diff --git a/android/app/src/main/kotlin/com/edde746/plezy/exoplayer/ExoPlayerPlugin.kt b/android/app/src/main/kotlin/com/edde746/plezy/exoplayer/ExoPlayerPlugin.kt
index 4bdb1165..7d82d0cb 100644
--- a/android/app/src/main/kotlin/com/edde746/plezy/exoplayer/ExoPlayerPlugin.kt
+++ b/android/app/src/main/kotlin/com/edde746/plezy/exoplayer/ExoPlayerPlugin.kt
@@ -605,7 +605,7 @@ class ExoPlayerPlugin : FlutterPlugin, MethodChannel.MethodCallHandler,
                     fallbackInProgress = false
 
                     // Configure basic MPV properties for Plex playback
-                    mpvCore?.setProperty("hwdec", "auto")
+                    mpvCore?.setProperty("hwdec", "mediacodec,mediacodec-copy")
                     mpvCore?.setProperty("vo", "gpu")
                     mpvCore?.setProperty("ao", "audiotrack")
 
diff --git a/android/app/src/main/kotlin/com/edde746/plezy/mpv/MpvPlayerCore.kt b/android/app/src/main/kotlin/com/edde746/plezy/mpv/MpvPlayerCore.kt
index 0e894414..cacd17c5 100644
--- a/android/app/src/main/kotlin/com/edde746/plezy/mpv/MpvPlayerCore.kt
+++ b/android/app/src/main/kotlin/com/edde746/plezy/mpv/MpvPlayerCore.kt
@@ -322,6 +322,9 @@ class MpvPlayerCore(private val activity: Activity) :
         MPVLib.setOptionString("opengl-es", "yes")
         // hwdec is set from Flutter via setProperty based on user preference
 
+        // Prevent crashes/artifacts from hardware film grain synthesis (mpv #14651)
+        MPVLib.setOptionString("vd-lavc-film-grain", "cpu")
+
         // Audio configuration
         MPVLib.setOptionString("ao", "audiotrack")
     }
diff --git a/lib/screens/video_player_screen.dart b/lib/screens/video_player_screen.dart
index 6d2c0e90..65a714f8 100644
--- a/lib/screens/video_player_screen.dart
+++ b/lib/screens/video_player_screen.dart
@@ -2927,7 +2927,7 @@ String _getHwdecValue(bool enabled) {
   if (Platform.isMacOS || Platform.isIOS) {
     return 'videotoolbox';
   } else if (Platform.isAndroid) {
-    return 'auto-safe';
+    return 'mediacodec,mediacodec-copy';
   } else {
     return 'auto'; // Windows, Linux
   }