In the Regular Expression (Regex) field, paste the following standardized string designed to catch all variations of the codec tag: \b(x265|hevc|h265)\b Use code with caution.
Sonarr combines these with release profile scores and intrinsic quality scores (e.g., resolution). Use total scores to ensure x265 > x264.
Video files consume the vast majority of home server storage. A typical 1080p bluray rip encoded in x264 might average 2.5 GB to 4 GB per episode. The same episode encoded in x265 with identical perceptual quality usually ranges between 1.2 GB and 1.8 GB. Over a library containing thousands of episodes, this 40% to 60% reduction translates directly into terabytes of reclaimed disk space, saving significant money on hard drives. 2. Bandwidth Efficiency for Remote Streaming sonarr prefer x265
Set the checkbox if you want Sonarr to replace existing x264 files with x265 versions when they appear.
Let’s look at actual savings. A standard 1080p x264 episode of Game of Thrones runs approximately 4GB. The same episode in x265 (1080p) runs 1.5GB. In the Regular Expression (Regex) field, paste the
Manage complex audio preferences simultaneously (e.g., avoiding TrueHD if your device can't play it). If you'd like to dive deeper, let me know: Which are you using (v3 or v4)? Do you use Plex, Jellyfin, or Emby for playback?
You must prefer x265 from reputable sources and at reasonable bitrates . You want encoder transparency , not just file size reduction. We will achieve this using Release Profiles and Custom Formats . Video files consume the vast majority of home server storage
Go to and select the profile you use (e.g., HD-1080p ). Scroll down to the Custom Formats section at the bottom.
While preferring x265 in Sonarr offers several advantages, there are some challenges and considerations:
x265 (HEVC) offers ~50% better compression than x264 at the same quality, saving significant storage space. However, it’s more computationally demanding to play back – fine on modern devices, but problematic on older hardware or Plex/Jellyfin without GPU transcoding.
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.