diff --git a/src/components/HoverVideo.tsx b/src/components/HoverVideo.tsx
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..93390a5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/components/HoverVideo.tsx
@@ -0,0 +1,117 @@
+import React, { useCallback, useEffect, useRef, useState } from "react";
+import { cn } from "@/lib/utils";
+
+interface HoverVideoProps {
+  src: string;
+  poster?: string;
+  className?: string;
+  /** Frame (in seconds) used as the static thumbnail. */
+  thumbnailTime?: number;
+  ariaLabel?: string;
+  /** Play when the video receives keyboard focus (adds it to the tab order). */
+  focusable?: boolean;
+  /** Allow touch users to toggle playback by tapping the preview. */
+  tapToPlay?: boolean;
+}
+
+/**
+ * Displays the first frame of a video as a lightweight thumbnail
+ * (`preload="metadata"` + a `#t=` fragment) and only decodes/plays it while
+ * hovered, focused, or tapped. Avoids autoplaying every card at once.
+ */
+const HoverVideo: React.FC<HoverVideoProps> = ({
+  src,
+  poster,
+  className,
+  thumbnailTime = 0.1,
+  ariaLabel,
+  focusable = false,
+  tapToPlay = false,
+}) => {
+  const videoRef = useRef<HTMLVideoElement>(null);
+  const [isActive, setIsActive] = useState(false);
+  const [isReady, setIsReady] = useState(false);
+  const [hasError, setHasError] = useState(false);
+
+  const seekToThumbnail = useCallback(() => {
+    const video = videoRef.current;
+    if (!video) return;
+    try {
+      video.currentTime = thumbnailTime;
+    } catch {
+      /* not seekable yet */
+    }
+  }, [thumbnailTime]);
+
+  // Reset transient state when the source changes (memoized component reuses state).
+  useEffect(() => {
+    setIsActive(false);
+    setIsReady(false);
+    setHasError(false);
+  }, [src]);
+
+  useEffect(() => {
+    const video = videoRef.current;
+    if (!video || hasError) return;
+
+    if (isActive) {
+      void video.play().catch((err: DOMException) => {
+        // A pending play() rejects with AbortError when interrupted by pause()
+        // (e.g. a quick hover in/out). That is not a real failure.
+        if (err.name !== "AbortError") setHasError(true);
+      });
+    } else {
+      video.pause();
+      seekToThumbnail();
+    }
+  }, [isActive, hasError, seekToThumbnail]);
+
+  useEffect(() => {
+    const onVisibilityChange = () => {
+      if (document.hidden) videoRef.current?.pause();
+    };
+    document.addEventListener("visibilitychange", onVisibilityChange);
+    return () => document.removeEventListener("visibilitychange", onVisibilityChange);
+  }, []);
+
+  if (hasError) return null;
+
+  return (
+    <video
+      ref={videoRef}
+      src={`${src}#t=${thumbnailTime}`}
+      poster={poster}
+      preload="metadata"
+      loop
+      muted
+      playsInline
+      aria-label={ariaLabel}
+      tabIndex={focusable ? 0 : undefined}
+      className={cn(
+        "w-full h-full object-cover transition-opacity duration-300",
+        isReady ? "opacity-100" : "opacity-0",
+        className,
+      )}
+      onLoadedData={() => setIsReady(true)}
+      onSeeked={() => setIsReady(true)}
+      onLoadedMetadata={seekToThumbnail}
+      onPointerEnter={(e) => {
+        if (e.pointerType !== "touch") setIsActive(true);
+      }}
+      onPointerLeave={(e) => {
+        if (e.pointerType !== "touch") setIsActive(false);
+      }}
+      onPointerDown={(e) => {
+        if (tapToPlay && e.pointerType === "touch") {
+          e.stopPropagation();
+          setIsActive((active) => !active);
+        }
+      }}
+      onFocus={() => setIsActive(true)}
+      onBlur={() => setIsActive(false)}
+      onError={() => setHasError(true)}
+    />
+  );
+};
+
+export default React.memo(HoverVideo);
diff --git a/src/components/resources/ResourceCard.tsx b/src/components/resources/ResourceCard.tsx
index bea2edb..c446774 100644
--- a/src/components/resources/ResourceCard.tsx
+++ b/src/components/resources/ResourceCard.tsx
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@ import { Resource } from "@/types/resources";
 import { cn } from "@/lib/utils";
 import { useUserFavorites } from "@/hooks/useUserFavorites";
 import AudioPlayer from "@/components/AudioPlayer";
+import HoverVideo from "@/components/HoverVideo";
 import { getCategoryIcon, getCategoryColor } from "@/utils/resourceCategories";
 
 interface ResourceCardProps {
@@ -41,10 +42,22 @@ const ResourceCard = ({ resource, onClick, onMusicLink }: ResourceCardProps) =>
   const isFavorite = isFavorited(String(resource.id));
 
   const [isInView, setIsInView] = useState(false);
+  const [isPreviewReady, setIsPreviewReady] = useState(false);
   const [isFontLoaded, setIsFontLoaded] = useState(false);
   const [isLinkHovered, setIsLinkHovered] = useState(false);
   const cardRef = useRef<HTMLDivElement>(null);
 
+  // Debounce preview loading so fast scrolling doesn't fire a burst of
+  // media requests for every card that briefly crosses the viewport.
+  useEffect(() => {
+    if (!isInView) {
+      setIsPreviewReady(false);
+      return;
+    }
+    const timer = setTimeout(() => setIsPreviewReady(true), 150);
+    return () => clearTimeout(timer);
+  }, [isInView]);
+
   useEffect(() => {
     const observer = new IntersectionObserver(
       ([entry]) => {
@@ -242,19 +255,18 @@ const ResourceCard = ({ resource, onClick, onMusicLink }: ResourceCardProps) =>
             onClick={handlePreviewClick}
             className="relative aspect-video bg-muted/20 rounded-md overflow-hidden mb-3 cursor-default"
           >
-            {isInView ? (
-              <video
+            <div className="absolute inset-0 flex items-center justify-center bg-muted/10">
+              <IconVideo className="h-8 w-8 text-muted-foreground/30" />
+            </div>
+            {isInView && isPreviewReady && (
+              <HoverVideo
                 src={previewUrl}
-                autoPlay
-                loop
-                muted
-                playsInline
-                className="w-full h-full object-cover"
+                poster={resource.image_url}
+                ariaLabel={`Preview of ${resource.title}`}
+                className="absolute inset-0"
+                focusable
+                tapToPlay
               />
-            ) : (
-              <div className="absolute inset-0 flex items-center justify-center bg-muted/10">
-                <IconVideo className="h-8 w-8 text-muted-foreground/30" />
-              </div>
             )}
           </div>
         );
diff --git a/src/pages/Showcase.tsx b/src/pages/Showcase.tsx
index 4e7f7ec..749da29 100644
--- a/src/pages/Showcase.tsx
+++ b/src/pages/Showcase.tsx
@@ -22,7 +22,7 @@ import { supabase } from "@/integrations/supabase/client";
 import Footer from "@/components/Footer";
 import AuthDialog from "@/components/auth/AuthDialog";
 import AudioPlayer from "@/components/AudioPlayer";
-import VideoPlayer from "@/components/VideoPlayer";
+import HoverVideo from "@/components/HoverVideo";
 
 
 
@@ -55,15 +55,12 @@ const ShowcaseCard: React.FC<{ item: ShowcaseWithAssets }> = ({ item }) => {
     if (isVideo) {
       return (
         <div className="w-full h-full bg-black relative group/vid">
-          <video
+          <HoverVideo
             src={url}
-            muted
-            loop
-            autoPlay
-            playsInline
+            ariaLabel="Showcase video preview"
             className="w-full h-full object-cover"
           />
-          <div className="absolute inset-0 bg-black/20 group-hover/vid:bg-transparent transition-colors" />
+          <div className="absolute inset-0 bg-black/20 group-hover/vid:bg-transparent transition-colors pointer-events-none" />
         </div>
       );
     }