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+# yt-sync.sh Improvements
+
+## Problem
+- Current scan takes 1-2 hours
+- Scans 200 videos × 15 channels = 3000 metadata fetches
+- Most videos are skipped (already downloaded or too old)
+- Cron running hourly causes overlap
+
+## Speed Improvements for yt-dlp
+
+### 1. Break on existing (RECOMMENDED)
+```bash
+--break-on-existing
+```
+Stops scanning when it hits a video already in archive. Since playlists are chronological, once we hit an old video, all subsequent are old too.
+
+### 2. Break on date reject
+```bash
+--break-on-reject
+```
+Stops when hitting a video outside the --dateafter range. Combined with chronological order, stops at first old video.
+
+### 3. Reduce playlist scan depth
+```bash
+--playlist-end 50  # Instead of 200
+```
+Most channels don't post 50 videos in 30 days.
+
+### 4. Track last sync timestamp
+Store last successful sync time and use tighter --dateafter:
+```bash
+LAST_SYNC_FILE="$YOUTUBE_DIR/.last_sync"
+if [[ -f "$LAST_SYNC_FILE" ]]; then
+    LAST_SYNC=$(cat "$LAST_SYNC_FILE")
+    DATE_AFTER="--dateafter $LAST_SYNC"
+else
+    DATE_AFTER="--dateafter $(date -d '30 days ago' '+%Y%m%d')"
+fi
+# After successful sync:
+date '+%Y%m%d' > "$LAST_SYNC_FILE"
+```
+
+### 5. Parallel channel downloads (aggressive)
+Use GNU parallel to download multiple channels simultaneously:
+```bash
+parallel -j 3 yt-dlp [opts] ::: "${CHANNELS[@]}"
+```
+Risk: More likely to trigger rate limiting.
+
+## Scheduling Options
+
+### Option A: Systemd timer (prevents overlap)
+```ini
+# ~/.config/systemd/user/yt-sync.timer
+[Unit]
+Description=YouTube Sync Timer
+
+[Timer]
+OnCalendar=*-*-* 00,06,12,18:00:00
+Persistent=true
+
+[Install]
+WantedBy=timers.target
+```
+
+```ini
+# ~/.config/systemd/user/yt-sync.service
+[Unit]
+Description=YouTube Sync
+
+[Service]
+Type=oneshot
+ExecStart=/home/cjennings/.local/bin/yt-sync.sh all
+ExecStartPost=/home/cjennings/.local/bin/yt-sync.sh sync
+```
+
+Systemd won't start a new run if previous is still running.
+
+### Option B: Lock file wrapper
+```bash
+#!/bin/bash
+LOCKFILE="/tmp/yt-sync.lock"
+exec 200>"$LOCKFILE"
+flock -n 200 || { echo "Already running"; exit 1; }
+# ... run sync ...
+```
+
+### Option C: Longer cron interval
+```cron
+# Every 4 hours during off-peak
+0 0,4,20 * * * /home/cjennings/.local/bin/yt-sync.sh all && yt-sync.sh sync
+```
+
+## Recommended Changes
+
+1. Add `--break-on-existing` to YT_OPTS (biggest win)
+2. Add `--break-on-reject` to YT_OPTS  
+3. Reduce `--playlist-end` to 50
+4. Use systemd timer instead of cron
+5. Optionally track last sync date for tighter filtering