Sonarr Prefer X265 !!exclusive!! Jun 2026

Click on the you want to update (e.g., HD-1080p or Any ).

Set the to 0 . This ensures Sonarr will still download standard x264 files if no x265 release exists, preventing your queue from stalling. Click Save . Dealing with the "WebRip" and "Web-DL" Conundrum

In the value field, enter the regular expression to match x265 releases:

This review covers the "Why," the "How," and the potential pitfalls of setting up an x265 preference in Sonarr.

Sonarr v3 and v4 have moved away from simple "must contain" strings toward a more nuanced system called . By creating a format that assigns a positive score to the "x265" or "HEVC" tags, users can instruct Sonarr to: Prioritise x265 releases during initial searches. sonarr prefer x265

is the gold standard because it offers roughly 50% better compression efficiency, saving massive amounts of disk space without sacrificing visual quality.

Click on the Quality Profile you use for your shows (e.g., HD-1080p ). Scroll down to the section at the bottom. You will see your newly created x265 / HEVC format listed. In the Score column, assign a positive value, such as 100 .

This is where the x265 video codec (also known as HEVC or High Efficiency Video Coding) becomes a lifesaver. It delivers the same visual quality as the older x264 codec at roughly half the file size.

This is the professional way to handle x265. It allows you to score x265 releases positively while penalizing low-quality releases. Note: This requires the "Custom Formats" feature, which is available in newer versions of Sonarr (v3/v4). Click on the you want to update (e

Adjust the sliders for your target resolutions (e.g., 780p, 1080p) to establish a safe minimum size per hour of content. Troubleshooting and Verification

You will see your "x265 HEVC" format listed. Set the to something positive, like 100 .

The x265 codec offers significant advantages over the older x264 standard:

There is one major caveat: . Older streaming devices (like early generation Fire Sticks, older smart TVs, or web browsers) cannot play x265 natively. When a device cannot play a file directly, your Plex, Jellyfin, or Emby server must "transcode" it on the fly. Transcoding x265 video requires a powerful CPU or a dedicated GPU with hardware acceleration. Ensure your server can handle transcoding before converting your entire library. How to Prefer x265 in Sonarr v4 (Custom Formats) Click Save

The primary argument for x265 is its superior compression. High Efficiency Video Coding (HEVC) can deliver the same visual quality as its predecessor, x264 (AVC), at roughly . For a Sonarr user, this means a 20GB season of a drama can be reduced to 10GB without a perceptible loss in clarity. Over a library of hundreds of series, this translates to terabytes of reclaimed storage, delaying the need for expensive new hard drives. Integration via Custom Formats

Select at the top if you are using Sonarr v3, or look for the standard template selection in v4.

Given the advantages of the x265 codec, particularly its superior compression efficiency and ability to handle high-resolution videos, configuring Sonarr to prefer x265 can offer several benefits: