diff --git a/web/src/components/player/PreviewPlayer.tsx b/web/src/components/player/PreviewPlayer.tsx
index d103ecb36..4e807d771 100644
--- a/web/src/components/player/PreviewPlayer.tsx
+++ b/web/src/components/player/PreviewPlayer.tsx
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@ import {
 import { useTranslation } from "react-i18next";
 
 type PreviewPlayerProps = {
+  previewRef?: (ref: HTMLDivElement | null) => void;
   className?: string;
   camera: string;
   timeRange: TimeRange;
@@ -30,16 +31,19 @@ type PreviewPlayerProps = {
   startTime?: number;
   isScrubbing: boolean;
   forceAspect?: number;
+  isVisible?: boolean;
   onControllerReady: (controller: PreviewController) => void;
   onClick?: () => void;
 };
 export default function PreviewPlayer({
+  previewRef,
   className,
   camera,
   timeRange,
   cameraPreviews,
   startTime,
   isScrubbing,
+  isVisible = true,
   onControllerReady,
   onClick,
 }: PreviewPlayerProps) {
@@ -54,6 +58,7 @@ export default function PreviewPlayer({
   if (currentPreview) {
     return (
       <PreviewVideoPlayer
+        visibilityRef={previewRef}
         className={className}
         camera={camera}
         timeRange={timeRange}
@@ -61,6 +66,7 @@ export default function PreviewPlayer({
         initialPreview={currentPreview}
         startTime={startTime}
         isScrubbing={isScrubbing}
+        isVisible={isVisible}
         currentHourFrame={currentHourFrame}
         onControllerReady={onControllerReady}
         onClick={onClick}
@@ -110,6 +116,7 @@ export abstract class PreviewController {
 }
 
 type PreviewVideoPlayerProps = {
+  visibilityRef?: (ref: HTMLDivElement | null) => void;
   className?: string;
   camera: string;
   timeRange: TimeRange;
@@ -117,12 +124,14 @@ type PreviewVideoPlayerProps = {
   initialPreview?: Preview;
   startTime?: number;
   isScrubbing: boolean;
+  isVisible: boolean;
   currentHourFrame?: string;
   onControllerReady: (controller: PreviewVideoController) => void;
   onClick?: () => void;
   setCurrentHourFrame: (src: string | undefined) => void;
 };
 function PreviewVideoPlayer({
+  visibilityRef,
   className,
   camera,
   timeRange,
@@ -130,6 +139,7 @@ function PreviewVideoPlayer({
   initialPreview,
   startTime,
   isScrubbing,
+  isVisible,
   currentHourFrame,
   onControllerReady,
   onClick,
@@ -267,11 +277,13 @@ function PreviewVideoPlayer({
 
   return (
     <div
+      ref={visibilityRef}
       className={cn(
         "relative flex w-full justify-center overflow-hidden rounded-lg bg-black md:rounded-2xl",
         onClick && "cursor-pointer",
         className,
       )}
+      data-camera={camera}
       onClick={onClick}
     >
       <img
@@ -286,45 +298,48 @@ function PreviewVideoPlayer({
           previewRef.current?.load();
         }}
       />
-      <video
-        ref={previewRef}
-        className={`absolute size-full ${currentHourFrame ? "invisible" : "visible"}`}
-        preload="auto"
-        autoPlay
-        playsInline
-        muted
-        disableRemotePlayback
-        onSeeked={onPreviewSeeked}
-        onLoadedData={() => {
-          if (firstLoad) {
-            setFirstLoad(false);
-          }
-
-          if (controller) {
-            controller.previewReady();
-          } else {
-            previewRef.current?.pause();
-          }
-
-          if (previewRef.current) {
-            setVideoSize([
-              previewRef.current.videoWidth,
-              previewRef.current.videoHeight,
-            ]);
-
-            if (startTime && currentPreview) {
-              previewRef.current.currentTime = startTime - currentPreview.start;
+      {isVisible && (
+        <video
+          ref={previewRef}
+          className={`absolute size-full ${currentHourFrame ? "invisible" : "visible"}`}
+          preload="auto"
+          autoPlay
+          playsInline
+          muted
+          disableRemotePlayback
+          onSeeked={onPreviewSeeked}
+          onLoadedData={() => {
+            if (firstLoad) {
+              setFirstLoad(false);
             }
-          }
-        }}
-      >
-        {currentPreview != undefined && (
-          <source
-            src={`${baseUrl}${currentPreview.src.substring(1)}`}
-            type={currentPreview.type}
-          />
-        )}
-      </video>
+
+            if (controller) {
+              controller.previewReady();
+            } else {
+              previewRef.current?.pause();
+            }
+
+            if (previewRef.current) {
+              setVideoSize([
+                previewRef.current.videoWidth,
+                previewRef.current.videoHeight,
+              ]);
+
+              if (startTime && currentPreview) {
+                previewRef.current.currentTime =
+                  startTime - currentPreview.start;
+              }
+            }
+          }}
+        >
+          {currentPreview != undefined && (
+            <source
+              src={`${baseUrl}${currentPreview.src.substring(1)}`}
+              type={currentPreview.type}
+            />
+          )}
+        </video>
+      )}
       {cameraPreviews && !currentPreview && (
         <div className="absolute inset-0 flex items-center justify-center rounded-lg bg-background_alt text-primary dark:bg-black md:rounded-2xl">
           {t("noPreviewFoundFor", { camera: camera.replaceAll("_", " ") })}
diff --git a/web/src/views/recording/RecordingView.tsx b/web/src/views/recording/RecordingView.tsx
index ecb11ee20..344fd8caa 100644
--- a/web/src/views/recording/RecordingView.tsx
+++ b/web/src/views/recording/RecordingView.tsx
@@ -385,6 +385,55 @@ export function RecordingView({
     // eslint-disable-next-line react-hooks/exhaustive-deps
   }, [previewRowRef.current?.scrollWidth, previewRowRef.current?.scrollHeight]);
 
+  // visibility listener for lazy loading
+
+  const [visiblePreviews, setVisiblePreviews] = useState<string[]>([]);
+  const visiblePreviewObserver = useRef<IntersectionObserver | null>(null);
+  useEffect(() => {
+    const visibleCameras = new Set<string>();
+    visiblePreviewObserver.current = new IntersectionObserver(
+      (entries) => {
+        entries.forEach((entry) => {
+          const camera = (entry.target as HTMLElement).dataset.camera;
+
+          if (!camera) {
+            return;
+          }
+
+          if (entry.isIntersecting) {
+            visibleCameras.add(camera);
+          } else {
+            visibleCameras.delete(camera);
+          }
+
+          setVisiblePreviews([...visibleCameras]);
+        });
+      },
+      { threshold: 0.1 },
+    );
+
+    return () => {
+      visiblePreviewObserver.current?.disconnect();
+    };
+  }, []);
+
+  const previewRef = useCallback(
+    (node: HTMLElement | null) => {
+      if (!visiblePreviewObserver.current) {
+        return;
+      }
+
+      try {
+        if (node) visiblePreviewObserver.current.observe(node);
+      } catch (e) {
+        // no op
+      }
+    },
+    // we need to listen on the value of the ref
+    // eslint-disable-next-line react-hooks/exhaustive-deps
+    [visiblePreviewObserver.current],
+  );
+
   return (
     <div ref={contentRef} className="flex size-full flex-col pt-2">
       <Toaster closeButton={true} />
@@ -631,12 +680,14 @@ export function RecordingView({
                       }}
                     >
                       <PreviewPlayer
+                        previewRef={previewRef}
                         className="size-full"
                         camera={cam}
                         timeRange={currentTimeRange}
                         cameraPreviews={allPreviews ?? []}
                         startTime={startTime}
                         isScrubbing={scrubbing}
+                        isVisible={visiblePreviews.includes(cam)}
                         onControllerReady={(controller) => {
                           previewRefs.current[cam] = controller;
                           controller.scrubToTimestamp(startTime);