Sonarr Prefer X265 -

Enter (HEVC). This video codec offers roughly double the compression efficiency of the aging x264 (H.264). Switching your downloads to x265 can save you terabytes of space without sacrificing visual quality.

"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.

Many older or niche TV shows are only available in x264. New episodes often appear in x264 first (due to faster encoding speeds), with x265 releases following hours later. sonarr prefer x265

Click . You now have a detector. Step 2: The Scoring Strategy (Crucial) To make Sonarr "prefer" x265, we need to assign it a positive score. However, we must also ensure that x265 doesn't break your quality standards.

To protect yourself, you must combine x265 preference with limits. Enter (HEVC)

Click → Release Title . Paste the following regex into the Regular Expression box:

This guide will show you exactly how to bend Sonarr to your will. We will cover advanced Custom Formats, scoring systems, and a "prefer/upgrade to x265" workflow that automates your library conversion. Before we dive into the code, a word of caution. If you set Sonarr to strictly require x265, you will miss downloads. "Sonarr prefer x265" is not just a keyword;

Therefore, the goal is —not outright exclusion. We want Sonarr to grab x264 to satisfy "Missing" episodes immediately, but constantly scan for an x265 upgrade to replace the bloated file. The Core Concept: Custom Formats To prioritize x265, you must ignore the "Quality" settings (Bluray, WebDL, HDTV) and focus on Custom Formats .