Sonarr Prefer X265 [patched] Jun 2026

In the world of automated media management, few topics generate as much discussion—and occasional confusion—as configuring Sonarr to prefer x265 (HEVC) releases. Whether you're trying to save precious storage space, reduce bandwidth usage, or modernize your media library, setting up Sonarr to prioritize HEVC can be a game-changer. This comprehensive guide will walk you through everything you need to know about making Sonarr favor x265 downloads, from the fundamentals of video codecs to advanced custom format configurations.

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

: While x264 struggles with 4K content, x265 was built from the ground up to handle high-resolution video efficiently, making it the go-to codec for 4K and HDR releases. In the world of automated media management, few

Some scene groups incorrectly tag non-x265 releases with the word "HEVC" in the description. To be safe, let's create another Custom Format called Not-x264 (we won't use it), but actually, we need an anti-av1 rule. Create two Sonarr instances – one for x264