diff --git a/backend/app/plex/query.py b/backend/app/plex/query.py
index d4698502..f3c3b3fd 100644
--- a/backend/app/plex/query.py
+++ b/backend/app/plex/query.py
@@ -76,6 +76,23 @@ def top_art_keys(
     return out
 
 
+def runtime_by_key(db, model, lib_ids: list[int], key_col, keys: list[str]) -> dict[str, int]:
+    """Total runtime (sum of duration_s, seconds) of the items under each key in `keys` (a member of the
+    JSONB array `key_col`), as {key: seconds}. ONE grouped query. Used for a collection tile's runtime."""
+    if not lib_ids or not keys:
+        return {}
+    k = func.jsonb_array_elements_text(key_col).label("k")
+    exp = (
+        select(func.coalesce(model.duration_s, 0).label("d"), k)
+        .where(model.library_id.in_(lib_ids), func.jsonb_typeof(key_col) == "array")
+        .subquery()
+    )
+    rows = db.execute(
+        select(exp.c.k, func.sum(exp.c.d)).where(exp.c.k.in_(keys)).group_by(exp.c.k)
+    ).all()
+    return {key: int(total or 0) for key, total in rows}
+
+
 def vector_col(model, lang: str):
     # RANKING vector. In HU we rank by the Hungarian vector; a row matched only via its English vector
     # (see `vector_match`) gets rank 0 and sorts last, which is the intended HU-first ordering.
diff --git a/backend/app/routes/plex/collections.py b/backend/app/routes/plex/collections.py
index f2d15cdd..45064772 100644
--- a/backend/app/routes/plex/collections.py
+++ b/backend/app/routes/plex/collections.py
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@ from app.models import (
 from app.plex import sync as plex_sync
 from app.plex.client import PlexClient, PlexError, PlexNotConfigured
 from app.plex.lookups import by_rating_key
-from app.plex.query import like_escape, top_art_keys
+from app.plex.query import like_escape, runtime_by_key, top_art_keys
 from app.routes.plex._shared import _content_libs
 
 router = APIRouter(prefix="/api/plex", tags=["plex"])
@@ -95,11 +95,22 @@ def collections(
             func.lower(PlexCollection.title),
         )
     ).scalars().all()
-    # A 2×2 poster collage per tile: the top movies in each collection (color hash is the client
-    # fallback for show-only / empty collections). One windowed query across the content movie libs.
+    # A montage of the top films per tile + the collection's total runtime (color hash + no-runtime is
+    # the client fallback for show-only / empty collections). Two grouped queries over the movie libs.
     movie_ids, _show_ids = _content_libs(db)
-    art = top_art_keys(db, PlexItem, movie_ids, PlexItem.collection_keys, [c.rating_key for c in rows])
-    return {"collections": [{**_collection_card(c), "art": art.get(c.rating_key, [])} for c in rows]}
+    keys = [c.rating_key for c in rows]
+    art = top_art_keys(db, PlexItem, movie_ids, PlexItem.collection_keys, keys, per=2)
+    runtime = runtime_by_key(db, PlexItem, movie_ids, PlexItem.collection_keys, keys)
+    return {
+        "collections": [
+            {
+                **_collection_card(c),
+                "art": art.get(c.rating_key, []),
+                "total_runtime_s": runtime.get(c.rating_key, 0),
+            }
+            for c in rows
+        ]
+    }
 
 
 def _editable_collection_or_403(db: Session, rating_key: str) -> PlexCollection:
diff --git a/backend/tests/test_plex_collections_filter.py b/backend/tests/test_plex_collections_filter.py
index 4b046c1d..8e5d4d89 100644
--- a/backend/tests/test_plex_collections_filter.py
+++ b/backend/tests/test_plex_collections_filter.py
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@ import app.state as state
 from app.auth import current_user
 from app.db import get_db
 from app.main import app
-from app.models import PlexItem, PlexLibrary, User
+from app.models import PlexCollection, PlexItem, PlexLibrary, User
 
 
 def _seed(db):
@@ -70,3 +70,25 @@ def test_multiple_collections_all_is_the_intersection(db, monkeypatch):
         "/api/plex/library?scope=movie&collections=A,B&collection_mode=all",
     )
     assert _titles(resp) == {"A and B"}
+
+
+def test_collection_cards_carry_montage_art_and_total_runtime(db, monkeypatch):
+    # The browse-tile montage (top films, best-rated first) + the collection's total runtime.
+    lib = PlexLibrary(plex_key="1", title="Movies", kind="movie", enabled=True)
+    db.add(lib)
+    db.flush()
+    db.add(PlexCollection(rating_key="A", library_id=lib.id, title="Coll A", child_count=2))
+    common = dict(library_id=lib.id, kind="movie", collection_keys=["A"])
+    db.add_all([
+        PlexItem(rating_key="m1", title="M1", duration_s=3600, rating=8.0,
+                 added_at=datetime(2024, 1, 1, tzinfo=timezone.utc), **common),
+        PlexItem(rating_key="m2", title="M2", duration_s=1800, rating=9.0,
+                 added_at=datetime(2024, 1, 2, tzinfo=timezone.utc), **common),
+    ])
+    user = User(email="collart@example.com")
+    db.add(user)
+    db.commit()
+    card = next(c for c in _get(db, user, monkeypatch, "/api/plex/collections").json()["collections"]
+                if c["id"] == "A")
+    assert card["art"] == ["m2", "m1"]  # best-rated first (m2 9.0 > m1 8.0)
+    assert card["total_runtime_s"] == 5400  # 3600 + 1800
diff --git a/frontend/src/components/PlexDiscover.tsx b/frontend/src/components/PlexDiscover.tsx
index 53b5cb3f..b2267837 100644
--- a/frontend/src/components/PlexDiscover.tsx
+++ b/frontend/src/components/PlexDiscover.tsx
@@ -204,9 +204,8 @@ export default function PlexDiscover({
                 key={g.value}
                 title={g.value}
                 art={g.art}
-                topRight={<span className="text-2xs text-white/80 drop-shadow">{g.count}</span>}
                 onClick={() => onGenre(g.value)}
-                className="h-20"
+                className="h-24"
               />
             ))}
           </div>
diff --git a/frontend/src/components/PosterTile.tsx b/frontend/src/components/PosterTile.tsx
index 700ac912..82805652 100644
--- a/frontend/src/components/PosterTile.tsx
+++ b/frontend/src/components/PosterTile.tsx
@@ -1,9 +1,10 @@
 import { type ReactNode } from "react";
 import { hueOf, hueTileGradient } from "../lib/hueTile";
 
-// A browse tile: a 2×2 collage of the group's top poster art (served from /api/plex/image/{key}) under
-// a dark scrim with the label, falling back to a color hash when the group has no art — so a tile never
-// renders blank. Shared by the Discover genre tiles and the Playlist/Collection browse tiles.
+// A browse tile split in two: the TOP half shows up to 2 montage posters (from /api/plex/image/{key}),
+// the BOTTOM half is a solid colour-hash band that carries the label — so the text is always readable
+// (a full-bleed poster collage drowned it). A group with no art falls back to an all-colour tile, never
+// blank. Shared by the Discover genre tiles and the Playlist/Collection browse tiles.
 export default function PosterTile({
   title,
   subtitle,
@@ -13,24 +14,29 @@ export default function PosterTile({
   className,
 }: {
   title: string;
-  subtitle?: ReactNode; // a bottom sub-line under the title (e.g. "12 items")
-  topRight?: ReactNode; // top-right corner content (a count, or an icon)
-  art?: string[]; // up to 4 poster rating_keys; fewer/none falls back to the color hash
+  subtitle?: ReactNode; // a bottom sub-line under the title (e.g. "12 items · 4h 30m")
+  topRight?: ReactNode; // top-right corner content on the colour band (e.g. an icon)
+  art?: string[]; // up to 2 poster rating_keys; fewer/none falls back to the colour hash
   onClick: () => void;
   className?: string; // caller sets the height (e.g. "h-20" / "h-28")
 }) {
-  const posters = (art ?? []).slice(0, 4);
+  const posters = (art ?? []).slice(0, 2);
+  const band = hueTileGradient(hueOf(title));
   return (
     <button
       type="button"
       onClick={onClick}
       title={title}
-      className={`glass-hover group relative flex flex-col justify-end overflow-hidden rounded-xl text-left transition ${className ?? ""}`}
-      style={posters.length === 0 ? { background: hueTileGradient(hueOf(title)) } : undefined}
+      className={`glass-hover group relative flex flex-col overflow-hidden rounded-xl text-left transition ${className ?? ""}`}
     >
-      {posters.length > 0 && (
-        <div className="absolute inset-0 grid grid-cols-2 grid-rows-2">
-          {Array.from({ length: 4 }).map((_, i) =>
+      {/* Top half: 2 montage posters, or the colour hash when a group has no art. */}
+      <div
+        className="grid h-1/2 min-h-0 grid-cols-2"
+        aria-hidden
+        style={posters.length === 0 ? { background: band } : undefined}
+      >
+        {posters.length > 0 &&
+          [0, 1].map((i) =>
             posters[i] ? (
               <img
                 key={i}
@@ -43,14 +49,12 @@ export default function PosterTile({
               <div key={i} style={{ background: hueTileGradient(hueOf(title + i)) }} />
             ),
           )}
-        </div>
-      )}
-      <div className="absolute inset-0 bg-gradient-to-t from-black/75 via-black/10 to-transparent" />
-      {/* After the scrim in DOM order → paints above it without a z-index token. */}
-      {topRight != null && <span className="absolute right-2 top-2">{topRight}</span>}
-      <div className="relative p-3">
-        <div className="line-clamp-2 text-sm font-semibold text-white drop-shadow">{title}</div>
-        {subtitle != null && <div className="text-2xs text-white/80">{subtitle}</div>}
+      </div>
+      {/* Bottom half: solid colour band — the label lives here so it stays readable over any art. */}
+      <div className="relative flex flex-1 flex-col justify-end p-2.5" style={{ background: band }}>
+        {topRight != null && <span className="absolute right-2 top-2">{topRight}</span>}
+        <div className="truncate text-sm font-semibold text-white drop-shadow">{title}</div>
+        {subtitle != null && <div className="truncate text-2xs text-white/80">{subtitle}</div>}
       </div>
     </button>
   );
diff --git a/frontend/src/components/plexBrowseLists.tsx b/frontend/src/components/plexBrowseLists.tsx
index 12040dc1..efe7ba82 100644
--- a/frontend/src/components/plexBrowseLists.tsx
+++ b/frontend/src/components/plexBrowseLists.tsx
@@ -1,13 +1,25 @@
 import { useState } from "react";
 import { useTranslation } from "react-i18next";
+import type { TFunction } from "i18next";
 import { useQuery } from "@tanstack/react-query";
-import { Layers, ListMusic } from "lucide-react";
+import { ListMusic } from "lucide-react";
 import { qk } from "../lib/queryKeys";
-import { api } from "../lib/api";
+import { api, type PlexCollection } from "../lib/api";
+import { formatRuntime } from "../lib/format";
 import { useDebounced } from "../lib/useDebounced";
 import { LoadingState, StateMessage } from "./QueryState";
 import PosterTile from "./PosterTile";
 
+// A collection tile's sub-line: item count · total runtime (each dropped when unknown, e.g. show-only
+// collections have no movie runtime).
+function collectionMeta(c: PlexCollection, t: TFunction): string {
+  const parts: string[] = [];
+  if (c.child_count != null) parts.push(t("plex.browse.items", { count: c.child_count }));
+  const rt = formatRuntime(c.total_runtime_s);
+  if (rt) parts.push(rt);
+  return parts.join(" · ");
+}
+
 // The Playlist / Collection browse surfaces reached from the header pill (Piece 2): a grid of tiles,
 // each a way INTO that area — a playlist tile opens the playlist view, a collection tile filters the
 // title grid by that collection. Both reuse the existing list endpoints (plexPlaylists / plexCollections
@@ -87,10 +99,7 @@ export function PlexCollectionsBrowse({ onPick }: { onPick: (id: string, title:
               key={c.id}
               title={c.title}
               art={c.art}
-              subtitle={
-                c.child_count != null ? t("plex.browse.items", { count: c.child_count }) : undefined
-              }
-              topRight={<Layers className="h-4 w-4 text-white/80 drop-shadow" />}
+              subtitle={collectionMeta(c, t)}
               onClick={() => onPick(c.id, c.title)}
               className="h-28"
             />
diff --git a/frontend/src/lib/api/plex.ts b/frontend/src/lib/api/plex.ts
index 9b6171c8..bad246c0 100644
--- a/frontend/src/lib/api/plex.ts
+++ b/frontend/src/lib/api/plex.ts
@@ -184,7 +184,8 @@ export interface PlexCollection {
   source?: string;
   editable: boolean;
   can_edit?: boolean; // effective: admin-marked editable AND a plain (non-smart/non-auto) collection
-  art?: string[]; // up to 4 poster rating_keys for the browse-tile collage (browse union only)
+  art?: string[]; // up to 2 poster rating_keys for the browse-tile montage (browse union only)
+  total_runtime_s?: number; // total runtime of all items, for the tile sub-line (browse union only)
 }
 export interface PlexPlaylist {
   id: number;