diff --git a/app/(auth)/player/direct-player.tsx b/app/(auth)/player/direct-player.tsx
index 877dd163..515e39d1 100644
--- a/app/(auth)/player/direct-player.tsx
+++ b/app/(auth)/player/direct-player.tsx
@@ -893,6 +893,27 @@ export default function DirectPlayerPage() {
       // Check if we're transcoding
       const isTranscoding = Boolean(stream?.mediaSource?.TranscodingUrl);
 
+      // A transcoded stream only carries the audio track the server encoded
+      // into it — switching requires re-negotiating the stream with the new
+      // index (like the mobile menu's replacePlayer), not an mpv aid change.
+      if (isTranscoding) {
+        const queryParams = new URLSearchParams({
+          itemId: item?.Id ?? "",
+          audioIndex: String(index),
+          subtitleIndex: String(currentSubtitleIndex),
+          mediaSourceId: stream?.mediaSource?.Id ?? "",
+          bitrateValue: bitrateValue?.toString() ?? "",
+          playbackPosition: msToTicks(progress.get()).toString(),
+        }).toString();
+        // Destroy the current mpv instance BEFORE navigating, same rationale as
+        // goToNextItem/goToPreviousItem: Expo Router briefly holds two players
+        // during the transition, and two simultaneous decoders OOM-kill low-RAM
+        // devices. Resume is preserved via the playbackPosition param.
+        videoRef.current?.destroy().catch(() => {});
+        router.replace(`player/direct-player?${queryParams}` as any);
+        return;
+      }
+
       // Convert Jellyfin index to MPV track ID
       const mpvTrackId = getMpvAudioId(
         stream?.mediaSource,
@@ -904,7 +925,14 @@ export default function DirectPlayerPage() {
         await videoRef.current?.setAudioTrack?.(mpvTrackId);
       }
     },
-    [stream?.mediaSource],
+    [
+      stream?.mediaSource,
+      item?.Id,
+      currentSubtitleIndex,
+      bitrateValue,
+      router,
+      progress,
+    ],
   );
 
   // TV subtitle track change handler
diff --git a/app/(auth)/tv-option-modal.tsx b/app/(auth)/tv-option-modal.tsx
index 180228e3..442a29ec 100644
--- a/app/(auth)/tv-option-modal.tsx
+++ b/app/(auth)/tv-option-modal.tsx
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ import { useCallback, useEffect, useMemo, useRef, useState } from "react";
 import {
   Animated,
   Easing,
+  InteractionManager,
   ScrollView,
   StyleSheet,
   TVFocusGuideView,
@@ -75,6 +76,20 @@ export default function TVOptionModal() {
   }, [isReady]);
 
   const handleSelect = (value: any) => {
+    if (modalState?.deferApplyUntilDismissed) {
+      // onSelect navigates (the transcode audio switch replacing the player);
+      // a router.replace fired while this modal is the active route would be
+      // swallowed. Close FIRST, apply after dismissal.
+      const onSelect = modalState.onSelect;
+      store.set(tvOptionModalAtom, null);
+      router.back();
+      InteractionManager.runAfterInteractions(() => onSelect?.(value));
+      return;
+    }
+    // State-only callers (detail page, library filters, settings): run before
+    // closing so the re-render happens while the modal is up. Deferring it until
+    // after dismissal re-renders the page after focus returns and yanks TV
+    // focus, leaving navigation stuck.
     modalState?.onSelect(value);
     store.set(tvOptionModalAtom, null);
     router.back();
diff --git a/components/video-player/controls/Controls.tv.tsx b/components/video-player/controls/Controls.tv.tsx
index a85f6215..29e5d1f0 100644
--- a/components/video-player/controls/Controls.tv.tsx
+++ b/components/video-player/controls/Controls.tv.tsx
@@ -564,6 +564,9 @@ export const Controls: FC<Props> = ({
       title: t("item_card.audio"),
       options: audioOptions,
       onSelect: handleAudioChange,
+      // In-player audio selection navigates (replacePlayer while transcoding);
+      // apply it after the modal is dismissed so it isn't swallowed.
+      deferApplyUntilDismissed: true,
     });
     controlsInteractionRef.current();
   }, [showOptions, t, audioOptions, handleAudioChange]);
diff --git a/hooks/useTVOptionModal.ts b/hooks/useTVOptionModal.ts
index c6acffe8..68db4de8 100644
--- a/hooks/useTVOptionModal.ts
+++ b/hooks/useTVOptionModal.ts
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@ interface ShowOptionsParams<T> {
   onSelect: (value: T) => void;
   cardWidth?: number;
   cardHeight?: number;
+  deferApplyUntilDismissed?: boolean;
 }
 
 export const useTVOptionModal = () => {
@@ -26,6 +27,7 @@ export const useTVOptionModal = () => {
         onSelect: params.onSelect,
         cardWidth: params.cardWidth,
         cardHeight: params.cardHeight,
+        deferApplyUntilDismissed: params.deferApplyUntilDismissed,
       });
       router.push("/(auth)/tv-option-modal");
     },
diff --git a/utils/atoms/tvOptionModal.ts b/utils/atoms/tvOptionModal.ts
index 74bc2ab5..c6fe230b 100644
--- a/utils/atoms/tvOptionModal.ts
+++ b/utils/atoms/tvOptionModal.ts
@@ -13,6 +13,15 @@ export type TVOptionModalState = {
   onSelect: (value: any) => void;
   cardWidth?: number;
   cardHeight?: number;
+  /**
+   * Run onSelect AFTER the modal route is dismissed. Needed only when onSelect
+   * navigates (the in-player audio switch replacing the player while
+   * transcoding), which the still-active modal route would otherwise swallow.
+   * Default (false) runs onSelect before closing, so state-only callers (detail
+   * page, library filters, settings) don't re-render after focus returns and
+   * lose TV focus.
+   */
+  deferApplyUntilDismissed?: boolean;
 } | null;
 
 export const tvOptionModalAtom = atom<TVOptionModalState>(null);