Sonarr Prefer X265 -

| Benefit | Explanation | |--------|-------------| | | 4K HDR x265 files can be 10–15 GB vs 30–40 GB for H.264. | | Bandwidth reduction | Faster downloads, lower VPN data usage. | | Modern hardware support | GPU acceleration (Intel QuickSync, NVDEC, AMD VCE) makes playback efficient. | | Better for 4K/HDR | H.265 was designed for 4K; H.264 struggles with high efficiency at that resolution. | | Archive scaling | Larger libraries fit on smaller NAS drives. |

Sonarr does not have a native "x265" button in its core quality definitions because its core ranking system prioritizes the source medium and resolution over the encoding codec. To force Sonarr to prefer x265, you must use paired with strategic Quality Profile scoring . Why You Should (and Shouldn’t) Prefer x265 sonarr prefer x265