diff --git a/mlbTVOS/Views/DashboardView.swift b/mlbTVOS/Views/DashboardView.swift
index 4cf6c00..0b8b1b8 100644
--- a/mlbTVOS/Views/DashboardView.swift
+++ b/mlbTVOS/Views/DashboardView.swift
@@ -260,7 +260,11 @@ struct DashboardView: View {
             mediaId: selection.broadcast.mediaId,
             streamURLString: selection.broadcast.streamURL
         )
-        guard let url = await viewModel.resolveStreamURL(for: stream) else { return nil }
+        guard let url = await viewModel.resolveStreamURL(
+            for: stream,
+            resolutionOverride: viewModel.defaultResolution,
+            preserveServerResolutionWhenBest: false
+        ) else { return nil }
         return SingleStreamPlaybackSource(url: url)
     }
 
diff --git a/mlbTVOS/Views/MultiStreamView.swift b/mlbTVOS/Views/MultiStreamView.swift
index b2d3a22..422dfc2 100644
--- a/mlbTVOS/Views/MultiStreamView.swift
+++ b/mlbTVOS/Views/MultiStreamView.swift
@@ -702,7 +702,7 @@ private struct MultiStreamTile: View {
         let streamID = stream.id
         let label = stream.label
         qualityUpgradeTask = Task { @MainActor in
-            let checkDelays: [Double] = [2.0, 4.0, 7.0]
+            let checkDelays: [Double] = [2.0, 4.0, 7.0, 15.0, 30.0]
 
             for delay in checkDelays {
                 try? await Task.sleep(for: .seconds(delay))
@@ -715,20 +715,15 @@ private struct MultiStreamTile: View {
                 let itemStatus = multiViewItemStatusDescription(player.currentItem?.status ?? .unknown)
                 let likelyToKeepUp = player.currentItem?.isPlaybackLikelyToKeepUp ?? false
                 let bufferEmpty = player.currentItem?.isPlaybackBufferEmpty ?? false
-                let currentResolution = currentStreamResolution(for: player) ?? "unknown"
+                let indicatedBitrate = player.currentItem?.accessLog()?.events.last?.indicatedBitrate ?? 0
                 let stable = (itemStatus == "readyToPlay" || likelyToKeepUp) && !bufferEmpty
 
                 logMultiView(
-                    "qualityUpgrade check id=\(streamID) delay=\(delay)s currentResolution=\(currentResolution) targetResolution=\(targetResolution) stable=\(stable) rate=\(player.rate)"
+                    "qualityUpgrade check id=\(streamID) delay=\(delay)s targetResolution=\(targetResolution) stable=\(stable) rate=\(player.rate) indicatedBitrate=\(Int(indicatedBitrate))"
                 )
 
                 guard stable else { continue }
 
-                if currentResolution == targetResolution {
-                    logMultiView("qualityUpgrade skip id=\(streamID) reason=already-\(targetResolution)")
-                    return
-                }
-
                 guard let upgradedURL = await viewModel.resolveStreamURL(
                     for: stream,
                     resolutionOverride: targetResolution,
@@ -764,13 +759,6 @@ private struct MultiStreamTile: View {
         (player.currentItem?.asset as? AVURLAsset)?.url
     }
 
-    private func currentStreamResolution(for player: AVPlayer) -> String? {
-        guard let url = currentStreamURL(for: player) else { return nil }
-        return URLComponents(url: url, resolvingAgainstBaseURL: false)?
-            .queryItems?
-            .first(where: { $0.name == "resolution" })?
-            .value
-    }
 
     private func installClipTimeLimit(on player: AVPlayer) {
         removeClipTimeLimit(from: player)
diff --git a/mlbTVOS/Views/SingleStreamPlayerView.swift b/mlbTVOS/Views/SingleStreamPlayerView.swift
index 79981cd..785c464 100644
--- a/mlbTVOS/Views/SingleStreamPlayerView.swift
+++ b/mlbTVOS/Views/SingleStreamPlayerView.swift
@@ -59,7 +59,7 @@ private func singleStreamTimeControlDescription(_ status: AVPlayer.TimeControlSt
 private func makeSingleStreamPlayerItem(from source: SingleStreamPlaybackSource) -> AVPlayerItem {
     if source.httpHeaders.isEmpty {
         let item = AVPlayerItem(url: source.url)
-        item.preferredForwardBufferDuration = 2
+        item.preferredForwardBufferDuration = 8
         return item
     }
 
@@ -68,7 +68,7 @@ private func makeSingleStreamPlayerItem(from source: SingleStreamPlaybackSource)
     ]
     let asset = AVURLAsset(url: source.url, options: assetOptions)
     let item = AVPlayerItem(asset: asset)
-    item.preferredForwardBufferDuration = 2
+    item.preferredForwardBufferDuration = 8
     logSingleStream(
         "Configured authenticated AVURLAsset headerKeys=\(singleStreamHeaderKeysDescription(source.httpHeaders))"
     )
@@ -553,15 +553,16 @@ struct SingleStreamPlayerView: UIViewControllerRepresentable {
 
             let playerItem = makeSingleStreamPlayerItem(from: source)
             let player = AVPlayer(playerItem: playerItem)
-            player.automaticallyWaitsToMinimizeStalling = false
+            player.automaticallyWaitsToMinimizeStalling = true
             player.isMuted = source.forceMuteAudio
-            logSingleStream("Configured player for fast start preferredForwardBufferDuration=2 automaticallyWaitsToMinimizeStalling=false")
+            logSingleStream("Configured player for quality ramp preferredForwardBufferDuration=8 automaticallyWaitsToMinimizeStalling=true")
             context.coordinator.attachDebugObservers(to: player, url: url, resolveNextSource: resolveNextSource)
             controller.player = player
             logSingleStream("AVPlayer assigned to controller; calling playImmediately(atRate: 1.0)")
             player.playImmediately(atRate: 1.0)
             context.coordinator.installClipTimeLimit(on: player, resolveNextSource: resolveNextSource)
             context.coordinator.scheduleStartupRecovery(for: player)
+            context.coordinator.scheduleQualityMonitor(for: player)
         }
 
         return controller
@@ -597,6 +598,7 @@ struct SingleStreamPlayerView: UIViewControllerRepresentable {
         private var playerObservations: [NSKeyValueObservation] = []
         private var notificationTokens: [NSObjectProtocol] = []
         private var startupRecoveryTask: Task<Void, Never>?
+        private var qualityMonitorTask: Task<Void, Never>?
         private var clipTimeLimitObserver: Any?
         private static let maxClipDuration: Double = 15.0
         var onTogglePitchInfo: (() -> Void)?
@@ -863,9 +865,38 @@ struct SingleStreamPlayerView: UIViewControllerRepresentable {
             }
         }
 
+        func scheduleQualityMonitor(for player: AVPlayer) {
+            qualityMonitorTask?.cancel()
+            qualityMonitorTask = Task { @MainActor [weak player] in
+                // Check at 5s, 15s, and 30s whether AVPlayer has ramped to a reasonable bitrate
+                for delay in [5.0, 15.0, 30.0] {
+                    try? await Task.sleep(for: .seconds(delay))
+                    guard !Task.isCancelled, let player else { return }
+
+                    let indicatedBitrate = player.currentItem?.accessLog()?.events.last?.indicatedBitrate ?? 0
+                    let observedBitrate = player.currentItem?.accessLog()?.events.last?.observedBitrate ?? 0
+                    let likelyToKeepUp = player.currentItem?.isPlaybackLikelyToKeepUp ?? false
+
+                    logSingleStream(
+                        "qualityMonitor check delay=\(delay)s indicatedBitrate=\(Int(indicatedBitrate)) observedBitrate=\(Int(observedBitrate)) likelyToKeepUp=\(likelyToKeepUp) rate=\(player.rate)"
+                    )
+
+                    // If observed bandwidth supports higher quality but indicated is low, nudge AVPlayer
+                    if likelyToKeepUp && indicatedBitrate > 0 && observedBitrate > indicatedBitrate * 2 {
+                        logSingleStream(
+                            "qualityMonitor nudge delay=\(delay)s — observed bandwidth \(Int(observedBitrate)) >> indicated \(Int(indicatedBitrate)), setting preferredPeakBitRate=0 to uncap"
+                        )
+                        player.currentItem?.preferredPeakBitRate = 0
+                    }
+                }
+            }
+        }
+
         func clearDebugObservers() {
             startupRecoveryTask?.cancel()
             startupRecoveryTask = nil
+            qualityMonitorTask?.cancel()
+            qualityMonitorTask = nil
             playerObservations.removeAll()
             for token in notificationTokens {
                 NotificationCenter.default.removeObserver(token)