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+# Native Matroska Inline Playback Design
+
+## Context
+
+IPTVnator's three embedded web players ultimately use Chromium's
+`HTMLVideoElement` for native-file playback. ArtPlayer already maps `.mkv`
+sources to `video/matroska`, and the HTML5 player assigns the source URL
+directly to its video element. Video.js is the inconsistent path:
+`WebPlayerViewComponent` currently classifies every non-HLS, non-MPEG-TS source
+as `video/mp4`, so an MKV URL is advertised to Video.js with the wrong
+container type.
+
+Electron 41 embeds Chromium 146, whose native media pipeline recognizes
+Matroska. Successful playback still depends on the codecs inside the container
+and on platform decoder availability. The browser players must therefore try a
+correctly described MKV source and retain the existing error-driven MPV/VLC
+fallback rather than promising universal Matroska codec support.
+
+## Goals
+
+- Pass `.mkv` sources to Video.js as the registered MIME type
+  `video/matroska`.
+- Recognize both path extensions and explicit IPTV query metadata such as
+  `?extension=mkv` or `?container=mkv`.
+- Keep ArtPlayer and HTML5 on their existing native-video paths.
+- Preserve the existing browser playback error classification and explicit
+  MPV/VLC fallback after a real source or decode failure.
+- Treat Electron as the validated runtime while leaving PWA playback as
+  best-effort according to the user's browser.
+- Add regression coverage and perform a real Electron playback smoke before
+  publication.
+
+## Non-Goals
+
+- Adding a JavaScript Matroska demuxer, transcoder, or remuxing backend.
+- Claiming support for every codec that Matroska can contain.
+- Automatically switching the saved player or silently launching an external
+  player.
+- Changing Embedded MPV or external MPV/VLC playback.
+- Adding a codec list to the source MIME string when the provider has not
+  supplied authoritative codec metadata.
+
+## Selected Approach
+
+Extend the existing source-type decision in `WebPlayerViewComponent` with an
+explicit MKV branch:
+
+```text
+m3u / m3u8       -> application/x-mpegURL
+ts / no extension -> video/mp2t
+mkv              -> video/matroska
+other            -> video/mp4
+```
+
+`getPlaybackMediaExtensionFromUrl()` remains the canonical extension parser, so
+signed URLs and query-declared formats use the same rule as normal `.mkv`
+paths. No preflight `canPlayType()` gate is added: without the actual codec list
+it can only provide a container-level guess and would duplicate the native
+player's authoritative load result.
+
+ArtPlayer's existing `video/matroska` custom type continues to call its native
+source path. The HTML5 player continues to assign the URL directly and lets the
+response MIME type and Chromium sniffing participate in source selection.
+
+## Error Handling
+
+The current diagnostics run only after a native media error. They do not reject
+MKV before loading. A native `MEDIA_ERR_SRC_NOT_SUPPORTED` for an MKV source
+therefore remains classified as `unsupported-container`, while decode failures
+remain `media-decode-error`. Electron may continue to offer explicit MPV/VLC
+fallback actions; PWA builds continue to offer retry and copy/help behavior.
+
+This preserves useful fallback for unsupported MKV codec combinations such as
+platform-dependent HEVC, AC-3/E-AC-3, DTS, or legacy MPEG-4 variants.
+
+## Testing
+
+### Automated regression coverage
+
+- Add a `WebPlayerViewComponent` test proving a `.mkv` path produces a
+  Video.js source with `type: 'video/matroska'`.
+- Add a second test proving query-declared MKV produces the same type.
+- Retain the existing ArtPlayer test for `.mkv -> video/matroska`.
+- Retain the existing native-error diagnostic test proving unsupported MKV
+  still recommends the external fallback after an actual error.
+
+### Runtime validation
+
+Serve a small local MKV with byte-range support and
+`Content-Type: video/matroska`, then verify in the Electron runtime that:
+
+- Video.js receives `video/matroska`;
+- metadata loads and playback time advances for a Chromium-supported codec
+  combination;
+- no playback diagnostic appears for the supported fixture;
+- an unsupported fixture or synthetic native error still surfaces the existing
+  fallback rather than hanging the player.
+
+If a redistributable fixture cannot be committed without adding unnecessary
+binary weight, keep the automated contract tests in-tree and document the
+temporary local fixture used for the Electron smoke in the PR.
+
+## Documentation
+
+Update the codec/container diagnostics section of
+`docs/architecture/embedded-inline-playback.md` to record that MKV is attempted
+through Chromium's native Matroska path, that Video.js uses
+`video/matroska`, and that codec-dependent failures still use the existing
+MPV/VLC fallback.
+
+## Rollback
+
+The change is isolated to Video.js MIME routing. Reverting the explicit MKV
+branch restores the previous `video/mp4` fallback without affecting ArtPlayer,
+HTML5, Embedded MPV, or external players.