Sonarr Prefer X265 |best| (DIRECT)

Preferring x265 (HEVC) in Sonarr is the "holy grail" for users with limited storage space. While x264 is the legacy standard, x265 offers similar quality at roughly half the file size.

In Sonarr v3 and v4, this is achieved through Custom Formats (or "Preferred Words" in older versions), allowing the system to intelligently rank releases. 🚀 The Core Logic: Why x265?

Storage Efficiency: A 1GB x264 episode often shrinks to ~500MB in x265 without visible quality loss.

Bandwidth Savings: Ideal for users with data caps or slower download speeds.

Compatibility Trade-off: Requires more CPU/GPU power to play back. Older smart TVs or low-end streaming sticks may struggle to "Direct Play" these files, causing your server (like Plex) to transcode. 🛠️ How to Set Up Preferences

To make Sonarr prioritize x265 while still allowing x264 as a fallback, follow these steps: 1. Create the Custom Format Navigate to Settings > Custom Formats. Add a new format named "x265/HEVC".

Use a Release Title condition with a regular expression like \b(x265|hevc)\b. 2. Assign Scores in Profiles

Go to Settings > Profiles and select your active profile (e.g., "HD-1080p"). Find the Custom Formats section at the bottom. Give your "x265/HEVC" format a positive score (e.g., +100).

Set an Upgrade Until score if you want Sonarr to keep searching for an x265 version even after an x264 version is downloaded. ⚠️ Common Pitfalls sonarr prefer x265

Quality Trumps Score: Sonarr prioritizes "Quality" (e.g., Bluray-1080p vs. WEBDL-1080p) over Custom Format scores by default. If a high-quality x264 file is found, it may be picked over a lower-quality x265 file unless scores are high enough.

Naming Issues: Some release groups don't include "x265" in the filename. Sonarr may incorrectly tag these as "HDTV" or standard quality, causing it to ignore them.

The "HEVC Garbage" Problem: Not all x265 encodes are created equal. "Mini-encodes" (very small files) can sometimes have lower visual fidelity than a high-bitrate x264 file. 💡 Pro-Tip: Use Trash Guides

The community gold standard for these settings is Trash Guides. They provide pre-made JSON snippets you can import to: Prefer specific high-quality encoders (like QxR or Tigole). Avoid "fake" or low-quality HEVC releases.

Manage complex audio preferences simultaneously (e.g., avoiding TrueHD if your device can't play it). If you'd like to dive deeper, let me know: Which version of Sonarr are you using (v3 or v4)? Do you use Plex, Jellyfin, or Emby for playback?

Are you more concerned about perfect video quality or saving maximum disk space?

I can provide the specific regex strings or scoring values to match your needs.

Draft: Configuring Sonarr to Prefer x265 (HEVC) Encodes

Why prefer x265?
x265 (HEVC) offers ~50% better compression than x264 at the same quality, saving significant storage space. However, it’s more computationally demanding to play back – fine on modern devices, but problematic on older hardware or Plex/Jellyfin without GPU transcoding. Preferring x265 (HEVC) in Sonarr is the "holy

Step-by-step in Sonarr v3/v4

Add a Release Profile
- Go to Settings → Profiles → Release Profiles
- Click + to add a new profile.
Set “Must Contain” for x265
- In the Must Contain field, add:
```
/\b(x|h)265\b|\bhevc\b/i
```
  (This regex matches x265, h265, or hevc, case-insensitive)
Set “Preferred” score (optional but recommended)
- In the Preferred section, add the same regex with a positive score (e.g., +100).
- Add a second term for x264 with a negative score (e.g., -100).
Order preference
- Keep “Include Preferred when Renaming” checked.
- Set “Preferred Word Score” high enough to beat size-based or other profiles.
Indexer restrictions (optional)
- Some indexers allow tagging x265 in caps. You can also use Release Profile terms to block unwanted formats.

Example Preferred table

| Term | Score | |------|-------| | /\b(x265|hevc)\b/i | +100 | | /\b(x264|avc)\b/i | -50 | Draft: Configuring Sonarr to Prefer x265 (HEVC) Encodes

Important caveats

Not all shows have x265 releases – especially older or niche content.
x265 can look worse at very low bitrates; rely on release group reputation.
For devices that can’t decode HEVC, use Plex’s transcoding or avoid x265 on those libraries.

Testing
After saving, manually search a popular season. Sonarr will sort x265 releases above x264 if scores are set.

Detailed Steps

Recommended Workflow (High-Level)

Create Custom Formats for x265 and related variants.
Create a Quality Profile that accepts desired x265 qualities and sets an appropriate cutoff.
Create Release Profiles to prefer and boost x265 and to block unwanted groups/encodes.
Optionally tag series that should always be x265-preferred.
Configure indexers/clients and preferred words / score boosts.
Test with a sample series and refine rules to avoid unwanted upgrades.
Set up post-processing (radarr-like behavior) to convert/remux only if needed.
Monitor logs and adjust.

Part 4: The "Renaming" Hack (For Existing Libraries)

If you already have a library mixed with x264 and x265, Sonarr struggles to "upgrade" them because it sees both as 1080p. To force upgrades:

Go to Series > Edit > Quality Profile.
Ensure "Upgrades Allowed" is checked.
Create a Custom Format (Sonarr v4) specifically for x265.
Give the x265 Custom Format a higher weight (e.g., +100) than the default x264 score (0).
Trigger a Search for Upgrades (RSS Sync won't do this automatically).

Note: Sonarr does not re-download existing files just because a better codec exists. You must use the "Interactive Search" tab and manually select an x265 release, or change your profile to lower the score of your existing x264 files.

Part 3: Applying the Format to Your Quality Profile

Creating the format does nothing until you attach it to a Profile.

Go to Settings > Profiles.
Select your active Profile (e.g., "HD-1080p" or whatever you use).
Scroll down to the Custom Formats area inside the profile modal.
You will see your newly created Prefer x265 format listed there.
Ensure the toggle is set to Enabled and the score is correct.
Click Save.

Part 2: The Simple Method – "Prefer" via Release Profiles

Sonarr (Version 3 and 4) does not have a magic "x265 only" button, but it has a powerful scoring system called Release Profiles. This allows you to say "I want x265, but I will take x264 if necessary."

Part 5: Hardware Compatibility Warning

Before you commit to a library full of x265, you must review your playback devices.

Direct Play: Modern Smart TVs (2017+), PCs, and newer Nvidia Shields play x265 effortlessly.
Transcoding: If you use Plex or Jellyfin and watch on older devices (older iPads, older smart TVs, Roku sticks), your server will have to transcode x265 to x264 in real-time.
- The Cost: x265 is CPU-intensive to decode. A weak CPU server might struggle to transcode multiple streams simultaneously.
HDR Issues: Many x265 releases contain HDR (High Dynamic Range). If you play HDR content on a non-HDR screen, colors look washed out (grey/purple). You need a player that supports tone-mapping (like Plex with an Nvidia GPU) to fix this automatically.

7) Cutoff and Upgrade Behavior

Choose a cutoff quality that reflects the final desired resolution (e.g., 1080p or 2160p).
To allow upgrades from x264 to x265 at the same resolution, ensure x265 custom format scores plus release profile boost result in a higher total score than the currently installed release.
Enable “Upgrade using Smaller Sizes” only if you want smaller x265 files to be considered upgrades even when size is lower; otherwise leave disabled to avoid downgrading visual quality.
Optionally set “Ignore Deleted Episodes” to false so Sonarr can re-download if file deleted.