This is the professional way to handle x265. It allows you to score x265 releases positively while penalizing low-quality releases. Note: This requires the "Custom Formats" feature, which is available in newer versions of Sonarr (v3/v4).
Your Quality Profile overrules your Codec preference. If you have "WebDL 1080p" set to score 100, and "HDTV 720p x265" set to score 50, Sonarr takes the 1080p x264. Fix: Lower your quality scores or create a Custom Format that is mutually exclusive.
Scroll down to the section at the bottom of the profile window. Locate your newly created Prefer x265 format. In the Score column, assign a positive number (e.g., 100 ). sonarr prefer x265
In your Indexer settings, add resolve : True to prefer repacks and propers, but add x265 to your "Preferred" list only for groups like MeGusta.
A more hacky but creative approach is to create a Quality Profile that contains only the "Unknown" quality, then use Custom Formats with positive scores to "build up" your desired quality based on resolution and codec. This gives you full control but is less intuitive and may require more trial and error. This is the professional way to handle x265
First, you need to tell Sonarr what to look for in a filename. Navigate to Settings > Custom Formats to add a new format. x265 / HEVC Specifications: Add Condition and select Release Title Regular Expression: \b(x265|hevc)\b (this matches most standard release naming conventions). the format. 2. Assign a Score in your Quality Profile
Under the section at the bottom, find your new "x265" format. Assign it a positive score (e.g., +100 ). Set Upgrades : Your Quality Profile overrules your Codec preference
You don't just flip a switch. You use and Custom Formats .
"name": "x265 or HEVC", "implementation": "ReleaseTitleSpecification", "negate": false, "required": false, "fields": "value": "(?i)\\b(x ,
Ensure your quality is set high enough so Sonarr keeps looking for better versions.
Examples to add (pattern matching is case-insensitive; use multiple entries for variants):