Sonarr Prefer X265 Better -

Before committing your whole library to x265, ensure your playback devices (Plex clients, smart TVs, or tablets) support HEVC hardware decoding

Go to → Profiles (or Quality Profiles ). Select the profile you use for TV shows (e.g., "HD - 1080p" or "4K").

This works, but it treats all x265 releases equally. It scores a 1GB high-quality HEVC release the same as a 150MB junk re-encode. sonarr prefer x265

The visual quality of your media library depends heavily on release profiles. Configuring Sonarr to prefer x265 (HEVC) video files allows you to maximize your storage capacity without sacrificing visual fidelity.

Storage efficiency is the primary reason to prefer x265. A typical 45-minute TV episode encoded in x264 at 1080p might take up 2.5 GB. The exact same episode encoded in x265 with identical perceived visual quality often shrinks to 1.2 GB or less. Over a library of hundreds of shows, this translates directly to saving hundreds of dollars on hard drives. 2. Bandwidth and Streaming Efficiency Before committing your whole library to x265, ensure

By using Custom Formats, you can tell Sonarr to specifically look for, grab, and upgrade existing x264 files to x265 releases automatically. How to Set Up "Sonarr Prefer x265" (Step-by-Step)

Before diving into the settings, it is important to understand the benefits and trade-offs of switching your library to x265. 💾 Massive Storage Savings It scores a 1GB high-quality HEVC release the

. If they don’t, your media server will have to "transcode" the video, which puts a massive heavy load on your CPU. Regex strings

By tailoring Sonarr to look for x265 encodes, you can easily cut your library's storage footprint in half without sacrificing video quality. Just ensure your playback devices are modern enough to handle the codec smoothly.

If two files have the same Quality (e.g., both are Bluray-1080p), Sonarr will now choose the one with the higher Custom Format score. Alternative: Release Profiles (Sonarr v3)