Sonarr Prefer X265 New! ❲Top 100 Trusted❳

This is the core of our setup. We'll create a Custom Format that looks for any release containing our magic keywords ( x265 , HEVC , h265 ) in its title and gives it a very high score.

"Sonarr prefer x265" is not just a keyword; it is a philosophy of efficient media archiving. By leveraging Custom Formats with a +100 score and the "Upgrade Until" logic, you create a self-healing library that automatically sheds gigabytes while maintaining visual fidelity.

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. sonarr prefer x265

(?i)\b(x|h)\.?265\b|\bhevc\b

Sonarr is a powerful tool for automating your media library, but its default settings often prioritize file size or release speed over modern efficiency. If you want to save disk space without sacrificing quality, configuring Sonarr to prefer x265 (HEVC) is a game-changer. This is the core of our setup

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

Ensure the profile is linked to the tags or indexers you want it applied to, or leave tags blank to apply it globally. Click . Advanced Optimization: Trash Guides Integration By leveraging Custom Formats with a +100 score

Go to and select the profile you use (e.g., HD-1080p ). Scroll down to the Custom Formats section at the bottom.