diff --git a/website/README.md b/website/README.md
index f77bba01..363acbbd 100644
--- a/website/README.md
+++ b/website/README.md
@@ -148,25 +148,51 @@ table of contents, code examples, and previous/next navigation.
 
 The supplied Scope showreel plays in a framed 16:9 player below the
 hero calls to action, so the headline stays clean and the footage is
-shown without an overlay. The local [video](public/scope-showreel.mp4)
-is re-encoded as H.264 at half the original speed (30 seconds instead
-of 15), with the audio track removed and metadata moved to the front
-for web playback. It loops, is always muted, and plays inline on
-mobile. A visually hidden caption describes the scenes it shows.
-
-[showreel.ts](src/scripts/showreel.ts) starts playback when at least a
-quarter of the player is visible. A keyboard-accessible button pauses
-or resumes it. Scrolling it out of view or hiding the tab pauses
-playback; an explicit user pause persists when returning. The button
-overlays the bottom corner of the video, and moves below it on narrow
-screens so it does not cover the footage.
-
-Reduced-motion visitors see the [poster](public/scope-showreel-poster.jpg),
-taken from the closing Scope title card, without downloading the video
-until they choose to play it. Without JavaScript, the poster remains
-visible and the playback button stays hidden. Blocked autoplay offers
-manual playback; media failures display a status message and log the
-error. Both media URLs use the configured deployment base.
+shown without an overlay. It comes in two cuts styled with the landing
+tokens: a [dark video](public/scope-showreel-dark.mp4) and a
+[light video](public/scope-showreel-light.mp4). Both show the same
+scenes and are re-encoded as H.264 at half the original speed (30
+seconds instead of 15), with the audio track removed and metadata moved
+to the front for web playback. The player loops, is always muted, and
+plays inline on mobile. A visually hidden caption describes the scenes.
+
+The cut follows the active Starlight theme: the `data-theme` attribute
+on `<html>`, which Starlight sets before first paint, including when it
+resolves **Auto** from the system color scheme. The
+[dark poster](public/scope-showreel-poster-dark.jpg) and
+[light poster](public/scope-showreel-poster-light.jpg), taken from the
+closing Scope title card, are exposed to CSS as base-aware custom
+properties. The frame paints the active theme's poster, and the video
+stays transparent over it until it has a frame. Neither the first paint
+nor a theme change shows the other cut, and the browser only fetches the
+poster it paints.
+
+[showreel.ts](src/scripts/showreel.ts) keeps both video URLs in data
+attributes and assigns the active theme's source only when playback
+starts, when at least a quarter of the player is visible. A
+keyboard-accessible button pauses or resumes it. Scrolling it below a
+quarter visible or hiding the tab pauses playback; an explicit user
+pause persists when returning. Selecting Play still starts a player that
+is less than a quarter visible, and it keeps playing until it leaves the
+viewport. The button overlays the bottom corner of the video, and moves
+below it on narrow screens so it does not cover the footage. The
+controls and frame use the landing tokens, so they stay readable over
+either cut.
+
+When the theme changes, a `MutationObserver` on `data-theme` swaps a
+loaded player to the matching cut at the same position, keeping it
+playing or paused. A paused player loads only the frame at that
+position. A player that is off screen, or less than a quarter visible
+and not started with Play, switches to the new poster at once and keeps
+its current source until it is visible again. A player that has not
+loaded yet only changes its poster.
+
+Reduced-motion visitors see the poster for their theme without
+downloading either video until they choose to play it. Without
+JavaScript, the poster remains visible and the playback button stays
+hidden. Blocked autoplay offers manual playback; media failures display
+a status message and log the error. All media URLs use the configured
+deployment base.
 
 ### Interactive example
 
diff --git a/website/public/scope-showreel-dark.mp4 b/website/public/scope-showreel-dark.mp4
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..8dc3fb07
Binary files /dev/null and b/website/public/scope-showreel-dark.mp4 differ
diff --git a/website/public/scope-showreel-light.mp4 b/website/public/scope-showreel-light.mp4
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..100df5be
Binary files /dev/null and b/website/public/scope-showreel-light.mp4 differ
diff --git a/website/public/scope-showreel-poster-dark.jpg b/website/public/scope-showreel-poster-dark.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..ccef540f
Binary files /dev/null and b/website/public/scope-showreel-poster-dark.jpg differ
diff --git a/website/public/scope-showreel-poster-light.jpg b/website/public/scope-showreel-poster-light.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..3b6de433
Binary files /dev/null and b/website/public/scope-showreel-poster-light.jpg differ
diff --git a/website/public/scope-showreel-poster.jpg b/website/public/scope-showreel-poster.jpg
deleted file mode 100644
index d687978a..00000000
Binary files a/website/public/scope-showreel-poster.jpg and /dev/null differ
diff --git a/website/public/scope-showreel.mp4 b/website/public/scope-showreel.mp4
deleted file mode 100644
index 0ccd31a3..00000000
Binary files a/website/public/scope-showreel.mp4 and /dev/null differ
diff --git a/website/src/components/Home.astro b/website/src/components/Home.astro
index c99371ce..e25a2412 100644
--- a/website/src/components/Home.astro
+++ b/website/src/components/Home.astro
@@ -3,6 +3,11 @@ import CommunityTeaser from './community/CommunityTeaser.astro';
 import FlowDemo from './FlowDemo.astro';
 
 const base = import.meta.env.BASE_URL.replace(/\/?$/, '/');
+// CSS paints the active theme's poster, so first paint never shows the other theme's cut.
+const showreelPosters = {
+	'--showreel-poster-dark': `url("${base}scope-showreel-poster-dark.jpg")`,
+	'--showreel-poster-light': `url("${base}scope-showreel-poster-light.jpg")`,
+};
 const paths = [
 	{
 		number: '01',
@@ -45,11 +50,11 @@ const paths = [
 		</div>
 		<p class="scope-hero-note">Your tasks. Your criteria. Repeatable experiments.</p>
 		<scope-showreel>
-			<figure class="scope-showreel-frame">
+			<figure class="scope-showreel-frame" style={showreelPosters}>
 				<video
 					id="scope-showreel-video"
-					data-src={`${base}scope-showreel.mp4`}
-					poster={`${base}scope-showreel-poster.jpg`}
+					data-src-dark={`${base}scope-showreel-dark.mp4`}
+					data-src-light={`${base}scope-showreel-light.mp4`}
 					width="1920"
 					height="1080"
 					autoplay
diff --git a/website/src/scripts/showreel.ts b/website/src/scripts/showreel.ts
index 54ad3634..8416a592 100644
--- a/website/src/scripts/showreel.ts
+++ b/website/src/scripts/showreel.ts
@@ -1,50 +1,95 @@
 // Copyright (c) Microsoft Corporation.
 // Licensed under the MIT License.
 
+type Theme = 'dark' | 'light';
+
+// Starlight resolves 'auto' and writes 'dark' or 'light'; the site CSS treats anything else as dark.
+const activeTheme = (): Theme => (document.documentElement.dataset.theme === 'light' ? 'light' : 'dark');
+
 class ScopeShowreel extends HTMLElement {
 	private events: AbortController | undefined;
 	private observer: IntersectionObserver | undefined;
+	private themeObserver: MutationObserver | undefined;
 
 	connectedCallback() {
 		const video = this.querySelector('video');
 		const button = this.querySelector('button');
 		const status = this.querySelector<HTMLElement>('[role="status"]');
-		const source = video?.dataset.src;
-		if (!video || !button || !status || !source) throw new Error('Missing Scope showreel elements');
+		const dark = video?.dataset.srcDark;
+		const light = video?.dataset.srcLight;
+		if (!video || !button || !status || !dark || !light) throw new Error('Missing Scope showreel elements');
+		const sources: Record<Theme, string> = { dark, light };
 
 		this.events = new AbortController();
 		const { signal } = this.events;
 		const motion = window.matchMedia('(prefers-reduced-motion: reduce)');
 		let wantsPlayback = !motion.matches;
+		let intersecting = false;
+		// At least a quarter is on screen.
 		let visible = false;
+		// The user pressed Play while part of the player was on screen; holds until it leaves the viewport.
+		let manualPlay = false;
+		let failed = false;
 		let playbackRequest = 0;
+		// Position to restore once a theme swap's new source has metadata.
+		let pendingStart: number | undefined;
 
 		video.muted = true;
 		button.hidden = false;
 		button.disabled = false;
 
+		const themeSource = () => sources[activeTheme()];
 		const renderPlayback = () => {
 			button.textContent = video.paused ? 'Play showreel' : 'Pause showreel';
 		};
 		const reportFailure = (error: unknown) => {
 			wantsPlayback = false;
+			failed = true;
 			video.pause();
+			// Fall back to the CSS poster, which keeps following the theme.
+			delete video.dataset.ready;
 			status.textContent = 'The showreel is unavailable.';
 			status.hidden = false;
 			button.disabled = true;
 			console.error('Scope showreel failed', error);
 		};
+		// Until the video has a frame at the right position, it stays transparent over the CSS poster.
+		const markReady = () => {
+			if (failed || video.readyState < HTMLMediaElement.HAVE_CURRENT_DATA || video.seeking) return;
+			pendingStart = undefined;
+			video.dataset.ready = '';
+		};
+		// Only an assigned source can show the wrong theme; an unassigned player just shows the CSS poster.
+		const sourceIsStale = () => {
+			const assigned = video.getAttribute('src');
+			return !failed && assigned !== null && assigned !== themeSource();
+		};
+		const swapSource = () => {
+			const start = pendingStart ?? video.currentTime;
+			// A paused player that showed a frame keeps showing one; one that showed the poster keeps it.
+			const showsFrame = video.readyState >= HTMLMediaElement.HAVE_CURRENT_DATA || video.preload !== 'none';
+			pendingStart = start;
+			delete video.dataset.ready;
+			// Playback fetches on demand, and a paused frame only needs the data at its position.
+			video.preload = !wantsPlayback && showsFrame ? 'metadata' : 'none';
+			video.src = themeSource();
+			video.currentTime = start;
+			renderPlayback();
+		};
 		const syncPlayback = () => {
 			const request = ++playbackRequest;
-			video.autoplay = wantsPlayback && visible && !document.hidden;
+			const onScreen = (visible || manualPlay) && !document.hidden;
+			// Off-screen players keep their current source and position until they are seen again.
+			if (onScreen && sourceIsStale()) swapSource();
+			video.autoplay = wantsPlayback && onScreen;
 			if (!video.autoplay) {
 				video.pause();
 				return;
 			}
-			if (!video.getAttribute('src')) video.src = source;
+			if (!video.getAttribute('src')) video.src = themeSource();
 			if (!video.paused) return;
 			void video.play().catch((error: unknown) => {
-				// Pausing or a newer play request can invalidate a pending promise.
+				// Pausing, a theme swap, or a newer play request can invalidate a pending promise.
 				if (request !== playbackRequest || signal.aborted) return;
 				if (error instanceof DOMException && error.name === 'NotAllowedError') {
 					wantsPlayback = false;
@@ -59,28 +104,55 @@ class ScopeShowreel extends HTMLElement {
 
 		button.addEventListener('click', () => {
 			wantsPlayback = video.paused;
+			// An explicit Play overrides the autoplay threshold; Pause clears the override.
+			manualPlay = wantsPlayback && intersecting;
 			syncPlayback();
 		}, { signal });
 		video.addEventListener('play', renderPlayback, { signal });
 		video.addEventListener('pause', renderPlayback, { signal });
 		video.addEventListener('playing', () => { status.hidden = true; }, { signal });
+		video.addEventListener('loadedmetadata', () => {
+			// Fallback for browsers that ignore a start position set before metadata loads.
+			if (pendingStart !== undefined && !video.seeking && Math.abs(video.currentTime - pendingStart) > 0.1) {
+				video.currentTime = pendingStart;
+			}
+		}, { signal });
+		video.addEventListener('loadeddata', markReady, { signal });
+		video.addEventListener('seeked', markReady, { signal });
 		video.addEventListener('error', () => reportFailure(video.error), { signal });
 		motion.addEventListener('change', () => {
 			if (motion.matches) wantsPlayback = false;
 			syncPlayback();
 		}, { signal });
 		document.addEventListener('visibilitychange', syncPlayback, { signal });
-		this.observer = new IntersectionObserver(([entry]) => {
-			visible = entry.isIntersecting;
+		// The 0 threshold reports entering and leaving: Chrome keeps isIntersecting false below the smallest threshold.
+		this.observer = new IntersectionObserver((entries) => {
+			const entry = entries[entries.length - 1];
+			intersecting = entry.isIntersecting;
+			if (!intersecting) manualPlay = false;
+			visible = intersecting && entry.intersectionRatio >= 0.25;
 			syncPlayback();
-		}, { threshold: 0.25 });
+		}, { threshold: [0, 0.25] });
 		this.observer.observe(this);
+		// The Starlight theme toggle rewrites data-theme on <html>; follow it with the matching cut.
+		this.themeObserver = new MutationObserver(() => {
+			if (sourceIsStale()) {
+				// Hide the other cut at once, even when a partly visible player defers the swap.
+				delete video.dataset.ready;
+				syncPlayback();
+			} else {
+				// The theme flipped back to the assigned cut before its swap ran.
+				markReady();
+			}
+		});
+		this.themeObserver.observe(document.documentElement, { attributes: true, attributeFilter: ['data-theme'] });
 		renderPlayback();
 	}
 
 	disconnectedCallback() {
 		this.events?.abort();
 		this.observer?.disconnect();
+		this.themeObserver?.disconnect();
 		const video = this.querySelector('video');
 		if (video) {
 			video.autoplay = false;
diff --git a/website/src/styles/landing.css b/website/src/styles/landing.css
index 3deb532b..25fe66f6 100644
--- a/website/src/styles/landing.css
+++ b/website/src/styles/landing.css
@@ -76,17 +76,21 @@ body:has(.scope-home) header.header { background: color-mix(in srgb, var(--scope
 .scope-btn--secondary { color: var(--scope-text); background: var(--scope-surface); border-color: var(--scope-border); }
 .scope-btn--secondary:hover { background: var(--scope-inset); }
 .scope-hero .scope-hero-note { margin-top: 1rem; color: var(--scope-muted); font-size: 0.75rem; }
-/* The showreel is dark in both themes, so its overlay controls use fixed dark styling. */
+/* Each theme has its own showreel cut. The frame paints the active theme's poster, and the video
+   stays transparent over it until it has a frame, so neither first paint nor a theme swap shows
+   the other cut. The overlay controls use the landing tokens to stay readable over either video. */
 scope-showreel { display: block; max-width: 60rem; margin: 3rem auto 0; }
-.scope-showreel-frame { position: relative; margin: 0; overflow: hidden; border: 1px solid var(--scope-border); border-radius: 1rem; background: #0b0d18; box-shadow: var(--scope-shadow), 0 0 0 6px color-mix(in srgb, var(--scope-brand) 7%, transparent); }
-.scope-showreel-frame video { display: block; width: 100%; height: auto; aspect-ratio: 16 / 9; object-fit: cover; }
+.scope-showreel-frame { position: relative; margin: 0; overflow: hidden; border: 1px solid var(--scope-border); border-radius: 1rem; background: center top / 100% auto no-repeat var(--scope-bg); background-image: var(--showreel-poster-dark); box-shadow: var(--scope-shadow), 0 0 0 6px color-mix(in srgb, var(--scope-brand) 7%, transparent); }
+:root[data-theme='light'] .scope-showreel-frame { background-image: var(--showreel-poster-light); }
+.scope-showreel-frame video { display: block; width: 100%; height: auto; aspect-ratio: 16 / 9; object-fit: cover; opacity: 0; }
+.scope-showreel-frame video[data-ready] { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 200ms; }
 .scope-showreel-controls { position: absolute; right: 0.75rem; bottom: 0.75rem; left: 0.75rem; display: flex; flex-wrap: wrap; justify-content: end; align-items: center; gap: 0.5rem; pointer-events: none; text-align: right; }
 .scope-showreel-controls > * { pointer-events: auto; }
-.scope-showreel-controls button { min-height: 44px; padding: 0.5rem 0.85rem; border: 1px solid #ffffff33; border-radius: 0.5rem; background: #0b0d18c7; color: #e9eaf6; font-size: 0.75rem; backdrop-filter: blur(6px); }
-.scope-showreel-controls button:hover { border-color: #ffffff80; }
-.scope-showreel-controls button:focus-visible { outline: 2px solid #fff; outline-offset: 2px; }
+.scope-showreel-controls button { min-height: 44px; padding: 0.5rem 0.85rem; border: 1px solid color-mix(in srgb, var(--scope-text) 22%, transparent); border-radius: 0.5rem; background: color-mix(in srgb, var(--scope-surface) 86%, transparent); color: var(--scope-text); font-size: 0.75rem; backdrop-filter: blur(6px); }
+.scope-showreel-controls button:hover { border-color: var(--scope-brand); }
+.scope-showreel-controls button:focus-visible { outline: 2px solid var(--scope-brand); outline-offset: 2px; }
 .scope-showreel-controls button:disabled { opacity: 0.6; }
-.scope-showreel-controls [role='status'] { max-width: 36ch; padding: 0.45rem 0.65rem; border-radius: 0.4rem; background: #0b0d18d9; color: #e9eaf6; font-size: 0.75rem; }
+.scope-showreel-controls [role='status'] { max-width: 36ch; padding: 0.45rem 0.65rem; border: 1px solid var(--scope-border); border-radius: 0.4rem; background: color-mix(in srgb, var(--scope-surface) 92%, transparent); color: var(--scope-text); font-size: 0.75rem; }
 .scope-agent-strip { display: flex; flex-wrap: wrap; justify-content: center; align-items: center; gap: 1.4rem; margin-top: 3.7rem; padding: 1.5rem 0; border-top: 1px solid var(--scope-border); border-bottom: 1px solid var(--scope-border); font-size: 0.8rem; }
 .scope-agent-strip > span:first-child { color: var(--scope-muted); font-size: 0.75rem; }
 .scope-agent-strip strong { font-size: 1rem; font-weight: 600; }
@@ -285,7 +289,7 @@ scope-showreel { display: block; max-width: 60rem; margin: 3rem auto 0; }
 @media (max-width: 30rem) {
 	.scope-hero { padding-inline: 0; }.scope-hero h1 { font-size: 2.65rem; }.scope-hero > .scope-eyebrow { letter-spacing: 0.07em; font-size: 0.6rem; }
 	scope-showreel { margin-top: 2.25rem; }
-	.scope-showreel-controls { position: static; padding: 0.5rem; border-top: 1px solid #ffffff1f; }
+	.scope-showreel-controls { position: static; padding: 0.5rem; border-top: 1px solid var(--scope-border); }
 	.scope-showreel-controls:not(:has(> :not([hidden]))) { display: none; }
 	.scope-evidence-grid { grid-template-columns: 1fr; }.scope-evidence--wide { grid-column: auto; }
 	.flow-controls { flex-wrap: wrap; }.flow-step-buttons { width: 100%; justify-content: space-between; }.flow-step-buttons button { min-width: 44px; }.flow-step-name { display: inline; }