diff --git a/src/lib/render.c b/src/lib/render.c
index 21cc0900c..4ddeddc81 100644
--- a/src/lib/render.c
+++ b/src/lib/render.c
@@ -1028,15 +1028,14 @@ notcurses_rasterize_inner(notcurses* nc, const ncpile* p, FILE* out){
             nc->rstate.bgdefelidable = false;
             nc->rstate.bgpalelidable = false;
           }
+        }else{
+          hardposupdate = true;
         }
 //fprintf(stderr, "RAST %08x [%s] to %d/%d cols: %u %016lx\n", srccell->gcluster, pool_extended_gcluster(&nc->pool, srccell), y, x, srccell->width, srccell->channels);
         if(term_putc(out, &nc->pool, srccell)){
           return -1;
         }
         // if we just emitted a sixel, always force a hard cursor relocation
-        if(cell_pixels_p(srccell)){
-          hardposupdate = true;
-        }
         ++nc->rstate.x;
         if(srccell->width >= 2){
           x += srccell->width - 1;
diff --git a/src/player/play.cpp b/src/player/play.cpp
index 14d2b5768..4a21f292c 100644
--- a/src/player/play.cpp
+++ b/src/player/play.cpp
@@ -66,7 +66,7 @@ auto perframe(struct ncvisual* ncv, struct ncvisual_options* vopts,
     marsh->blitter = ncvisual_media_defblitter(nc, vopts->scaling);
   }
   if(!marsh->quiet){
-    stdn->printf(0, NCAlign::Left, "frame %06d\u2026 (%s)", marsh->framecount,
+    stdn->printf(0, NCAlign::Left, "frame %06d (%s)", marsh->framecount,
                  notcurses_str_blitter(vopts->blitter));
   }
   char* subtitle = ncvisual_subtitle(ncv);
@@ -148,6 +148,9 @@ auto perframe(struct ncvisual* ncv, struct ncvisual_options* vopts,
       vopts->blitter = marsh->blitter;
       if(vopts->blitter == NCBLIT_PIXEL){
         notcurses_check_pixel_support(nc);
+        vopts->y = 1;
+      }else{
+        vopts->y = 0;
       }
       continue;
     }else if(keyp == NCKey::Up){
@@ -358,6 +361,9 @@ auto main(int argc, char** argv) -> int {
       vopts.blitter = blitter;
       if(vopts.blitter == NCBLIT_PIXEL){
         notcurses_check_pixel_support(nc);
+        vopts.y = 1;
+      }else{
+        vopts.y = 0;
       }
       do{
         struct marshal marsh = {