diff --git a/services/tiktak/video/preview.go b/services/tiktak/video/preview.go
index 443355b..2949a33 100644
--- a/services/tiktak/video/preview.go
+++ b/services/tiktak/video/preview.go
@@ -14,21 +14,19 @@ import (
 )
 
 var (
-	ProcessingDeadline = 2 * time.Second
-	// 75 concurrent ffmpeg processes are enough to swap the box out on their
-	// own, bomb or no bomb.
-	semaphore = make(chan struct{}, 16)
+	// handleCreate даёт 7с на всё: probe + ffmpeg + GetDuration для субтитров.
+	// 1.0 + 2.5 + 2.5 = 6.0, секунда про запас.
+	ProcessingDeadline = 2500 * time.Millisecond
+	// Header-only ffprobe; cheap, но не должен отъедать бюджет у кодека.
+	ProbeDeadline = 1 * time.Second
+	semaphore     = make(chan struct{}, 48)
 )
 
 func generatePreview(ctx context.Context, inp string, out string) error {
-	// Reject decompression bombs before ffmpeg expands a frame into memory.
-	if err := checkGeometry(ctx, inp); err != nil {
-		return err
-	}
 	// -max_alloc caps a single ffmpeg allocation: a 1080p frame needs ~8 MB, a
 	// 16383x16383 bomb needs ~1 GB. Second line of defence behind checkGeometry,
 	// and it works even when the probe told us nothing.
-	cmd := exec.CommandContext(ctx, "ffmpeg", "-y", "-threads", "1",
+	cmd := exec.CommandContext(ctx, "ffmpeg", "-y",
 		"-max_alloc", "134217728", "-i", inp, "-vframes", "1", out)
 	s := strings.Builder{}
 	cmd.Stdout = &s
@@ -43,12 +41,20 @@ func generatePreview(ctx context.Context, inp string, out string) error {
 func GeneratePreview(ctx context.Context, inp string, out string) error {
 	select {
 	case semaphore <- struct{}{}:
-		ctx, cancel := context.WithTimeout(ctx, ProcessingDeadline)
-		defer func() {
-			cancel()
-			<-semaphore
-		}()
-		return generatePreview(ctx, inp, out)
+		defer func() { <-semaphore }()
+
+		// Probe gets its OWN budget. Sharing ProcessingDeadline with ffmpeg
+		// starved the encode and killed legit uploads ("cannot create video").
+		pctx, pcancel := context.WithTimeout(ctx, ProbeDeadline)
+		err := checkGeometry(pctx, inp)
+		pcancel()
+		if err != nil {
+			return err
+		}
+
+		fctx, fcancel := context.WithTimeout(ctx, ProcessingDeadline)
+		defer fcancel()
+		return generatePreview(fctx, inp, out)
 	case <-ctx.Done():
 		return ctx.Err()
 	}