diff --git a/cmd/mxl-player/main.go b/cmd/mxl-player/main.go
index ae20965..63ca4b5 100644
--- a/cmd/mxl-player/main.go
+++ b/cmd/mxl-player/main.go
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ import (
 	"fmt"
 	"io"
 	"log"
+	mxladapter "mxl-player/internal/adapter/mxl"
 	"mxl-player/internal/imgui"
 	"mxl-player/internal/playback"
 	"mxl-player/internal/renderer"
@@ -144,7 +145,8 @@ func main() {
 	if !args.ListAudio && !args.ListGPU {
 		checkMXLargs(args)
 	}
-	// end of cli args parse
+	// path selection
+	useVideoSlot := args.VideoFlowId != "" && args.AudioFlowId == ""
 
 	runtime.LockOSThread()
 	if err := sdl.Load(); err != nil {
@@ -297,12 +299,7 @@ func main() {
 		fmt.Printf("sync: video %dx%d audio %dch batch=%d\n",
 			syncSrc.Width(), syncSrc.Height(), aChans, audioBatch)
 	case args.VideoFlowId != "":
-		videoSrc, err = source.Open(args.Domain, args.VideoFlowId)
-		if err != nil {
-			log.Fatalf("source: %v", err)
-		}
-		fmt.Printf("video: %dx%d stride=%d\n", videoSrc.Width(), videoSrc.Height(), videoSrc.Stride())
-
+		// VideoSlot owns opening and closing the video reader.
 	default:
 		audioSrc, err = source.OpenAudio(args.Domain, args.AudioFlowId)
 		if err != nil {
@@ -400,6 +397,39 @@ func main() {
 	control := make(chan reconnectParams, 1)
 	videoBridge := playback.NewVideoBridge()
 
+	videoWorker, err := playback.NewVideoWorker(
+		mxladapter.VideoFactory{},
+		videoBridge,
+		retryPolicy,
+		mxladapter.ShouldRetry,
+		func(status playback.Status) {
+			if status.Err != nil {
+				log.Printf(
+					"video: state=%v attempt=%d failed=%d: %v",
+					status.State,
+					status.Attempt,
+					status.FailedAttempts,
+					status.Err,
+				)
+				return
+			}
+			log.Printf(
+				"video: state=%v attempt=%d failed=%d",
+				status.State,
+				status.Attempt,
+				status.FailedAttempts,
+			)
+		},
+	)
+	if err != nil {
+		panic(err)
+	}
+	videoSlot, err := playback.NewVideoSlot(videoWorker)
+	if err != nil {
+		panic(err)
+	}
+	videoCommands := make(chan playback.FeedConfig, 1)
+
 	reopen := func(params reconnectParams) error {
 		// Close current sources
 		if syncSrc != nil {
@@ -452,6 +482,23 @@ func main() {
 	}
 
 	doReconnect := func() {
+		if useVideoSlot {
+			config := playback.FeedConfig{
+				Domain: domainStr,
+				UUID:   videoStr,
+				Active: videoStr != "",
+			}
+			// GUI is the only sender. Replace an older pending command
+			select {
+			case <-videoCommands:
+			default:
+			}
+			select {
+			case videoCommands <- config:
+			default:
+			}
+			return
+		}
 		select {
 		case <-control:
 		default:
@@ -459,7 +506,26 @@ func main() {
 		control <- reconnectParams{domain: domainStr, video: videoStr, audio: audioStr}
 	}
 
+	playbackDone := make(chan struct{})
 	go func() {
+		defer close(playbackDone)
+
+		if useVideoSlot {
+			err := videoSlot.Run(
+				ctx,
+				playback.FeedConfig{
+					Domain: args.Domain,
+					UUID:   args.VideoFlowId,
+					Active: true,
+				},
+				videoCommands,
+			)
+			if err != nil && !errors.Is(err, context.Canceled) {
+				log.Printf("video slot: %v", err)
+			}
+			return
+		}
+
 		// Audio-only mode: independent loop.
 		if audioSrc != nil && syncSrc == nil && videoSrc == nil {
 			for {
@@ -809,4 +875,7 @@ func main() {
 			time.Sleep(10 * time.Millisecond)
 		}
 	}
+
+	cancel()
+	<-playbackDone
 }