Sonarr: Prefer X265

Click → Release Title . Paste the following regex into the Regular Expression box:

In the world of home media servers, storage space is the ultimate luxury. As we curate 4K remuxes, complete TV series box sets, and high-bitrate Blu-ray rips, it’s alarmingly easy to fill a 20TB array. sonarr prefer x265

Therefore, the goal is —not outright exclusion. We want Sonarr to grab x264 to satisfy "Missing" episodes immediately, but constantly scan for an x265 upgrade to replace the bloated file. The Core Concept: Custom Formats To prioritize x265, you must ignore the "Quality" settings (Bluray, WebDL, HDTV) and focus on Custom Formats . Click → Release Title

To protect yourself, you must combine x265 preference with limits. Therefore, the goal is —not outright exclusion

Many older or niche TV shows are only available in x264. New episodes often appear in x264 first (due to faster encoding speeds), with x265 releases following hours later.

Enter (HEVC). This video codec offers roughly double the compression efficiency of the aging x264 (H.264). Switching your downloads to x265 can save you terabytes of space without sacrificing visual quality.