Sonarr Prefer X265 95%

HEVC (High-Efficiency Video Coding), also known as H.265 or x265, is the successor to AVC (H.264/x264). It offers several advantages for home media servers (Plex, Jellyfin, Emby):

The community-standard TRaSH Guides have a specific opinion on x265 usage, which they've termed the "Golden Rule":

Set the to 0 (this ensures Sonarr still downloads x264 files if an x265 version is unavailable). Click Save . Method 2: Configuring Release Profiles (Sonarr v3)

In Sonarr, go to Settings > Custom Formats . Create a new format for x265 using a regular expression to match common naming conventions. Authoritative guides like TRaSH Guides recommend including terms like x265 , h265 , and HEVC to ensure maximum coverage. sonarr prefer x265

Check the box to negate or modify if your setup requires it, but for a standard setup, just saving this regex is enough. Click . Step 2: Assign a Positive Score in Your Quality Profile Go to Settings > Profiles .

Instead of writing your own regular expressions, you can sync Sonarr directly with Trash Guides patterns using tools like . This automation syncs highly specific custom formats—such as prioritizing specific release groups known for excellent HEVC encodes (e.g., QxR, MinHDKR, TAO)—while automatically filtering out low-quality, automated "bitrate-starved" encodes. Summary Checklist for x265 Automation Action Item Configuration Location Expected Outcome Create Custom Format Settings > Custom Formats Defines the x265 / hevc regex tag for identification. Assign Format Score Settings > Profiles > [Your Profile] Gives x265 releases a +100 advantage over x264. Enable Upgrades Settings > Profiles > [Your Profile] Allows Sonarr to replace existing x264 files over time. Group Qualities Settings > Profiles > Edit Groups Prevents source tags from overriding codec preferences. Adjust Size Sliders Settings > Media Management Tailors the acceptable file size range to HEVC standards.

The most effective way to manage this in Sonarr is through and Quality Profiles , ideally using recommendations from community-driven resources like the TRaSH Guides . 1. Create the x265 Custom Format Navigate to Settings -> Custom Formats in Sonarr. Click the + button to create a new Custom Format. Name it x265 (or similar). HEVC (High-Efficiency Video Coding), also known as H

Smaller files mean less bandwidth is required to stream content remotely, reducing buffering for remote users.

In the Regular Expression (Regex) field, paste the following standard string to catch x265 tags: \b([hx].?265|hevc)\b

If your server lacks hardware transcoding and your playback devices are old, sticking with x264 might be safer. However, if your clients are modern, x265 is the clear winner. How to Configure Sonarr to Prefer x265 Method 2: Configuring Release Profiles (Sonarr v3) In

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

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 are you using (v3 or v4)? Do you use Plex, Jellyfin, or Emby for playback?

The excellent TRaSH Guides has a "Golden Rule" for codec selection: 720/1080p => x264 and 2160p/4k => x265 . The reasoning is that poorly encoded x265 files from low-quality sources (like a re-encode of an x264 file) can look terrible, nullifying any potential benefits. While many casual users love x265 for its size, aiming for high-quality rips from reliable release groups is the path to an optimized media server.