diff --git a/frontend/src/components/Home.tsx b/frontend/src/components/Home.tsx
index 27c47b98..25fc67b4 100644
--- a/frontend/src/components/Home.tsx
+++ b/frontend/src/components/Home.tsx
@@ -59,13 +59,14 @@ import { SURFACE } from "./ui/surfaces";
 import clsx from "clsx";
 import { IconButton } from "./ui/IconButton";
 import { MoreButton } from "./ui/MoreButton";
-import { HOVER_REVEAL, HOVER_YIELD } from "./ui/reveal";
+import { HOVER_YIELD } from "./ui/reveal";
 import { MediaResumeButtons } from "./MediaResumeButtons";
 import { MediaCard, MediaPlayGlyph } from "./ui/MediaCard";
 import {
   MEDIA_BAR,
   MEDIA_BADGE,
   MEDIA_HOVER_LAYER,
+  MEDIA_RESUME_LAYER,
   MEDIA_IMG,
   MEDIA_PICTURE,
   mediaPictureBox,
@@ -595,13 +596,7 @@ function Hero({
         {/* A started hero continues on a click, and offers the start as a card does (C5): the pair
             is a sibling over the picture, never inside its button. */}
         {started && (
-          <div
-            className={clsx(
-              HOVER_REVEAL,
-              "pointer-events-none absolute inset-0 z-base flex items-center justify-center gap-2 *:pointer-events-auto",
-              card.aspect === "poster" && "flex-col",
-            )}
-          >
+          <div className={clsx(MEDIA_RESUME_LAYER, card.aspect === "poster" && "flex-col")}>
             <MediaResumeButtons onContinue={() => onPlay(card)} onRestart={() => onPlay(card, 0)} />
           </div>
         )}
diff --git a/frontend/src/components/PlayerModal.dom.test.tsx b/frontend/src/components/PlayerModal.dom.test.tsx
index 098759d6..ad8753e6 100644
--- a/frontend/src/components/PlayerModal.dom.test.tsx
+++ b/frontend/src/components/PlayerModal.dom.test.tsx
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@
 // test that leaves `window.YT` unset). Each item the modal plays constructs a new YT.Player, and the
 // fake records what it was asked for — that is how these tests see where playback starts.
 import { describe, it, expect, vi, afterEach, beforeAll, beforeEach } from "vitest";
-import { render, screen, fireEvent, waitFor, cleanup, act } from "@testing-library/react";
+import { render, screen, fireEvent, waitFor, cleanup, act, within } from "@testing-library/react";
 import { QueryClient, QueryClientProvider } from "@tanstack/react-query";
 import type { ReactNode } from "react";
 
@@ -542,6 +542,27 @@ describe("PlayerModal — the side panel on a wide window", () => {
     expect(spin(document.querySelector(".player-stage")!, 100)).toBe(true); // over the video
   });
 
+  // E31 S5: a failed load read "No description." in the always-open panel — an error drawn as empty.
+  it("says the description failed to load, with a retry, instead of 'No description'", async () => {
+    wideWindow(true);
+    const detail = vi
+      .spyOn(api, "videoDetail")
+      .mockRejectedValueOnce(new Error("boom"))
+      .mockResolvedValue({ description: "A long description" } as Awaited<
+        ReturnType<typeof api.videoDetail>
+      >);
+    const A = vid("A", 0);
+    renderModal(
+      <PlayerModal video={A} queue={[A]} startIndex={0} onClose={() => {}} onState={() => {}} />,
+    );
+    const panel = screen.getByTestId("player-description");
+    expect(await within(panel).findByText("player.descriptionFailed")).toBeTruthy();
+    expect(within(panel).queryByText("player.noDescription")).toBeNull();
+    fireEvent.click(within(panel).getByRole("button", { name: "common.retry" }));
+    expect(await within(panel).findByText("A long description")).toBeTruthy();
+    expect(detail).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(2);
+  });
+
   it("keeps the details under the video below 1280 px", () => {
     wideWindow(false);
     vi.spyOn(api, "videoDetail").mockReturnValue(new Promise(() => {}));
diff --git a/frontend/src/components/PlayerModal.tsx b/frontend/src/components/PlayerModal.tsx
index 526992b7..7f67c867 100644
--- a/frontend/src/components/PlayerModal.tsx
+++ b/frontend/src/components/PlayerModal.tsx
@@ -61,6 +61,7 @@ import { dispatch, isActivationTarget, useKeyScope } from "../lib/keymap";
 import { useBackToClose } from "../lib/history";
 import ChannelNameLink from "./ChannelNameLink";
 import Toaster from "./ui/Toaster";
+import { StateMessage } from "./ui/QueryState";
 import { useOverlayOrder } from "./ui/overlayOrder";
 import { afterRemoval } from "../lib/playerQueue";
 import {
@@ -888,6 +889,10 @@ export default function PlayerModal({
                     </SectionLabel>
                     {detail.isLoading ? (
                       <div className="text-sm text-muted">{t("player.loading")}</div>
+                    ) : detail.isError && !detail.data ? (
+                      <StateMessage tone="error" compact onRetry={() => void detail.refetch()}>
+                        {t("player.descriptionFailed")}
+                      </StateMessage>
                     ) : detail.data?.description ? (
                       <div
                         ref={descFade.ref}
@@ -1086,6 +1091,10 @@ export default function PlayerModal({
                     </SectionLabel>
                     {detail.isLoading ? (
                       <div className="text-sm text-muted">{t("player.loading")}</div>
+                    ) : detail.isError && !detail.data ? (
+                      <StateMessage tone="error" compact onRetry={() => void detail.refetch()}>
+                        {t("player.descriptionFailed")}
+                      </StateMessage>
                     ) : detail.data?.description ? (
                       <div className="text-sm whitespace-pre-wrap wrap-break-word leading-relaxed">
                         {renderDescription(detail.data.description, {
diff --git a/frontend/src/components/VideoCard.tsx b/frontend/src/components/VideoCard.tsx
index c1e4f774..c0b126f7 100644
--- a/frontend/src/components/VideoCard.tsx
+++ b/frontend/src/components/VideoCard.tsx
@@ -35,6 +35,7 @@ import {
   MEDIA_BADGE,
   MEDIA_BAR,
   MEDIA_HOVER_LAYER,
+  MEDIA_PICTURE_CONTAINER,
   MEDIA_IMG,
   MEDIA_PICTURE,
   mediaTitleClass,
@@ -239,7 +240,7 @@ function Thumb({
     // min-h-0: the caller's aspect box must hold its ratio before the image arrives — an aspect-ratio
     // box otherwise grows to its content, and an off-screen, not-yet-loaded thumbnail measured 338px
     // tall, which stretched a whole Home shelf to it (ui/mediaCardStyles `mediaPictureBox`).
-    <div className={clsx("relative min-h-0", className)}>
+    <div className={clsx("relative min-h-0", MEDIA_PICTURE_CONTAINER, className)}>
       {/* Named by the title: its only text is the duration badge, so a screen reader heard the first
         Tab stop of every card as "44:10" (E28 S3d4). */}
       <a
diff --git a/frontend/src/components/downloadRow.dom.test.tsx b/frontend/src/components/downloadRow.dom.test.tsx
index 12448122..7222d520 100644
--- a/frontend/src/components/downloadRow.dom.test.tsx
+++ b/frontend/src/components/downloadRow.dom.test.tsx
@@ -237,6 +237,27 @@ describe("DownloadRow · a link with no details yet", () => {
     expect(container.textContent).not.toContain("https://");
   });
 
+  // E31 S5 (measured at 21px on the Downloads page): every link in the row stands on a 24px line on
+  // a mouse (DESIGN B1), as the link line and the failure link already did.
+  it("gives the title link and the channel link a 24px line", () => {
+    const { container } = render(
+      <DownloadRow
+        job={{
+          ...bare,
+          display_uploader: "Someone",
+          display_uploader_url: "https://example.com/c",
+        }}
+      />,
+    );
+    const title = [...container.querySelectorAll("a")].find((a) => a.href === bare.source_url)!;
+    const channel = container.querySelector<HTMLAnchorElement>("a[href='https://example.com/c']")!;
+    // inline-block: an inline link's box is the font's height (21px) whatever its line height.
+    for (const a of [title, channel])
+      expect(a.className.split(/\s+/)).toEqual(
+        expect.arrayContaining(["inline-block", "leading-6"]),
+      );
+  });
+
   it("keeps the named row as it was: title text, and the link on its own line", () => {
     const named = { ...bare, display_name: "A clip" };
     const { container } = render(<DownloadRow job={named} />);
diff --git a/frontend/src/components/downloadRow.tsx b/frontend/src/components/downloadRow.tsx
index 9ea89536..4b48e4da 100644
--- a/frontend/src/components/downloadRow.tsx
+++ b/frontend/src/components/downloadRow.tsx
@@ -211,7 +211,7 @@ function ChannelLine({ job }: { job: DownloadJob }) {
           target="_blank"
           rel="noopener noreferrer"
           title={url}
-          className="text-muted hover:text-accent hover:underline"
+          className="inline-block max-w-full truncate align-top leading-6 text-muted hover:text-accent hover:underline pointer-coarse:leading-(--touch-target)"
           {...nativeMenu}
         >
           {name}
@@ -274,7 +274,7 @@ export function DownloadRow({
                 target="_blank"
                 rel="noopener noreferrer"
                 title={`${t("downloads.source.open")} — ${job.source_url}`}
-                className="hover:text-accent hover:underline"
+                className="inline-block max-w-full truncate align-top leading-6 hover:text-accent hover:underline pointer-coarse:leading-(--touch-target)"
                 {...nativeMenu}
               >
                 {jobTitle(job)}
diff --git a/frontend/src/components/mediaPicture.contract.test.ts b/frontend/src/components/mediaPicture.contract.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..dc8755f1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/frontend/src/components/mediaPicture.contract.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,29 @@
+import { describe, expect, it } from "vitest";
+
+import videoCard from "./VideoCard.tsx?raw";
+
+import {
+  MEDIA_HOVER_LAYER,
+  MEDIA_PICTURE_CONTAINER,
+  MEDIA_RESUME_LAYER,
+  mediaPictureBox,
+} from "./ui/mediaCardStyles";
+
+// E31 S5, measured: at text size 1.3 a 242px feed thumbnail put the 63px Play 13px into the 37px hover
+// row (the Play and the row grow with the root font, the picture's height does not). A narrow picture
+// (under 14rem, so the cut moves with the text size) centres what it carries above the row instead.
+describe("a media picture", () => {
+  it("is a size container, so what sits on it answers its width", () => {
+    expect(mediaPictureBox("wide")).toContain(MEDIA_PICTURE_CONTAINER);
+    expect(mediaPictureBox("poster")).toContain(MEDIA_PICTURE_CONTAINER);
+    // The video card draws its own box (it is not a mediaPictureBox).
+    expect(videoCard).toContain('clsx("relative min-h-0", MEDIA_PICTURE_CONTAINER, className)');
+  });
+
+  it.each([
+    ["the Play", MEDIA_HOVER_LAYER],
+    ["the Continue + Restart pair", MEDIA_RESUME_LAYER],
+  ])("leaves the hover row its band when narrow: %s", (_, layer) => {
+    expect(layer.split(" ")).toContain("@max-[14rem]/pic:pb-10");
+  });
+});
diff --git a/frontend/src/components/plexCards.tsx b/frontend/src/components/plexCards.tsx
index 0c791a9f..d580e6cc 100644
--- a/frontend/src/components/plexCards.tsx
+++ b/frontend/src/components/plexCards.tsx
@@ -12,12 +12,13 @@ import { plexAddLabelKey, plexStarted } from "./usePlexCardActions";
 import { IconButton } from "./ui/IconButton";
 import { MoreButton } from "./ui/MoreButton";
 import { Pressable } from "./ui/Pressable";
-import { HOVER_REVEAL, HOVER_YIELD } from "./ui/reveal";
+import { HOVER_YIELD } from "./ui/reveal";
 import { MediaResumeButtons } from "./MediaResumeButtons";
 import {
   MEDIA_BADGE,
   MEDIA_BAR,
   MEDIA_HOVER_LAYER,
+  MEDIA_RESUME_LAYER,
   MEDIA_IMG,
   MEDIA_PICTURE,
   mediaPictureBox,
@@ -234,8 +235,7 @@ function PlexPicture({
       {resumable && (
         <div
           className={clsx(
-            HOVER_REVEAL,
-            "pointer-events-none absolute inset-0 z-base flex items-center justify-center gap-2 *:pointer-events-auto",
+            MEDIA_RESUME_LAYER,
             // A poster is too narrow for the pair side by side (150px); it stacks, as in the lab.
             aspect === "poster" && "flex-col",
           )}
diff --git a/frontend/src/components/ui/mediaCardStyles.ts b/frontend/src/components/ui/mediaCardStyles.ts
index b862911a..c641023e 100644
--- a/frontend/src/components/ui/mediaCardStyles.ts
+++ b/frontend/src/components/ui/mediaCardStyles.ts
@@ -18,9 +18,21 @@ export const MEDIA_IMG =
 export const MEDIA_BADGE =
   "pointer-events-none absolute rounded-sm bg-black/80 px-1.5 py-0.5 text-2xs font-medium text-white tabular-nums";
 
-/** The hover layer over the picture: a dim that carries the Play (mouse only, like the hover row). */
+/** The picture box as a size container (`pic`), so what sits on the picture can answer its width.
+ *  Every picture box carries it: `mediaPictureBox` and the video card's own box. */
+export const MEDIA_PICTURE_CONTAINER = "@container/pic";
+
+/** The hover layer over the picture: a dim that carries the Play (mouse only, like the hover row).
+ *  On a narrow picture the Play centres in the band ABOVE the hover row instead of on the whole
+ *  picture: the picture's height follows the card's width, but the Play and the row grow with the
+ *  text size, so at 1.3 a 242px thumbnail put the 63px Play 13px into the 37px row (E31 S5,
+ *  measured). The cut is in rem, so it moves with the text size too: a picture under 14rem wide. */
 export const MEDIA_HOVER_LAYER =
-  "reveal-hover absolute inset-0 flex items-center justify-center gap-2 bg-black/45 opacity-0 transition-opacity group-hover:opacity-100 group-focus-within:opacity-100";
+  "reveal-hover absolute inset-0 flex items-center justify-center gap-2 bg-black/45 opacity-0 transition-opacity group-hover:opacity-100 group-focus-within:opacity-100 @max-[14rem]/pic:pb-10";
+
+/** The layer that holds a started title's Continue + Restart pair over the picture: a sibling of the
+ *  picture's button, never inside it (C5). Narrow, it leaves the hover row its band as the Play does. */
+export const MEDIA_RESUME_LAYER = `${HOVER_REVEAL} pointer-events-none absolute inset-0 z-base flex items-center justify-center gap-2 *:pointer-events-auto @max-[14rem]/pic:pb-10`;
 
 /** Where the card's hover row (watched, save, add, "…") docks: the picture's bottom-right. */
 export const MEDIA_BAR = `${HOVER_REVEAL} absolute bottom-2.5 right-1.5 z-base`;
@@ -39,4 +51,8 @@ export const mediaTitleClass = (dense: boolean, shelf = false) =>
 /** The box that holds the picture at its ratio. `min-h-0`: an aspect-ratio box otherwise grows to
  *  its content's height, so a square channel avatar made a 16:9 slot square (measured 182×182). */
 export const mediaPictureBox = (aspect: "poster" | "wide") =>
-  clsx("relative min-h-0", aspect === "poster" ? "aspect-2/3" : "aspect-video");
+  clsx(
+    "relative min-h-0",
+    MEDIA_PICTURE_CONTAINER,
+    aspect === "poster" ? "aspect-2/3" : "aspect-video",
+  );
diff --git a/frontend/src/i18n/locales/en/player.json b/frontend/src/i18n/locales/en/player.json
index 93210443..ad2d6cd1 100644
--- a/frontend/src/i18n/locales/en/player.json
+++ b/frontend/src/i18n/locales/en/player.json
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@
   "closeEsc": "Close (Esc)",
   "description": "Description",
   "noDescription": "No description.",
+  "descriptionFailed": "Couldn't load the description",
   "channel": "Channel",
   "views": "{{formattedCount}} views",
   "stream": "stream",
diff --git a/frontend/src/i18n/locales/hu/player.json b/frontend/src/i18n/locales/hu/player.json
index 0d4be415..4aadfe84 100644
--- a/frontend/src/i18n/locales/hu/player.json
+++ b/frontend/src/i18n/locales/hu/player.json
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@
   "closeEsc": "Bezárás (Esc)",
   "description": "Leírás",
   "noDescription": "Nincs leírás.",
+  "descriptionFailed": "Nem sikerült betölteni a leírást",
   "channel": "Csatorna",
   "views": "{{formattedCount}} megtekintés",
   "stream": "élő adás",