RARBG (and similar high-efficiency release groups like ION10) typically aimed for a "sweet spot" where file sizes are small enough for quick sharing but quality remains high enough for a clear viewing experience on 1080p screens
They almost never used --no-sao (Sample Adaptive Offset). SAO smooths out artifacts but also destroys fine film grain, making faces look waxy. rarbg x265 encoding settings better
The most significant improvement you can make is switching to encoding. Unlike CBR, which forces a specific bitrate regardless of the scene's complexity, CRF varies the bitrate to maintain a consistent quality level. Resolution Recommended CRF RARBG Target Bitrate 720p ~1500 kbps 1080p ~2500 kbps 4K (HDR) Unlike CBR, which forces a specific bitrate regardless
RARBG releases typically targeted specific file sizes (e.g., 1.5GB for a 1080p movie). To achieve this, encoders used . encoders used .