Sonarr Prefer X265 !new! 【2026 Release】

x265 is a mathematically denser codec. Many client devices (smart TVs, older streaming sticks, tablets) do not have hardware decoding for x265. When this happens, your media server (Plex, Jellyfin, Emby) must transcode the file on-the-fly to a codec the client can play—usually back to x264.

A Custom Format is a rule set that looks for specific strings in a release name (e.g., x265 , HEVC , 10bit , HDR ). You assign a to these rules. Sonarr then calculates the total score of every potential download and picks the highest-scoring release.

"name": "x265 or HEVC", "implementation": "ReleaseTitleSpecification", "negate": false, "required": false, "fields": \\bhevc\\b"

Optimizing Sonarr for x265: How to Prefer High-Efficiency Video Coding (HEVC) sonarr prefer x265

Locate the field. Leave this blank (filling this forces Sonarr to only download x265, ignoring all other files).

(Optional) If you want Sonarr to actively upgrade existing x264 files to x265 when they become available, check the box and set a Minimum Score threshold. Click Save at the top.

In the world of automated media management, Sonarr is the undisputed king for TV show acquisition. But beneath its sleek interface lies a critical, often misunderstood setting: the preference for (also known as HEVC) over the long-reigning champion, x264 (H.264). x265 is a mathematically denser codec

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: A standard 1080p Bluray rip in x264 often hovers around 8 GB to 15 GB. An equivalent x265 encode typically compresses down to 3 GB to 6 GB without a perceptible drop in quality.

In Sonarr v3 and v4, Custom Formats are the modern and recommended way to weight preferences. They are far more powerful and flexible than the legacy Release Profiles. A Custom Format is a rule set that

Ensure your quality is set high enough so Sonarr keeps looking for better versions.

Sonarr doesn't know if an x265 file was made by a skilled encoder or a script-kitty who nuked the quality to save 50MB. Low-quality x265 releases are notorious for introducing "banding" in skies and "blocking" in dark scenes. x264, being older, has more standardized, high-quality release groups.

Set the to 0 (this ensures Sonarr will still download x264 files if no x265 version is available, rather than ignoring the episode entirely). Click Save . Step 3: Handle the Upgrade Threshold (Optional)

If your Quality Profile ranks WEBDL-1080p higher than WebRip-1080p , Sonarr will choose an x264 WEBDL over an x265 WebRip, even if the x265 file has a higher custom format score. How to Fix Grouped Qualities: