diff --git a/components/studio2/Bench.vue b/components/studio2/Bench.vue
index 63e22ad..c773a8d 100644
--- a/components/studio2/Bench.vue
+++ b/components/studio2/Bench.vue
@@ -302,13 +302,14 @@
         />
        </template>
        <template v-else-if="selected">
-        <img
+         <img
          v-show="!isHidden(selected)"
-         :key="selected.id"
+         :key="selected.id+'-'+stagePreviewNonce"
          class="viewer-still"
-         :src="stillThumbUrl(selected.id)"
+         :src="stagePreviewSrc"
          alt="Selected still"
          decoding="async"
+         @error="onStagePreviewError"
         >
        </template>
        <template v-else>
@@ -700,7 +701,25 @@ const stills=computed(()=>library.value.stills.filter((s:any)=>s.folderId===form
 const clips=computed(()=>library.value.clips.filter((s:any)=>s.folderId===form.folderId))
 const stillUrl=(id:string)=>`/api/library/stills/${id}`
 const stillThumbUrl=(id:string)=>`/api/library/stills/${id}/thumb`
-/** Stage always uses /thumb — never auto-upgrade to the archive master. */
+const stillPreviewUrl=(id:string)=>`/api/library/stills/${id}/preview`
+/** Stage uses /preview (1600px). Tiles keep /thumb. Never auto-upgrade to the archive master. */
+const stagePreviewNonce=ref(0)
+const stagePreviewRetries=ref(0)
+const stagePreviewSrc=computed(()=>{
+ const id=selected.value?.id
+ if(!id || selected.value?.kind==='clip' || selected.value?.kind==='track') return ''
+ const base=stillPreviewUrl(id)
+ return stagePreviewNonce.value?`${base}?t=${stagePreviewNonce.value}`:base
+})
+function onStagePreviewError(){
+ if(!selected.value?.id || stagePreviewRetries.value>=8) return
+ stagePreviewRetries.value+=1
+ window.setTimeout(()=>{
+  if(!selected.value?.id) return
+  stagePreviewNonce.value=Date.now()
+ }, 700)
+}
+watch(()=>selected.value?.id,()=>{stagePreviewNonce.value=0;stagePreviewRetries.value=0})
 const folderJobs=computed(()=>jobs.value.filter(j=>j.request.folderId===form.folderId))
 const benchJobs=computed(()=>queueJobs(folderJobs.value))
 const musicJobs=computed(()=>studioQueue.value
@@ -1666,6 +1685,10 @@ const mobileCtx=computed(()=>({
  aspectOptions,
  stillUrl,
  stillThumbUrl,
+ stillPreviewUrl,
+ stagePreviewSrc:stagePreviewSrc.value,
+ stagePreviewNonce:stagePreviewNonce.value,
+ onStagePreviewError,
  isHidden,
  slotHidden,
  stillById,
diff --git a/components/studio2/Mobile.vue b/components/studio2/Mobile.vue
index 418488a..139fe8f 100644
--- a/components/studio2/Mobile.vue
+++ b/components/studio2/Mobile.vue
@@ -123,11 +123,12 @@
    <img
     v-else-if="ctx.selected"
     v-show="!ctx.isHidden(ctx.selected)"
-    :key="ctx.selected.id"
+    :key="ctx.selected.id+'-'+(ctx.stagePreviewNonce||0)"
     class="m-stage-still"
-    :src="ctx.stillThumbUrl(ctx.selected.id)"
+    :src="ctx.stagePreviewSrc || ctx.stillPreviewUrl(ctx.selected.id)"
     alt="Selected still"
     decoding="async"
+    @error="ctx.onStagePreviewError?.()"
    >
    <p v-else class="m-muted">Open Library to pick a still or clip</p>
   </div>
diff --git a/server/api/library/stills/[id]/preview.get.ts b/server/api/library/stills/[id]/preview.get.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..a4d9fdd
--- /dev/null
+++ b/server/api/library/stills/[id]/preview.get.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,30 @@
+import { existsSync, createReadStream } from 'node:fs'
+import { fileEtag, stillPath, stillPreviewPath, existingStillPreviewPath } from '~/server/utils/library'
+
+export default defineEventHandler((event) => {
+  const { owner } = assertLibraryOwner(event)
+  const id = String(getRouterParam(event, 'id') || '')
+  const still = getStill(owner, id)
+  assertFolderAccess(event, still.folderId)
+
+  const path = existingStillPreviewPath(owner, id)
+  const original = stillPath(owner, still.id)
+  // Ready preview → stream. Never await ffmpeg; never stream the archive master.
+  if (path && existsSync(path) && path !== original) {
+    const etag = fileEtag(path)
+    setHeader(event, 'ETag', etag)
+    setHeader(event, 'Cache-Control', 'public, max-age=86400')
+    if (getHeader(event, 'if-none-match') === etag) {
+      setResponseStatus(event, 304)
+      return null
+    }
+    setHeader(event, 'Content-Type', 'image/jpeg')
+    return sendStream(event, createReadStream(path))
+  }
+
+  // Missing → answer now; build .preview.jpg in the background
+  void stillPreviewPath(owner, id).catch(() => null)
+  setHeader(event, 'Cache-Control', 'no-store')
+  setResponseStatus(event, 204)
+  return null
+})
diff --git a/server/utils/library.ts b/server/utils/library.ts
index 7801a38..c06a69b 100644
--- a/server/utils/library.ts
+++ b/server/utils/library.ts
@@ -1271,6 +1271,10 @@ export function stillThumbFile(owner: string, id: string) {
   return join(ownerRoot(owner), 'stills', `${id}.thumb.jpg`)
 }
 
+export function stillPreviewFile(owner: string, id: string) {
+  return join(ownerRoot(owner), 'stills', `${id}.preview.jpg`)
+}
+
 /** Sync check — never kicks ffmpeg. Empty string when thumb is missing or stale. */
 export function existingStillThumbPath(owner: string, id: string) {
   const source = stillPath(owner, id)
@@ -1282,14 +1286,27 @@ export function existingStillThumbPath(owner: string, id: string) {
   return ''
 }
 
+/** Sync check for stage preview — never kicks ffmpeg. */
+export function existingStillPreviewPath(owner: string, id: string) {
+  const source = stillPath(owner, id)
+  const dest = stillPreviewFile(owner, id)
+  if (!existsSync(source) || !existsSync(dest)) return ''
+  try {
+    if (statSync(dest).mtimeMs >= statSync(source).mtimeMs) return dest
+  } catch { return '' }
+  return ''
+}
+
 function removeStillFiles(owner: string, id: string) {
   rmSync(stillPath(owner, id), { force: true })
   rmSync(stillThumbFile(owner, id), { force: true })
+  rmSync(stillPreviewFile(owner, id), { force: true })
 }
 
 let thumbSlots = 0
 const thumbWaiters: Array<() => void> = []
 const thumbBuilds = new Map<string, Promise<string>>()
+const previewBuilds = new Map<string, Promise<string>>()
 
 function withThumbSlot<T>(fn: () => Promise<T>) {
   return new Promise<T>((resolve, reject) => {
@@ -1306,14 +1323,14 @@ function withThumbSlot<T>(fn: () => Promise<T>) {
   })
 }
 
-function buildStillThumb(source: string, dest: string) {
+function buildStillJpeg(source: string, dest: string, scale: string, quality: string) {
   return new Promise<boolean>((resolve) => {
     const proc = spawn('ffmpeg', [
       '-y',
       '-i', source,
-      '-vf', 'scale=384:-2',
+      '-vf', scale,
       '-frames:v', '1',
-      '-q:v', '5',
+      '-q:v', quality,
       dest
     ], { stdio: 'ignore' })
     const timer = setTimeout(() => {
@@ -1331,6 +1348,14 @@ function buildStillThumb(source: string, dest: string) {
   })
 }
 
+function buildStillThumb(source: string, dest: string) {
+  return buildStillJpeg(source, dest, 'scale=384:-2', '5')
+}
+
+function buildStillPreview(source: string, dest: string) {
+  return buildStillJpeg(source, dest, 'scale=1600:-2', '3')
+}
+
 export async function stillThumbPath(owner: string, id: string) {
   const source = stillPath(owner, id)
   const dest = stillThumbFile(owner, id)
@@ -1340,7 +1365,7 @@ export async function stillThumbPath(owner: string, id: string) {
       if (statSync(dest).mtimeMs >= statSync(source).mtimeMs) return dest
     } catch { /* rebuild */ }
   }
-  const key = `${owner}:${id}`
+  const key = `${owner}:${id}:thumb`
   const pending = thumbBuilds.get(key)
   if (pending) return pending
   const build = withThumbSlot(async () => {
@@ -1354,6 +1379,29 @@ export async function stillThumbPath(owner: string, id: string) {
   return build
 }
 
+export async function stillPreviewPath(owner: string, id: string) {
+  const source = stillPath(owner, id)
+  const dest = stillPreviewFile(owner, id)
+  if (!existsSync(source)) return ''
+  if (existsSync(dest)) {
+    try {
+      if (statSync(dest).mtimeMs >= statSync(source).mtimeMs) return dest
+    } catch { /* rebuild */ }
+  }
+  const key = `${owner}:${id}:preview`
+  const pending = previewBuilds.get(key)
+  if (pending) return pending
+  const build = withThumbSlot(async () => {
+    const ok = await buildStillPreview(source, dest)
+    // Never return the archive master as a stage preview
+    return ok ? dest : ''
+  }).finally(() => {
+    previewBuilds.delete(key)
+  })
+  previewBuilds.set(key, build)
+  return build
+}
+
 export async function ensureStillThumbnails(owner: string, opts?: { limit?: number }) {
   const catalog = readCatalog(owner)
   const cap = Math.max(0, Math.min(Number(opts?.limit) || 2, 8))
@@ -1603,6 +1651,7 @@ export async function saveStill(params: {
     next.stills.unshift(still)
   })
   void stillThumbPath(params.ownerKey, still.id).catch(() => null)
+  void stillPreviewPath(params.ownerKey, still.id).catch(() => null)
   return still
 }