diff --git a/src/components/Post/Embed/VideoEmbed/VideoEmbedInner/VideoEmbedInnerWeb.tsx b/src/components/Post/Embed/VideoEmbed/VideoEmbedInner/VideoEmbedInnerWeb.tsx
index 849241fd75..d56c0b234d 100644
--- a/src/components/Post/Embed/VideoEmbed/VideoEmbedInner/VideoEmbedInnerWeb.tsx
+++ b/src/components/Post/Embed/VideoEmbed/VideoEmbedInner/VideoEmbedInnerWeb.tsx
@@ -103,6 +103,34 @@ export class HLSUnsupportedError extends Error {
   }
 }
 
+// Bluesky serves HLS as MPEG-TS with H.264 + AAC. `Hls.isSupported()` is loose
+// (true if MSE supports *any* of {H.264, AV1, VP9} OR *any* of {AAC, FLAC}),
+// so on Linux boxes missing H.264 (e.g. no ubuntu-restricted-extras, sandboxed
+// Firefox snap) it returns true and playback fails later on segment append.
+// Use Baseline 3.0 to match hls.js's own probe - it's the most universal H.264
+// profile, so if it isn't supported, no H.264 is.
+// Mirror hls.js's `getMediaSource` lookup (ManagedMediaSource on modern iOS,
+// then MediaSource, then WebKitMediaSource) so we probe the same constructor
+// it will actually use for playback.
+function canPlayBskyVideoCodecs(): boolean {
+  if (typeof self === 'undefined') return false
+  const globalSelf = self as typeof self & {
+    ManagedMediaSource?: typeof MediaSource
+    WebKitMediaSource?: typeof MediaSource
+  }
+  const mediaSource =
+    globalSelf.ManagedMediaSource ||
+    globalSelf.MediaSource ||
+    globalSelf.WebKitMediaSource
+  if (!mediaSource || typeof mediaSource.isTypeSupported !== 'function') {
+    return false
+  }
+  return (
+    mediaSource.isTypeSupported('video/mp4; codecs="avc1.42E01E"') &&
+    mediaSource.isTypeSupported('audio/mp4; codecs="mp4a.40.2"')
+  )
+}
+
 export class VideoNotFoundError extends Error {
   constructor() {
     super('Video not found')
@@ -228,7 +256,7 @@ function useHLS({
   useEffect(() => {
     if (!videoRef.current) return
     if (!Hls) return
-    if (!Hls.isSupported()) {
+    if (!Hls.isSupported() || !canPlayBskyVideoCodecs()) {
       throw new HLSUnsupportedError()
     }
 
diff --git a/src/components/Post/Embed/VideoEmbed/index.web.tsx b/src/components/Post/Embed/VideoEmbed/index.web.tsx
index 0bb127b8af..f37ae0d664 100644
--- a/src/components/Post/Embed/VideoEmbed/index.web.tsx
+++ b/src/components/Post/Embed/VideoEmbed/index.web.tsx
@@ -233,7 +233,7 @@ function VideoError({error, retry}: {error: unknown; retry: () => void}) {
   } else if (error instanceof HLSUnsupportedError) {
     showRetryButton = false
     text = _(
-      msg`Your browser does not support the video format. Please try a different browser.`,
+      msg`This video can’t be played on your device. Your browser or system may be missing the required video codecs (H.264/AAC).`,
     )
   } else {
     text = _(msg`An error occurred while loading the video. Please try again.`)