diff --git a/assets/css/sabr_player.css b/assets/css/sabr_player.css
index 6495f53a..8065da80 100644
--- a/assets/css/sabr_player.css
+++ b/assets/css/sabr_player.css
@@ -53,11 +53,12 @@
     object-fit: contain !important;
 }
 
-/* IMPORTANT: Force controls to be visible */
+/* Let Shaka auto-hide the controls when idle. (Previously these were forced to
+   opacity:1 !important, so the control bar / progress bar never disappeared.) Keep
+   only the fade transition. */
 .shaka-controls-button-panel,
 .shaka-scrim-container,
 .shaka-play-button {
-    opacity: 1 !important;
     transition: opacity cubic-bezier(.4, 0, .6, 1) .6s;
 }
 
@@ -89,7 +90,6 @@
 .shaka-seek-bar-container {
     height: 5px !important;
     margin-bottom: 10px;
-    opacity: 1 !important;
 }
 
 .shaka-seek-bar {
diff --git a/assets/js/sabr_player.js b/assets/js/sabr_player.js
index 4e587d08..47f1ff22 100644
--- a/assets/js/sabr_player.js
+++ b/assets/js/sabr_player.js
@@ -713,6 +713,21 @@ var SABRPlayer = (function () {
         loadedListenerInstalled = true;
       }
 
+      // Default to the ORIGINAL audio language (e.g. English), not a dubbed track.
+      // Without a preferredAudioLanguage, shaka picks the first variant (often a dub);
+      // it doesn't honor our `primary`/original flag on its own. Derive the original
+      // language from the adaptive format flagged is_original and set it as preferred.
+      if (!isLive && streamingData.adaptive_formats) {
+        var originalAudioLang = null;
+        for (var afi = 0; afi < streamingData.adaptive_formats.length; afi++) {
+          var af = streamingData.adaptive_formats[afi];
+          if (af.is_original && af.language) { originalAudioLang = af.language; break; }
+        }
+        if (originalAudioLang) {
+          try { player.configure('preferredAudioLanguage', originalAudioLang); } catch (e) {}
+        }
+      }
+
       var startTime = options.startTime;
       if (startTime === undefined && options.savePlayerPos !== false) {
         startTime = getPlaybackPosition(videoId);