Sonarr Prefer X265 ~repack~

If you already have a library mixed with x264 and x265, Sonarr struggles to "upgrade" them because it sees both as 1080p. To force upgrades:

Managing a media library requires balancing video quality with storage capacity. Television shows with multiple seasons can quickly fill up hard drives. The x265 video codec—also known as HEVC (High Efficiency Video Coding)—offers a solution by providing the same visual quality as older x264 encodes at roughly half the file size.

The x265 codec delivers the same visual quality as x264 at roughly half the file size. For automated media management tools like Sonarr, prioritizing this codec ensures a highly efficient library.

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

Sonarr will upgrade a downloaded release if a better one becomes available. To get Sonarr to upgrade a 720p x264 release to a 720p x265 release, you must ensure the x265 Custom Format score is higher than the existing release's score. Also, ensure your quality profile allows upgrades ( Allow Upgrades ) and that the Upgrade Until quality is set appropriately.

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?

You can store almost twice as many episodes for the same disk space. If you already have a library mixed with

If you have many remote users watching via a web browser, do not prefer x265. You will peg your CPU at 100% every time someone watches an episode. You need hardware transcoding (Plex Pass + Intel QSV or NVIDIA NVENC).

Are you using sync tools like TRaSH-CI or Recyclarr ?

Before diving into the settings, it is important to understand why this shift matters for your home server. The x265 video codec—also known as HEVC (High

HEVC is the industry standard for 4K and HDR content.

Also set in Sonarr: