Sonarr Prefer X265

High Efficiency Video Coding (HEVC), or x265, is a video compression standard that succeeds x264 (AVC).

As of 2026, x265 remains the practical choice for most users, with AV1 serving as a forward-looking option for those who want to stay on the cutting edge.

To help tailor this setup for your specific homelab, please share a few details:

: For the most optimized setup, many users use tools like Profilarr or follow the pre-made scoring lists at TRaSH Guides to ensure they only get high-quality x265 encodes rather than "trash" ones.

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) sonarr prefer x265

| Factor | Rating (1–10) | |--------|---------------| | Storage efficiency | 9/10 | | Quality vs size tradeoff | 8/10 | | Ease of use (Sonarr) | 9/10 | | Hardware compatibility | 5/10 | | Future-proofness | 9/10 |

Custom Formats represent the most flexible and powerful way to configure Sonarr's codec preferences. Here's a step-by-step guide to setting them up.

Create two Sonarr instances – one for x264 (remote users) and one for x265 (local 4K library).

If you are still running Sonarr v3, you will use Release Profiles to achieve this result. Go to > Profiles . High Efficiency Video Coding (HEVC), or x265, is

Before forcing your system to fetch x265 content, verify that your media playback ecosystem can handle it.

: Most modern streaming devices, smart TVs, and CPUs feature native hardware decoding for x265. Prerequisites Before Updating Sonarr

Paste the following Regular Expression (RegEx) into the text box: \b([hx].?265|hevc)\b Use code with caution. Click . Step 2: Update Your Quality Profiles Navigate to Settings > Profiles .

Before you configure Sonarr, you must ensure your setup can handle the files. Now that Sonarr knows what an x265 file

: Sonarr V3 introduced release profiles, which allowed users to define "preferred words" using regular expressions. You could add terms like /(x|h)[ ._-]?265|hevc/i with a positive score, and Sonarr would favor releases containing those terms. While functional, this method was limited—scores only came into play when two releases had the same quality, and there was no way to require specific codecs for different resolutions.

There are two ways to prefer x265. The first is easy but rigid; the second is advanced and powerful.

Click the button to add a new Custom Format.

If your playback clients (like older Apple TVs, cheap streaming sticks, or web browsers) do not support HEVC hardware decoding, your media server (Plex, Jellyfin, or Emby) will be forced to transcode the video in real-time. This process requires massive CPU power or a dedicated GPU. Ensure your clients support direct play for HEVC before proceeding. Step-by-Step Guide: How to Prefer x265 in Sonarr v3 and v4