diff --git a/crates/media/src/exr_channels.rs b/crates/media/src/exr_channels.rs
index 06bda925..732cd3c4 100644
--- a/crates/media/src/exr_channels.rs
+++ b/crates/media/src/exr_channels.rs
@@ -37,6 +37,18 @@ pub fn parse_manifest(json: &str) -> Vec<(String, u32)> {
     v
 }
 
+/// Why an OpenEXR file's pixels can't be decoded when its headers name a compression this build
+/// can't decompress (HTJ2K, OpenEXR 3.4's High-Throughput JPEG 2000): the decoders only said
+/// "no non-deep rgb channels" or showed a transparent frame (#482). `None` for other files.
+pub fn unsupported_compression(bytes: &[u8]) -> Option<&'static str> {
+    use exr::compression::Compression;
+    let meta = exr::meta::MetaData::read_from_buffered(std::io::Cursor::new(bytes), false).ok()?;
+    meta.headers
+        .iter()
+        .any(|h| matches!(h.compression, Compression::HTJ2K32 | Compression::HTJ2K256))
+        .then_some("OpenEXR HTJ2K compression isn't supported yet: re-save the file with ZIP, PIZ or DWAA compression")
+}
+
 /// Read all channels of an EXR file's bytes. `None` when it is not a readable EXR.
 pub fn read_exr_channels(bytes: &[u8]) -> Option<AuxChannels> {
     use exr::prelude::*;
diff --git a/crates/media/src/pool.rs b/crates/media/src/pool.rs
index db3e19a4..9db2f225 100644
--- a/crates/media/src/pool.rs
+++ b/crates/media/src/pool.rs
@@ -731,6 +731,13 @@ impl Inner {
                 if let Some(img) = crate::layered::decode(path, &bytes, footage, op)? {
                     return Ok(img);
                 }
+                // (an OpenEXR compression the decoder lacks came out transparent or as a missing
+                // channel error)
+                if path.to_ascii_lowercase().ends_with(".exr")
+                    && let Some(why) = crate::exr_channels::unsupported_compression(&bytes)
+                {
+                    return Err(MediaError::Decode(format!("{path}: {why}")));
+                }
                 let img = match image::load_from_memory(&bytes) {
                     Ok(img) => img,
                     // A multi-layer OpenEXR file without an unnamed RGB layer: its colour layer.
@@ -963,6 +970,32 @@ mod tests {
         assert!(c.take_spare(17).is_empty());
     }
 
+    /// #482: an OpenEXR file with HTJ2K compression (which the decoder lacks) says so on import
+    /// and when its frame is read, instead of "no non-deep rgb channels" or a transparent frame.
+    #[test]
+    fn htj2k_exr_is_reported_as_unsupported() {
+        use exr::prelude::*;
+        let channels =
+            AnyChannels::sort(vec![AnyChannel::new("R", FlatSamples::F32(vec![0.5; 4])), AnyChannel::new("G", FlatSamples::F32(vec![0.5; 4]))].into());
+        let image = exr::image::Image::from_layer(Layer::new((2, 2), LayerAttributes::default(), Encoding::UNCOMPRESSED, channels));
+        let mut bytes = std::io::Cursor::new(Vec::new());
+        image.write().to_buffered(&mut bytes).unwrap();
+        let mut bytes = bytes.into_inner();
+        assert_eq!(crate::exr_channels::unsupported_compression(&bytes), None);
+        // The header's compression attribute (name, type, size 1, value) says HTJ2K32 (11).
+        let tag = b"compression\0compression\0\x01\0\0\0";
+        let at = bytes.windows(tag.len()).position(|w| w == tag).unwrap() + tag.len();
+        bytes[at] = 11;
+        let b: Arc<[u8]> = bytes.into();
+        let e = crate::probe_bytes("/shot.exr", b.clone()).unwrap_err().to_string();
+        assert!(e.contains("/shot.exr: OpenEXR HTJ2K compression isn't supported yet"), "{e}");
+        let pool = MediaPool::new();
+        pool.add_bytes("/shot.exr", b);
+        let f = Footage { path: "/shot.exr".into(), kind: FootageKind::Still, width: 2, height: 2, has_video: true, ..Default::default() };
+        let e = pool.frame_at(&f, Tick::ZERO).unwrap_err().to_string();
+        assert!(e.contains("HTJ2K compression isn't supported yet"), "{e}");
+    }
+
     /// #411: Interpret Footage ▸ Preserve RGB reads a float OpenEXR's values as the file stores
     /// them (no automatic linear → sRGB encode), so an OCIO effect is the only conversion; the
     /// default interpretation still encodes. Both interpretations of one file decode separately.
diff --git a/crates/media/src/probe.rs b/crates/media/src/probe.rs
index 4e986151..6e8718fd 100644
--- a/crates/media/src/probe.rs
+++ b/crates/media/src/probe.rs
@@ -158,6 +158,11 @@ pub(crate) fn still_footage(path: &str, w: u32, h: u32, fmt: image::ImageFormat,
 
 fn probe_still_bytes(path: &str, bytes: &[u8], fmt: image::ImageFormat) -> Result<Footage> {
     use image::ImageDecoder;
+    if fmt == image::ImageFormat::OpenExr
+        && let Some(why) = crate::exr_channels::unsupported_compression(bytes)
+    {
+        return Err(MediaError::Decode(format!("{path}: {why}")));
+    }
     let reader = image::ImageReader::with_format(std::io::Cursor::new(bytes), fmt);
     let (w, h, has_alpha) = match reader.into_decoder() {
         Ok(dec) => (dec.dimensions().0, dec.dimensions().1, dec.color_type().has_alpha()),