diff --git a/packages/spf/src/media/hls/parse-media-playlist.ts b/packages/spf/src/media/hls/parse-media-playlist.ts
index e0a6622f..62cf5a5a 100644
--- a/packages/spf/src/media/hls/parse-media-playlist.ts
+++ b/packages/spf/src/media/hls/parse-media-playlist.ts
@@ -132,6 +132,31 @@ function placeOnPreviousTimeline(
   return { segments: placed, startTime: anchor };
 }
 
+/**
+ * Place a first-resolved window on a *pre-applied* anchor — the track's
+ * `startDate` (wall clock at media-time 0) set on the unresolved shell before any
+ * segments exist. Each PDT-bearing segment lands at `segment.startDate − anchor`,
+ * so the window resolves already on the shared presentation timeline rather than
+ * a local-from-zero one (the `startDate` recomputed afterwards then reads back as
+ * the anchor). Falls back to the local base when no segment carries PDT — there's
+ * nothing to anchor against.
+ */
+function placeOnAnchor(segments: Segment[], anchor: number): { segments: Segment[]; startTime: number } {
+  const localBase = segments[0]?.startTime ?? 0;
+  const anchorSegment = segments.find((segment) => !isUndefined(segment.startDate));
+  if (!anchorSegment || isUndefined(anchorSegment.startDate)) {
+    return { segments, startTime: localBase };
+  }
+
+  const shift = anchorSegment.startDate - anchor - anchorSegment.startTime;
+  if (shift === 0) {
+    return { segments, startTime: localBase };
+  }
+
+  const placed = segments.map((segment) => ({ ...segment, startTime: segment.startTime + shift }));
+  return { segments: placed, startTime: localBase + shift };
+}
+
 /**
  * Parse an HLS media playlist into a resolved track with segments.
  *
@@ -285,12 +310,17 @@ export function parseMediaPlaylist<T extends PartiallyResolvedTrack>(
   const complete = endList || playlistType === 'VOD';
   const trackDuration = complete ? totalDuration : Number.POSITIVE_INFINITY;
 
-  // Position this window on the timeline. First resolve (previous is the
-  // unresolved shell, no segments) anchors at 0; a live reload (previous is the
-  // prior resolved snapshot) carries the timeline forward from the overlap.
+  // Position this window on the timeline. A live reload (previous is the prior
+  // resolved snapshot) carries the timeline forward from the overlap. First
+  // resolve places relative to a pre-applied anchor (`startDate` set on the
+  // shell) when present — so a track resolves already on the shared presentation
+  // timeline — else anchors at the local base 0.
+  const presetAnchor = previous.startDate;
   const placed = isResolvedTrack(previous)
     ? placeOnPreviousTimeline(previous, segments, mediaSequence, targetDuration)
-    : { segments, startTime: 0 };
+    : isUndefined(presetAnchor)
+      ? { segments, startTime: 0 }
+      : placeOnAnchor(segments, presetAnchor);
 
   // Wall-clock anchor: `startDate − startTime` for the first PDT-bearing
   // segment (constant along a linear timeline). Maps this track's origin to
diff --git a/packages/spf/src/media/hls/tests/parse-media-playlist.test.ts b/packages/spf/src/media/hls/tests/parse-media-playlist.test.ts
index b4a7999c..83494756 100644
--- a/packages/spf/src/media/hls/tests/parse-media-playlist.test.ts
+++ b/packages/spf/src/media/hls/tests/parse-media-playlist.test.ts
@@ -808,4 +808,54 @@ s0.ts`;
       expect((audio.startDate ?? 0) - (video.startDate ?? 0)).toBeCloseTo(2, 3);
     });
   });
+
+  describe('pre-applied anchor (startDate on the unresolved shell)', () => {
+    const shell: PartiallyResolvedVideoTrack = {
+      type: 'video',
+      id: 'video-0',
+      url: 'https://example.com/video/playlist.m3u8',
+      bandwidth: 1400000,
+      codecs: ['avc1.4d401f'],
+      mimeType: 'video/mp4',
+    };
+    const epoch = (iso: string) => Date.parse(iso) / 1000;
+    const anchor = epoch('2026-01-01T00:00:00.000Z');
+
+    const withPdt = `#EXTM3U
+#EXT-X-TARGETDURATION:2
+#EXT-X-MEDIA-SEQUENCE:5
+#EXT-X-PROGRAM-DATE-TIME:2026-01-01T00:00:10.000Z
+#EXTINF:2,
+s5.m4s
+#EXTINF:2,
+s6.m4s`;
+
+    it('places first-resolve segments by PDT relative to the pre-applied startDate', () => {
+      const r = parseMediaPlaylist(withPdt, { ...shell, startDate: anchor });
+      // segment.startTime = segment PDT − anchor (10s and 12s past media-time 0).
+      expect(r.segments.map((s) => s.startTime)).toEqual([10, 12]);
+      expect(r.startTime).toBe(10);
+      // The recomputed track startDate reads back as the anchor.
+      expect(r.startDate).toBe(anchor);
+    });
+
+    it('anchors at the local base 0 when the shell carries no startDate (unchanged)', () => {
+      const r = parseMediaPlaylist(withPdt, shell);
+      expect(r.segments.map((s) => s.startTime)).toEqual([0, 2]);
+      expect(r.startTime).toBe(0);
+    });
+
+    it('falls back to the local base when the shell has a startDate but no segment carries PDT', () => {
+      const noPdt = `#EXTM3U
+#EXT-X-TARGETDURATION:2
+#EXT-X-MEDIA-SEQUENCE:5
+#EXTINF:2,
+s5.m4s
+#EXTINF:2,
+s6.m4s`;
+      const r = parseMediaPlaylist(noPdt, { ...shell, startDate: anchor });
+      expect(r.segments.map((s) => s.startTime)).toEqual([0, 2]);
+      expect(r.startDate).toBeUndefined();
+    });
+  });
 });