x265 can provide the same visual quality as x264 at roughly half the file size. This means storing twice as many episodes or movies on the same hard drive.
The community gold standard for these settings is Trash Guides. They provide pre-made JSON snippets you can import to: Prefer specific high-quality encoders (like or Tigole ). Avoid "fake" or low-quality HEVC releases.
Here, you will build a "Release Title" condition. This is a Regular Expression (Regex) that catches every variation of x265 naming conventions.
: Go to any TV series page, select an episode, and click the Interactive Search (Magnifying Glass with a Person) icon. sonarr prefer x265
For the absolute best results, look into . This is a community-maintained repository of highly optimized Regex formulas for Sonarr and Radarr.
Scroll down to the section at the bottom of the profile settings. Locate your newly created HEVC / x265 format. In the Score column, assign a positive number, such as 100 .
A common trap is Sonarr downloading an HDR file for your non-HDR TV, causing washed-out colors. A more advanced Custom Format can combine conditions: a positive match for x265 and a negative match for HDR , DV , or PQ , effectively creating a preference. x265 can provide the same visual quality as
Set the checkbox to active if you want Sonarr to replace existing x264 files with x265 versions.
Scene groups and internal encoders usually upload x264 copies of a TV show within minutes of its airing. The x265 encodes require more computing time and might not appear until hours or days later. If you want x265 exclusively but do not want Sonarr to download an x264 copy first only to replace it a day later, use (found under Settings > Profiles ). Setting a 120-to-240-minute delay gives x265 encoders time to upload their files before Sonarr grabs the immediate x264 release. Avoiding Fake or Low-Quality Upconverts
This isn't because x265 is bad, but because many x265 groups use x264 sources for encoding, resulting in a significant loss of quality. For HD content, a high-quality x264 encode generally provides better visual fidelity than a "microsized" x265 encode derived from a lossy source. They provide pre-made JSON snippets you can import
Go to and select your active profile (e.g., "HD-1080p"). Find the Custom Formats section at the bottom. Give your "x265/HEVC" format a positive score (e.g., +100 ).
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.
A release named Show.S01E01.1080p.x265 gets +100 . A release named Show.S01E01.1080p.x264 gets 0 (or -10 ). The x265 wins every time.
. If they don’t, your media server will have to "transcode" the video, which puts a massive heavy load on your CPU. Regex strings
Adjust the slider for your preferred formats (e.g., 1080p WebDL) to at least 12–15 MB per minute. 2. Negative Scores for Low-Tier Release Groups