diff --git a/frontend/js/favorites.js b/frontend/js/favorites.js
index 9ee11b5..1426d9a 100644
--- a/frontend/js/favorites.js
+++ b/frontend/js/favorites.js
@@ -120,7 +120,7 @@ App.favorites = App.favorites || {};
             if (App.videos && typeof App.videos.attachNoReferrerRetry === 'function') {
                 App.videos.attachNoReferrerRetry(thumb);
             }
-            card.onclick = () => App.player.open(item.url);
+            card.onclick = () => App.player.open(item.meta || item);
             const favoriteBtn = card.querySelector('.favorite-btn');
             if (favoriteBtn) {
                 favoriteBtn.onclick = (event) => {
diff --git a/frontend/js/player.js b/frontend/js/player.js
index b7d9dce..93926f9 100644
--- a/frontend/js/player.js
+++ b/frontend/js/player.js
@@ -29,7 +29,7 @@ App.player = App.player || {};
         return host;
     }
 
-    App.player.open = async function(url) {
+    App.player.open = async function(source) {
         const modal = document.getElementById('video-modal');
         const video = document.getElementById('player');
         if (!modal || !video) return;
@@ -41,15 +41,30 @@ App.player = App.player || {};
         }
 
         // Normalize stream URL + optional referer forwarding.
-        let refererParam = '';
-        try {
-            const origin = new URL(url).origin;
-            refererParam = `&referer=${encodeURIComponent(origin + '/')}`;
-        } catch (err) {
-            refererParam = '';
+        let resolved = { url: '', referer: '' };
+        if (App.videos && typeof App.videos.resolveStreamSource === 'function') {
+            resolved = App.videos.resolveStreamSource(source);
+        } else if (typeof source === 'string') {
+            resolved.url = source;
+        } else if (source && typeof source === 'object') {
+            resolved.url = source.url || '';
         }
-        const streamUrl = `/api/stream?url=${encodeURIComponent(url)}${refererParam}`;
-        let isHls = /\.m3u8($|\?)/i.test(url);
+        if (!resolved.referer && resolved.url) {
+            try {
+                resolved.referer = `${new URL(resolved.url).origin}/`;
+            } catch (err) {
+                resolved.referer = '';
+            }
+        }
+        if (!resolved.url) {
+            if (App.ui && App.ui.showError) {
+                App.ui.showError('Unable to play this stream.');
+            }
+            return;
+        }
+        const refererParam = resolved.referer ? `&referer=${encodeURIComponent(resolved.referer)}` : '';
+        const streamUrl = `/api/stream?url=${encodeURIComponent(resolved.url)}${refererParam}`;
+        let isHls = /\.m3u8($|\?)/i.test(resolved.url);
 
         // Cleanup existing player instance to prevent aborted bindings.
         if (state.hlsPlayer) {
diff --git a/frontend/js/videos.js b/frontend/js/videos.js
index 69b48f9..a8508d4 100644
--- a/frontend/js/videos.js
+++ b/frontend/js/videos.js
@@ -180,7 +180,7 @@ App.videos = App.videos || {};
                     App.videos.closeAllMenus();
                 };
             }
-            card.onclick = () => App.player.open(v.url);
+            card.onclick = () => App.player.open(v);
             grid.appendChild(card);
             state.renderedVideoIds.add(v.id);
         });
@@ -257,22 +257,91 @@ App.videos = App.videos || {};
         }
     };
 
-    // Builds a proxied stream URL with an optional referer parameter.
-    App.videos.buildStreamUrl = function(videoUrl) {
-        let refererParam = '';
-        try {
-            const origin = new URL(videoUrl).origin;
-            refererParam = `&referer=${encodeURIComponent(origin + '/')}`;
-        } catch (err) {
-            refererParam = '';
+    App.videos.coerceNumber = function(value) {
+        if (value === null || value === undefined) return 0;
+        if (typeof value === 'number') return Number.isFinite(value) ? value : 0;
+        if (typeof value === 'string') {
+            const parsed = parseFloat(value);
+            return Number.isFinite(parsed) ? parsed : 0;
         }
-        return `/api/stream?url=${encodeURIComponent(videoUrl)}${refererParam}`;
+        return 0;
+    };
+
+    App.videos.pickBestFormat = function(formats) {
+        if (!Array.isArray(formats) || formats.length === 0) return null;
+        const candidates = formats.filter((fmt) => fmt && fmt.url);
+        if (!candidates.length) return null;
+        const videoCandidates = candidates.filter((fmt) => {
+            const videoExt = String(fmt.video_ext || '').toLowerCase();
+            const vcodec = String(fmt.vcodec || '').toLowerCase();
+            if (videoExt && videoExt !== 'none') return true;
+            if (vcodec && vcodec !== 'none') return true;
+            return false;
+        });
+        const pool = videoCandidates.length ? videoCandidates : candidates;
+        const score = (fmt) => {
+            const height = App.videos.coerceNumber(fmt.height || fmt.quality);
+            const width = App.videos.coerceNumber(fmt.width);
+            const size = height || width;
+            const bitrate = App.videos.coerceNumber(fmt.tbr || fmt.bitrate);
+            const fps = App.videos.coerceNumber(fmt.fps);
+            return [size, bitrate, fps];
+        };
+        return pool.reduce((best, fmt) => {
+            if (!best) return fmt;
+            const bestScore = score(best);
+            const curScore = score(fmt);
+            for (let i = 0; i < curScore.length; i++) {
+                if (curScore[i] > bestScore[i]) return fmt;
+                if (curScore[i] < bestScore[i]) return best;
+            }
+            return best;
+        }, null);
+    };
+
+    App.videos.resolveStreamSource = function(videoOrUrl) {
+        let sourceUrl = '';
+        let referer = '';
+        if (typeof videoOrUrl === 'string') {
+            sourceUrl = videoOrUrl;
+        } else if (videoOrUrl && typeof videoOrUrl === 'object') {
+            const meta = videoOrUrl.meta || videoOrUrl;
+            sourceUrl = meta.url || videoOrUrl.url || '';
+            const best = App.videos.pickBestFormat(meta.formats);
+            if (best && best.url) {
+                sourceUrl = best.url;
+                if (best.http_headers && (best.http_headers.Referer || best.http_headers.referer)) {
+                    referer = best.http_headers.Referer || best.http_headers.referer;
+                }
+            }
+            if (!referer && meta.http_headers && (meta.http_headers.Referer || meta.http_headers.referer)) {
+                referer = meta.http_headers.Referer || meta.http_headers.referer;
+            }
+        }
+        if (!referer && sourceUrl) {
+            try {
+                referer = `${new URL(sourceUrl).origin}/`;
+            } catch (err) {
+                referer = '';
+            }
+        }
+        return { url: sourceUrl, referer };
+    };
+
+    // Builds a proxied stream URL with an optional referer parameter.
+    App.videos.buildStreamUrl = function(videoOrUrl) {
+        const resolved = App.videos.resolveStreamSource(videoOrUrl);
+        if (!resolved.url) return '';
+        const refererParam = resolved.referer ? `&referer=${encodeURIComponent(resolved.referer)}` : '';
+        return `/api/stream?url=${encodeURIComponent(resolved.url)}${refererParam}`;
     };
 
     App.videos.downloadVideo = function(video) {
-        if (!video || !video.url) return;
+        if (!video) return;
+        const streamUrl = App.videos.buildStreamUrl(video);
+        if (!streamUrl) return;
         const link = document.createElement('a');
-        link.href = App.videos.buildStreamUrl(video.url);
+        link.href = streamUrl;
         const rawName = (video.title || video.id || 'video').toString();
         const safeName = rawName.replace(/[^a-z0-9]+/gi, '_').replace(/^_+|_+$/g, '').slice(0, 80);
         link.download = safeName ? `${safeName}.mp4` : 'video.mp4';