Sonarr Prefer X265 ((full)) Jun 2026

Sonarr v4 utilizes a powerful system that allows for granular control over which releases are "scored" higher than others. 1. Create the Custom Format Navigate to Settings > Custom Formats . Click the + button to add a new format. Name it "x265 HEVC". Add a Condition and select Release Title .

x265 can provide the same visual quality as x264 at roughly half the file size. This means storing twice as many episodes or movies on the same hard drive.

This isn't because x265 is bad, but because many x265 groups use x264 sources for encoding, resulting in a significant loss of quality. For HD content, a high-quality x264 encode generally provides better visual fidelity than a "microsized" x265 encode derived from a lossy source.

Under , click Add Condition and select Release Title . sonarr prefer x265

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: Not all devices support x265 natively, which might affect playback on certain devices. Ensure your playback devices support x265 or consider transcoding options.

Configuring Sonarr to prefer x265 involves a few straightforward steps. Keep in mind that the exact steps might vary slightly depending on the version of Sonarr you're using and the client (like Radarr, Lidarr, or the standalone Sonarr) you're integrating with. Sonarr v4 utilizes a powerful system that allows

If you want Sonarr to stop searching for upgrades once an x265 version is acquired, you can utilize the feature.

Check the box for if you want to exclude things, but leave it unchecked for this setup. Click Save . Step 2: Configure Your Quality Profiles to Use the Score

The most effective way to manage this in Sonarr is through and Quality Profiles , ideally using recommendations from community-driven resources like the TRaSH Guides . 1. Create the x265 Custom Format Navigate to Settings -> Custom Formats in Sonarr. Click the + button to create a new Custom Format. Name it x265 (or similar). Click the + button to add a new format

Assign each a positive score. A common setup is to give x265 a score of 100 . Best Practices for Quality

Now, when Sonarr compares two releases of the same quality (e.g., two 1080p Web-DLs), it will choose the one with the x265 tag because it has a higher custom format score. Method 2: Using Release Profiles (Sonarr v3)

What (Apple TV, Roku, Firestick, etc.) do you stream to most often?

: Sonarr often allows users to define custom quality profiles. Within these profiles, you can specify your preferred codec. Look for an option to add or modify a quality profile and select x265 as the preferred codec.