diff --git a/src/components/player/SubtitleOverlay.tsx b/src/components/player/SubtitleOverlay.tsx
index 87618f5..9eda558 100644
--- a/src/components/player/SubtitleOverlay.tsx
+++ b/src/components/player/SubtitleOverlay.tsx
@@ -74,10 +74,34 @@ function parseVTT(raw: string): Cue[] {
   return cues
 }
 
+function getVideoFitOffsets(video: HTMLVideoElement): { top: number; bottom: number } {
+  const rect = video.getBoundingClientRect()
+  const vW = video.videoWidth || 1920
+  const vH = video.videoHeight || 1080
+  const videoAspect = vW / vH
+  const containerAspect = rect.width / rect.height
+
+  let displayHeight: number
+  if (containerAspect > videoAspect) {
+    displayHeight = rect.width / videoAspect
+  } else {
+    displayHeight = rect.height
+  }
+
+  const displayTop = rect.top + (rect.height - displayHeight) / 2
+  const displayBottom = displayTop + displayHeight
+  return {
+    top: displayTop,
+    bottom: window.innerHeight - displayBottom,
+  }
+}
+
 export default function SubtitleOverlay({ playerRef, subtitleUrl }: Props) {
   const { className, style } = useSubtitleStyles()
+  const subtitlePosition = usePreferencesStore(s => s.subtitlePosition)
   const cuesRef = useRef<Cue[]>([])
   const [activeCues, setActiveCues] = useState<string[]>([])
+  const [offset, setOffset] = useState<number | null>(null)
 
   useEffect(() => {
     cuesRef.current = []
@@ -142,13 +166,57 @@ export default function SubtitleOverlay({ playerRef, subtitleUrl }: Props) {
     }
   }, [playerRef, subtitleUrl])
 
+  // Keep subtitles inside the actual video content area (not the black
+  // letterbox bars). In portrait mode object-fit:contain leaves huge black
+  // bars and our old fixed bottom-32 landed deep inside them where Chrome's
+  // video compositor layer clips short DOM overlays.
+  useEffect(() => {
+    const player = playerRef.current
+    const el = (player as any)?.el as HTMLElement | undefined
+    const video = el?.querySelector('video') as HTMLVideoElement | null
+    if (!video) return
+
+    function update() {
+      const { top: fitTop, bottom: fitBottom } = getVideoFitOffsets(video)
+      if (subtitlePosition === 'bottom') {
+        setOffset(Math.max(128, fitBottom + 32))
+      } else {
+        setOffset(Math.max(96, fitTop + 32))
+      }
+    }
+
+    update()
+
+    const ro = new ResizeObserver(update)
+    ro.observe(video)
+    window.addEventListener('resize', update)
+
+    // Also update once metadata is known (videoWidth/videoHeight may be 0
+    // before loadedmetadata fires).
+    video.addEventListener('loadedmetadata', update)
+
+    return () => {
+      ro.disconnect()
+      window.removeEventListener('resize', update)
+      video.removeEventListener('loadedmetadata', update)
+    }
+  }, [playerRef, subtitlePosition])
+
   if (activeCues.length === 0) return null
 
+  const posStyle: React.CSSProperties =
+    offset != null
+      ? subtitlePosition === 'bottom'
+        ? { bottom: offset }
+        : { top: offset }
+      : {}
+
   return (
     <div
       className={`${className} z-[100]`}
       style={{
         ...style,
+        ...posStyle,
         transform: 'translateZ(0)',
         willChange: 'transform',
         backfaceVisibility: 'hidden',