUPPORTED ("source not supported or blocked"). We
+        // never read pixels from the hosted <video>, so clear it and let any
+        // URL play.
+        try {
+          activeVideoEl.removeAttribute("crossorigin");
+        } catch (err) {
+          // ignore
+        }
+        activeVideoEl.crossOrigin = null;
         try {
           activeVideoEl.load();
         } catch (err) {
@@ -1086,6 +1100,14 @@ class PlaybackSession extends SimpleEventEmitter {
           };
 
           try {
+            // Guarantee the direct load is CORS-free regardless of how we got
+            // here (see resetVideoElement) so any hosted URL plays reliably.
+            try {
+              activeVideoEl.removeAttribute("crossorigin");
+            } catch (err) {
+              // ignore
+            }
+            activeVideoEl.crossOrigin = null;
             activeVideoEl.src = httpsUrl;
             const playPromise = activeVideoEl.play();
             if (playPromise && typeof playPromise.catch === "function") {
@@ -1180,6 +1202,13 @@ class PlaybackSession extends SimpleEventEmitter {
       // --- Execution Flow ---
 
       let tryUrlFirst = this.service.urlFirstEnabled;
+      // CDN-first for dual-source videos: whenever a hosted URL is available,
+      // play it first for instant, reliable startup. WebTorrent is reserved for
+      // videos that have no URL (or when the viewer explicitly forces P2P). This
+      // intentionally takes precedence over a torrent-first instance default,
+      // because waiting on a P2P cold-start when a working CDN exists is the
+      // slow, flaky path users were hitting.
+      if (httpsUrl) tryUrlFirst = true;
       if (forcedSource === "url") tryUrlFirst = true;
       if (forcedSource === "torrent") tryUrlFirst = false;
 
@@ -1223,9 +1252,11 @@ class PlaybackSession extends SimpleEventEmitter {
         // Try Torrent First
         if (this.magnetForPlayback) {
           try {
-            // If we have a fallback URL, use the effective timeout.
-            // Otherwise, we must wait indefinitely for peers because there is no plan B.
-            const torrentTimeout = httpsUrl ? effectiveTimeout : 0;
+            // We only reach the torrent-first path when there is no hosted URL
+            // to fall back to (CDN-first handles the dual-source case above) or
+            // the viewer explicitly forced P2P. Either way there is no plan B,
+            // so wait indefinitely for peers rather than abandoning playback.
+            const torrentTimeout = 0;
 
             // Wrap Torrent attempt in timeout
             const torrentResult = await withTimeout(
diff --git a/tests/services/playbackService_forcedSource.test.mjs b/tests/services/playbackService_forcedSource.test.mjs
index 35e699a8..d40a33ee 100644
--- a/tests/services/playbackService_forcedSource.test.mjs
+++ b/tests/services/playbackService_forcedSource.test.mjs
@@ -131,6 +131,86 @@ describe("PlaybackService Forced Source Logic", () => {
     assert.equal(playViaWebTorrent.mock.callCount(), 0);
   });
 
+  test("Hosted playback clears crossOrigin so a CORS-less CDN URL still plays", async () => {
+    // Simulate a leftover crossOrigin from a prior WebTorrent attempt on the
+    // reused <video> element. Direct hosted playback must not require CORS, or
+    // CDNs/redirect targets without Access-Control-Allow-Origin fail the load
+    // with MEDIA_ERR_SRC_NOT_SUPPORTED ("source not supported or blocked").
+    video.crossOrigin = "anonymous";
+    video.setAttribute("crossorigin", "anonymous");
+
+    const probeUrl = mock.fn(async () => ({ outcome: "good", status: 200 }));
+    const playViaWebTorrent = mock.fn(async () => ({ infoHash: "123" }));
+
+    const session = service.createSession({
+      url: "https://archive.org/download/x/My Video (1080p).mp4",
+      magnet: "magnet:?xt=urn:btih:123",
+      videoElement: video,
+      probeUrl,
+      playViaWebTorrent,
+      forcedSource: "url",
+    });
+
+    const startPromise = session.start();
+    mock.timers.tick(50);
+    await new Promise((resolve) => process.nextTick(resolve));
+
+    // By the time the hosted source is assigned, CORS must be cleared.
+    assert.equal(video.crossOrigin, null, "crossOrigin property cleared");
+    assert.equal(
+      video.getAttribute("crossorigin"),
+      null,
+      "crossorigin attribute removed",
+    );
+
+    video.dispatchEvent(new window.Event("playing"));
+    await new Promise((resolve) => process.nextTick(resolve));
+    const result = await startPromise;
+    assert.equal(result.source, "url", "hosted URL plays");
+    assert.equal(playViaWebTorrent.mock.callCount(), 0, "no torrent fallback");
+  });
+
+  test("CDN-first: a torrent-first instance still plays the URL first when one exists", async () => {
+    // Even with a torrent-first instance default, a video that ALSO has a hosted
+    // URL should play the URL immediately (instant/reliable) instead of waiting
+    // on a P2P cold start. WebTorrent is reserved for URL-less videos.
+    const torrentFirstService = new PlaybackService({
+      logger: () => {},
+      isValidMagnetUri: () => true,
+      playbackStartTimeout: 100,
+      urlFirstEnabled: false, // torrent-first instance
+    });
+
+    const probeUrl = mock.fn(async () => ({ outcome: "good", status: 200 }));
+    const playViaWebTorrent = mock.fn(async () => ({ infoHash: "123" }));
+
+    const session = torrentFirstService.createSession({
+      url: "https://cdn.example.com/v.mp4",
+      magnet: "magnet:?xt=urn:btih:123",
+      videoElement: video,
+      probeUrl,
+      playViaWebTorrent,
+    });
+
+    const startPromise = session.start();
+    mock.timers.tick(10);
+    await new Promise((resolve) => process.nextTick(resolve));
+    video.dispatchEvent(new window.Event("playing"));
+    await new Promise((resolve) => process.nextTick(resolve));
+    const result = await startPromise;
+
+    assert.equal(
+      result.source,
+      "url",
+      "URL plays first despite a torrent-first instance",
+    );
+    assert.equal(
+      playViaWebTorrent.mock.callCount(),
+      0,
+      "WebTorrent is NOT attempted when a hosted URL exists",
+    );
+  });
+
   test("Forced Source 'url': Does NOT fallback to Torrent even if URL fails (probe bad)", async () => {
     const probeUrl = mock.fn(async () => {
       return { outcome: "bad", status: 404 };
diff --git a/tests/services/playbackService_order.test.mjs b/tests/services/playbackService_order.test.mjs
index 8bd22019..9e16def7 100644
--- a/tests/services/playbackService_order.test.mjs
+++ b/tests/services/playbackService_order.test.mjs
@@ -136,7 +136,13 @@ describe("PlaybackService Ordering", () => {
       assert.equal(result.source, "torrent");
     });
 
-    test("urlFirstEnabled=false: Tries Torrent first, succeeds", async () => {
+    // SPEC CHANGE: dual-source videos are now CDN-first (see PlaybackSession
+    // execute(): `if (httpsUrl) tryUrlFirst = true`). A torrent-first instance
+    // default no longer forces P2P when a hosted URL is also available, because
+    // waiting on a P2P cold start when a working CDN exists was the slow/flaky
+    // path users hit. WebTorrent is now reserved for URL-less videos (and
+    // explicit forcedSource: "torrent", covered below).
+    test("urlFirstEnabled=false but a hosted URL exists: CDN-first plays the URL", async () => {
       const service = new PlaybackService({
         logger: () => {},
         urlFirstEnabled: false,
@@ -154,48 +160,48 @@ describe("PlaybackService Ordering", () => {
         playViaWebTorrent,
       });
 
-      const result = await session.start();
+      const startPromise = session.start();
+      await new Promise((resolve) => process.nextTick(resolve));
+      await new Promise((resolve) => process.nextTick(resolve));
+      video.dispatchEvent(new window.Event("playing"));
+      const result = await startPromise;
 
-      assert.equal(playViaWebTorrent.mock.callCount(), 1, "Should call torrent first");
-      assert.equal(probeUrl.mock.callCount(), 0, "Should NOT probe URL");
-      assert.equal(result.source, "torrent");
+      assert.equal(
+        playViaWebTorrent.mock.callCount(),
+        0,
+        "Should NOT use torrent when a hosted URL exists",
+      );
+      assert.equal(probeUrl.mock.callCount(), 1, "Should probe the URL first");
+      assert.equal(result.source, "url");
     });
 
-    test("urlFirstEnabled=false: Tries Torrent first, fails (throws), falls back to URL", async () => {
+    test("urlFirstEnabled=false with NO hosted URL: uses WebTorrent", async () => {
       const service = new PlaybackService({
         logger: () => {},
         urlFirstEnabled: false,
         isValidMagnetUri: () => true,
-        torrentClient: { cleanup: mock.fn() } // Mock cleanup
       });
 
       const probeUrl = mock.fn(async () => ({ outcome: "good", status: 200 }));
-      const playViaWebTorrent = mock.fn(async () => {
-        throw new Error("Torrent failed");
-      });
+      const playViaWebTorrent = mock.fn(async () => ({ infoHash: "123" }));
 
       const session = service.createSession({
-        url: "https://example.com/vid.mp4",
+        url: "",
         magnet: "magnet:?xt=urn:btih:123",
         videoElement: video,
         probeUrl,
         playViaWebTorrent,
       });
 
-      const startPromise = session.start();
+      const result = await session.start();
 
-      // Wait for async operations
-      await new Promise(resolve => process.nextTick(resolve));
-      await new Promise(resolve => process.nextTick(resolve));
-
-      // Simulate successful playback for URL
-      video.dispatchEvent(new window.Event("playing"));
-
-      const result = await startPromise;
-
-      assert.equal(playViaWebTorrent.mock.callCount(), 1, "Should call torrent first");
-      assert.equal(probeUrl.mock.callCount(), 1, "Should fallback to probe URL");
-      assert.equal(result.source, "url");
+      assert.equal(
+        playViaWebTorrent.mock.callCount(),
+        1,
+        "Should use WebTorrent when there is no URL to prefer",
+      );
+      assert.equal(probeUrl.mock.callCount(), 0, "No URL to probe");
+      assert.equal(result.source, "torrent");
     });
 
     test("forcedSource=torrent overrides urlFirstEnabled=true", async () => {