Sonarr Prefer X265 !!exclusive!! -

To make Sonarr prefer x265 (HEVC) releases without strictly requiring them, you should use Custom Formats (in v4) or Release Profiles (in v3) to assign a positive "score" to those terms. How to set up x265 preference

The best way to handle this is by scoring keywords so Sonarr picks the most efficient file available while still falling back to x264 if necessary.

Navigate to Custom Formats: Go to Settings > Custom Formats. Create a Format for x265: Add a new format and name it "x265/HEVC".

In the Conditions section, add a "Release Title" specification.

Use a regular expression or simple text like \b(x265|HEVC|h265)\b to match the codec. Assign a Score in Profiles:

Go to Settings > Profiles and select the quality profile you use (e.g., Any or 1080p).

In the Custom Formats section at the bottom, find your new "x265/HEVC" format and give it a positive score, such as 100.

Ensure "Upgrade Until" is set to a score equal to or higher than your x265 score if you want Sonarr to eventually replace x264 files with x265 versions. Why use scoring over restrictions?

Flexibility: Unlike "Must Contain" restrictions, which will ignore any release without the keyword, scoring allows Sonarr to grab an x264 file if it's the only one available and then upgrade to x265 later when it's uploaded.

Community Standards: Many users on Reddit suggest including tags like MeGusta or HEVC in your search criteria, as not all encoders label their releases identically.

If you want to dive deeper into advanced configurations, you can check out community-driven setups on Reddit that include blocking specific audio formats or preferring certain release groups.

To make Sonarr prefer x265 (HEVC) content over x264, you must use Custom Formats Release Profiles

. Unlike "Must Contain" filters, these methods allow Sonarr to still download x264 if no x265 version is available, rather than failing the search entirely. 1. Recommended Method: Custom Formats (Sonarr v4)

This is the most modern and flexible way to prioritize specific codecs. Create the Format Navigate to Custom Formats button to add a new format. Name it "x265/HEVC". Release Title and enter the regex: \b(x265|hevc)\b (case insensitive). Save the format. Assign Scores Select the profile you use (e.g., HD-1080p). Custom Formats section at the bottom.

Set the score for your "x265/HEVC" format to a positive number (e.g., Ensure your Upgrade Until Custom Format Score

is set to at least that number if you want it to replace existing x264 files. 2. Legacy Method: Release Profiles (Sonarr v3)

If you are still on v3, use Release Profiles to "weight" titles. Add Preferred Terms in some versions) > Release Profiles to add a new profile. section, add Assign a score (e.g., ) to these terms. sonarr prefer x265

Save. Sonarr will now add 100 "points" to any release containing these strings, making them rank higher than standard x264 releases. 3. The "Hard" Limit (Optional) want x265 and wish to ignore all x264 content entirely: Show Advanced Restrictions Must Contain x265, HEVC

Note: This is risky as it will prevent downloads if an x265 version isn't uploaded yet. Summary Table: Setup Comparison Custom Formats (v4) Release Profiles (v3) Restrictions Flexibility High (weighted scoring) Medium (weighted scoring) Low (Binary Yes/No) Downloads x264 if x265 is missing Downloads x264 if x265 is missing Fails if x265 is missing Advanced Regex support String matching Basic string matching For automated cleanup of your existing library, tools like

can monitor your folders and convert older x264 files to x265 automatically, as discussed by users on Regex strings

to capture high-bitrate HEVC releases while avoiding low-quality "mini" encodes?

How to Prefer x265 (HEVC) in Sonarr In Sonarr v4, the best way to prefer x265 (HEVC) releases over x264 is through Custom Formats. Unlike older versions that used "Preferred Words," Custom Formats allow you to assign specific scores to media attributes, ensuring Sonarr always picks your preferred codec when available. Step 1: Create the x265 Custom Format Navigate to Settings > Custom Formats. Click the + (Plus) button to add a new format. Name: x265 (HEVC) Click Add Condition and select Release Title. In the Regex field, enter: ([xh].?265|hevc).

Tip: This matches common naming conventions like x265, h.265, or HEVC. Click Save. Step 2: Assign a Score in Your Quality Profile

A Custom Format does nothing until it is assigned a score in a Quality Profile.

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

Find your new x265 (HEVC) format and enter a positive Score (e.g., 1000).

(Optional) Upgrade Until: Set the "Upgrade Until Custom Format Score" to your x265 score if you want Sonarr to replace existing x264 files with x265 versions. Click Save. Important: How Scoring Works

Quality Trumps All: Sonarr prioritizes Quality (e.g., Bluray-1080p vs. WEB-DL 1080p) before checking Custom Format scores. If you want x265 regardless of quality, you may need to group your qualities together in the profile.

Tie-Breaker: If two releases have the same Quality, the one with the higher Custom Format Score (your x265 release) will be chosen.

Trash Guides: For advanced setups, many users import pre-made JSON configurations from TRaSH Guides which include highly optimized regex for x265, HDR, and more.

Here’s a draft piece for configuring Sonarr to prefer x265 (HEVC) encodes, including rationale and practical steps. You can adapt this for a wiki, guide, or automation note.

The "Anti-Anime" Block

Anime encoders love 10-bit x265. TV scene groups love x264. Use this regex in Preferred Terms with a high negative score:

\b(x264|h264|avc|aac2.0|mp3|dvdrip|bluray[ .]?r20)\b

Assign this -10000. Then assign x265|hevc|h.265|10bit a positive +10000. To make Sonarr prefer x265 (HEVC) releases without

Why this works: If a file has x264 in the title, it loses 10000 points. If it has x265, it gains 10000. The x265 file wins by 20,000 points. Sonarr will literally download a lower quality x265 file (like a WEB-DL) before downloading a remux x264.

Warning: This is aggressive. Only do this if you have solid indexers that reliably tag x265 correctly.

Example Configurations (Concise)

What is the "x265 (No HDR)" Format?

This specific custom format is highly

Optimizing Your Media Library: How to Prefer x265 in Sonarr If you're running a home media server, storage space is always at a premium. Transitioning your library to x265 (HEVC)

is the single most effective way to cut your storage usage in half without sacrificing visual quality.

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

. Here is how to set it up so Sonarr always hunts for those space-saving encodes. Why Prefer x265? Massive Storage Savings

: x265 files are typically 30–50% smaller than x264 at the same quality. Better 4K Support : HEVC is the standard for 4K/HDR content. Bandwidth Efficiency

: Smaller files mean faster remote streaming and less buffering on weak connections. Step 1: Create the x265 Custom Format The most reliable way to prioritize x265 is through the Custom Formats Navigate to Settings > Custom Formats to add a new format. x265 / HEVC Import JSON and paste the standard regex for HEVC (available on the TRaSH Guides "x265 / HEVC" "includeCustomFormatWhenRenaming" "specifications" "implementation" "ReleaseTitleSpecification" "required" "x265|HEVC" } } ] } Use code with caution. Copied to clipboard the format. Step 2: Assign Scores to Your Profile

Now that Sonarr knows what an x265 file looks like, you need to tell it that these files are "worth more." Settings > Profiles Select the Profile you use (e.g., Scroll down to Custom Formats Find your new x265 / HEVC format and give it a positive score (e.g., Save Changes Step 3: Set an Upgrade Goal (Optional)

If you want Sonarr to automatically replace your existing x264 files with x265 versions: In the same settings, set an Upgrade Until Custom Format Score Enter the score you gave x265 (e.g.,

Sonarr will now monitor your RSS feeds for x265 releases. If it finds one for a show you already have in x264, it will download the new version and delete the old, bulky one. A Quick Word on Compatibility The "Anti-Anime" Block Anime encoders love 10-bit x265

Before you convert your entire library, ensure your playback devices (Plex clients, smart TVs, or tablets) support HEVC hardware decoding

. If they don't, your server will have to "transcode" the video, which can heavily tax your CPU. Ready to reclaim your hard drive space?

Head into your Sonarr settings and let the automation do the heavy lifting. Do you need the specific JSON snippets

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

Optimising Your Library: The Case for x265 in Sonarr In the world of automated home media management, Sonarr stands as the premier tool for organizing and downloading television content. As libraries grow from a few shows to thousands of episodes, users inevitably face a critical bottleneck: storage space. This is where the strategic preference for the x265 (HEVC) codec becomes a game-changer. Drafting a configuration that prioritises x265 is not just about saving disk space; it is about future-proofing a digital collection. The Efficiency of HEVC

The primary argument for x265 is its superior compression. High Efficiency Video Coding (HEVC) can deliver the same visual quality as its predecessor, x264 (AVC), at roughly half the bitrate. For a Sonarr user, this means a 20GB season of a drama can be reduced to 10GB without a perceptible loss in clarity. Over a library of hundreds of series, this translates to terabytes of reclaimed storage, delaying the need for expensive new hard drives. Integration via Custom Formats

Sonarr v3 and v4 have moved away from simple "must contain" strings toward a more nuanced system called Custom Formats. By creating a format that assigns a positive score to the "x265" or "HEVC" tags, users can instruct Sonarr to: Prioritise x265 releases during initial searches.

Upgrade existing x264 files to x265 when a matching release becomes available.

Maintain Quality, as users can set "score" thresholds to ensure the system doesn't accidentally "downgrade" a high-bitrate x264 file to a low-quality, "trash" x265 encode. The Compatibility Trade-off

While the benefits are clear, a balanced essay must acknowledge the hardware requirements. x265 is computationally intensive to decode. While most modern streaming sticks (like Nvidia Shield or Fire Stick 4K) and smart TVs handle it natively, older devices may force a media server like Plex or Jellyfin to "transcode" the video. This puts a heavy load on the server's CPU or GPU. Therefore, preferring x265 is most effective when your playback ecosystem is modern enough to support direct play. Conclusion

Configuring Sonarr to prefer x265 represents the "smart" way to manage a growing media empire. It balances the desire for high-definition 1080p or 4K content with the reality of finite storage resources. By mastering Custom Formats and ensuring hardware compatibility, a Sonarr user can build a lean, high-performance library that looks spectacular without breaking the bank on storage.

Quick configuration example (values)

If you want, I can produce:

How to Configure Sonarr to "Prefer" x265 (Without Breaking Your Setup)

You don't just flip a switch. You use Release Profiles and Custom Formats.

Strategy 1: The Conservative "x265 for 4K Only"

Strategy 2: The Storage Saver (x265 for all 1080p/720p)

Strategy 3: The Hybrid (My Recommendation)

12) Monitoring and Troubleshooting

Recommended configuration steps