Sonarr Prefer X265 Jun 2026

While Sonarr doesn't have a simple "HEVC Only" toggle, you can easily automate this preference using Custom Formats

Scene groups know users look for "x265." Because x265 is highly compressible, bad actors often take a low-quality 700MB x264 file, re-encode it to x265, and shrink it to 200MB. They label it "Bluray x265," but it looks like a pixelated mess. sonarr prefer x265

If two releases have the same Quality, the one with the higher Custom Format Score (your x265 release) will be chosen. While Sonarr doesn't have a simple "HEVC Only"

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

for more advanced filtering, like avoiding low-quality "re-encodes"?