Sonarr Prefer X265 | !free!

Most modern streaming devices (Apple TV 4K, Nvidia Shield, Roku Streaming Stick+, and modern Smart TVs) natively decode x265. If your clients support it, your media server will use almost zero CPU to play the file.

Click on the tab and add a new specification. Select Release Title from the dropdown menu.

Requires more CPU/GPU power to play back. Older smart TVs or low-end streaming sticks may struggle to "Direct Play" these files, causing your server (like Plex) to transcode. 🛠️ How to Set Up Preferences

The primary advantage of x265 is its superior compression algorithm. On average, an x265 video file is than the exact same video encoded in x264, while maintaining identical perceived visual quality. For an entire TV series spanning multiple seasons, this difference can save hundreds of gigabytes. 2. Reduced Bandwidth Consumption sonarr prefer x265

By linking Sonarr to a tool like , you can automatically sync Trash Guides' custom formats into your Sonarr instance. This ensures your system correctly differentiates between high-quality x265 encodes (like Tier 1 release groups) and low-bitrate, highly compressed encodes that suffer from visual artifacts. Potential Drawbacks to Consider

Click on the you want to update (e.g., HD-1080p or Any ).

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Ensure your is set to at least 100 . Step 3: Handling Potential Pitfalls

Sonarr v4 manages media preferences using . This approach evaluates release titles using precise text matching and assigns scores to control what Sonarr downloads. Step 1: Create the x265 Custom Format Open the Sonarr web interface. Navigate to Settings > Custom Formats . Click the + (Add New) button. Name the format HEVC / x265 .

Sonarr will automatically pick the x265 version if available during the next search. Most modern streaming devices (Apple TV 4K, Nvidia

In the field, leave it blank (otherwise, Sonarr will only download x265 and ignore everything else). In the Preferred section, click Add . Enter x265 with a score of 100 . Add another entry for hevc with a score of 100 . Add another entry for h265 with a score of 100 .

Before forcing Sonarr to download x265 exclusively, you must consider how your media is played back.

For the absolute best results, look into . This is a community-maintained repository of highly optimized Regex formulas for Sonarr and Radarr. Select Release Title from the dropdown menu