diff --git a/frontend/src/components/Header.vue b/frontend/src/components/Header.vue
index 27c6737..065913d 100644
--- a/frontend/src/components/Header.vue
+++ b/frontend/src/components/Header.vue
@@ -141,6 +141,96 @@
               </button>
             </div>
           </section>
+
+          <section class="settings-section">
+            <h2 class="settings-section-title">Preferred Format</h2>
+            <p class="settings-section-desc">Preferred format when multiple versions are available.</p>
+
+            <div class="format-grid">
+              <div class="format-row format-row-stack">
+                <label class="format-radio-label" for="resolution-hd">
+                  <input
+                    id="resolution-hd"
+                    class="format-radio"
+                    type="radio"
+                    name="resolution-preference"
+                    :checked="settings.preferredResolution === 'r2'"
+                    @change="setPreferredResolution('r2')"
+                  />
+                  HD or lower
+                </label>
+                <label class="format-radio-label" for="resolution-fhd">
+                  <input
+                    id="resolution-fhd"
+                    class="format-radio"
+                    type="radio"
+                    name="resolution-preference"
+                    :checked="settings.preferredResolution === 'r3'"
+                    @change="setPreferredResolution('r3')"
+                  />
+                  Full HD
+                </label>
+                <label class="format-radio-label" for="resolution-4k">
+                  <input
+                    id="resolution-4k"
+                    class="format-radio"
+                    type="radio"
+                    name="resolution-preference"
+                    :checked="settings.preferredResolution === 'r4'"
+                    @change="setPreferredResolution('r4')"
+                  />
+                  4K
+                </label>
+                <label class="format-radio-label" for="resolution-highest">
+                  <input
+                    id="resolution-highest"
+                    class="format-radio"
+                    type="radio"
+                    name="resolution-preference"
+                    :checked="settings.preferredResolution === 'rmax'"
+                    @change="setPreferredResolution('rmax')"
+                  />
+                  Highest
+                </label>
+              </div>
+
+              <div class="format-row format-row-stack">
+                <label class="format-radio-label" for="hdr-none">
+                  <input
+                    id="hdr-none"
+                    class="format-radio"
+                    type="radio"
+                    name="hdr-preference"
+                    :checked="settings.preferredHdr === 'none'"
+                    @change="setPreferredHdr('none')"
+                  />
+                  No HDR
+                </label>
+                <label class="format-radio-label" for="hdr-hdr10plus">
+                  <input
+                    id="hdr-hdr10plus"
+                    class="format-radio"
+                    type="radio"
+                    name="hdr-preference"
+                    :checked="settings.preferredHdr === 'hdr10plus'"
+                    @change="setPreferredHdr('hdr10plus')"
+                  />
+                  HDR10+
+                </label>
+                <label class="format-radio-label" for="hdr-dovi">
+                  <input
+                    id="hdr-dovi"
+                    class="format-radio"
+                    type="radio"
+                    name="hdr-preference"
+                    :checked="settings.preferredHdr === 'dovi'"
+                    @change="setPreferredHdr('dovi')"
+                  />
+                  Dolby Vision
+                </label>
+              </div>
+            </div>
+          </section>
         </div>
       </div>
     </div>
@@ -154,6 +244,13 @@ import { navAttrs } from "../composables/useKeyboardNavigation"
 import logoUrl from "../assets/mediahive.webp"
 import { fetchRoots, replaceRoots, pickFolderAndAddRoot } from "../api"
 import HexKeyboard from "./HexKeyboard.vue"
+import {
+  useSettings,
+  type ResolutionPreference,
+  type HdrPreference,
+} from "../composables/useSettings"
+
+const settings = useSettings()
 
 interface RootEntry {
   root_id: string
@@ -189,6 +286,14 @@ onUnmounted(() => window.removeEventListener("pywebviewready", _onPywebviewReady
 const showSettings = ref(false)
 const roots = ref<RootEntry[]>([])
 
+function setPreferredResolution(value: ResolutionPreference) {
+  settings.preferredResolution = value
+}
+
+function setPreferredHdr(value: HdrPreference) {
+  settings.preferredHdr = value
+}
+
 async function refreshRoots() {
   try {
     const data = await fetchRoots()
@@ -555,4 +660,39 @@ onUnmounted(() => {
 .roots-add-btn:hover {
   background: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.15);
 }
+
+.format-row {
+  display: flex;
+  align-items: flex-start;
+  gap: 12px;
+  margin-bottom: 0;
+}
+
+.format-grid {
+  display: grid;
+  grid-template-columns: 9.5em 9.5em;
+  gap: 0.75em 1.25em;
+  justify-content: start;
+}
+
+.format-row-stack {
+  flex-direction: column;
+  gap: 8px;
+}
+
+.format-radio-label {
+  display: flex;
+  align-items: center;
+  gap: 8px;
+  cursor: pointer;
+  color: var(--text-primary);
+  font-size: 0.85rem;
+}
+
+.format-radio {
+  width: 15px;
+  height: 15px;
+  cursor: pointer;
+  accent-color: var(--accent, #3b82f6);
+}
 </style>
diff --git a/frontend/src/components/MediaDetail.vue b/frontend/src/components/MediaDetail.vue
index a4380c6..4ae9e05 100644
--- a/frontend/src/components/MediaDetail.vue
+++ b/frontend/src/components/MediaDetail.vue
@@ -213,6 +213,7 @@ import {
 import castPlaceholderFemaleUrl from "../assets/cast-placeholder-female.svg"
 import castPlaceholderMaleUrl from "../assets/cast-placeholder-male.svg"
 import SeriesFullView from "./SeriesFullView.vue"
+import { sortTorrentsByPreference } from "../composables/useSettings"
 import ReleaseVersionCard from "./ReleaseVersionCard.vue"
 import ReleaseActionMenu from "./ReleaseActionMenu.vue"
 import {
@@ -498,7 +499,7 @@ function getShowreelSourceAttributes(path: string): VideoSourceAttributes {
 const movieVersions = computed((): Torrent[] => {
   if (props.item.type !== "movies") return []
   const movie = props.item.data as Movie
-  return Object.values(movie.torrents || {})
+  return sortTorrentsByPreference(Object.values(movie.torrents || {}))
 })
 
 // Page backdrop background
diff --git a/frontend/src/components/SeriesFullView.vue b/frontend/src/components/SeriesFullView.vue
index 3dc9fc9..182b1fd 100644
--- a/frontend/src/components/SeriesFullView.vue
+++ b/frontend/src/components/SeriesFullView.vue
@@ -150,7 +150,7 @@
         </div>
         <div v-if="Object.values(contextMenu.episode.torrents || {}).length > 0">
           <ReleaseVersionCard
-            v-for="(torrent, index) in Object.values(contextMenu.episode.torrents || {})"
+            v-for="(torrent, index) in sortTorrentsByPreference(Object.values(contextMenu.episode.torrents || {}))"
             :key="index"
             class="context-menu-version"
             :torrent="torrent"
@@ -189,6 +189,7 @@ import { getCoverUrl, getVideoPreviewUrl, getVideoSourceAttributes, isSafariBrow
 import { navAttrs } from "../composables/useKeyboardNavigation"
 import ReleaseVersionCard from "./ReleaseVersionCard.vue"
 import ReleaseActionMenu from "./ReleaseActionMenu.vue"
+import { sortTorrentsByPreference } from "../composables/useSettings"
 
 const props = defineProps<{
   series: Series
diff --git a/frontend/src/composables/useSettings.ts b/frontend/src/composables/useSettings.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..a01faef
--- /dev/null
+++ b/frontend/src/composables/useSettings.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,156 @@
+import { reactive, watch } from "vue"
+import type { Torrent } from "../types"
+
+export type ResolutionPreference = "r2" | "r3" | "r4" | "rmax"
+export type HdrPreference = "none" | "hdr10plus" | "dovi"
+
+export interface MediaHiveSettings {
+  preferredResolution: ResolutionPreference
+  preferredHdr: HdrPreference
+}
+
+const STORAGE_KEY = "MediaHive"
+
+const RESOLUTION_PRIORITY: Record<string, number> = {
+  "8K": 5,
+  "4K": 4,
+  "FHD": 3,
+  "HD": 2,
+  "SD": 1,
+}
+
+// Max resolution priority allowed for each preference level
+const RESOLUTION_CAP: Record<ResolutionPreference, number> = {
+  r2: 2,
+  r3: 3,
+  r4: 4,
+  rmax: 999,
+}
+
+const RESOLUTION_VALUES = ["r2", "r3", "r4", "rmax"] as const
+const HDR_VALUES = ["none", "hdr10plus", "dovi"] as const
+
+function isResolutionPreference(value: unknown): value is ResolutionPreference {
+  return typeof value === "string" && RESOLUTION_VALUES.includes(value as ResolutionPreference)
+}
+
+function isHdrPreference(value: unknown): value is HdrPreference {
+  return typeof value === "string" && HDR_VALUES.includes(value as HdrPreference)
+}
+
+function loadSettings(): MediaHiveSettings {
+  try {
+    const raw = localStorage.getItem(STORAGE_KEY)
+    if (raw) {
+      const parsed = JSON.parse(raw) as Partial<MediaHiveSettings>
+      return {
+        preferredResolution: isResolutionPreference(parsed.preferredResolution)
+          ? parsed.preferredResolution
+          : "rmax",
+        preferredHdr: isHdrPreference(parsed.preferredHdr) ? parsed.preferredHdr : "none",
+      }
+    }
+  } catch {
+    // ignore parse errors
+  }
+  return { preferredResolution: "rmax", preferredHdr: "none" }
+}
+
+const settings = reactive<MediaHiveSettings>(loadSettings())
+
+watch(
+  () => ({ ...settings }),
+  (value) => {
+    try {
+      localStorage.setItem(STORAGE_KEY, JSON.stringify(value))
+    } catch {
+      // ignore
+    }
+  },
+  { deep: true },
+)
+
+export function useSettings() {
+  return settings
+}
+
+/**
+ * Sort a list of Torrent objects according to the current format preferences.
+ *
+ * Algorithm:
+ * 1. Compute the "effective priority" = min(actual priority, cap).
+ *    Releases exceeding the cap receive the capped priority.
+ * 2. Higher effective priority wins.
+ * 3. For equal effective priority, prefer HDR flavor per `preferredHdr`.
+ * 4. Equal in all above: fall back to raw resolution priority (larger is better)
+ *    then size.
+ */
+export function sortTorrentsByPreference(torrents: Torrent[]): Torrent[] {
+  const cap = RESOLUTION_CAP[settings.preferredResolution]
+
+  function effectivePriority(t: Torrent): number {
+    const raw = RESOLUTION_PRIORITY[t.resolution ?? ""] ?? 0
+    return Math.min(raw, cap)
+  }
+
+  type HdrProfile = "sdr" | "hdr10" | "hdr10plus" | "dovi"
+
+  function detectHdrProfile(t: Torrent): HdrProfile {
+    const text = [t.title, t.quality, t.codec, t.audio].filter(Boolean).join(" ")
+    const hasDovi = t.has_dolby_vision || /dolby\s*vision|dovi|\bdv\b/i.test(text)
+    const hasHdr10Plus = /hdr10\+|hdr10plus/i.test(text)
+    const hasAnyHdr = t.is_hdr || hasHdr10Plus || hasDovi || /\bhdr\b/i.test(text)
+
+    if (hasDovi) return "dovi"
+    if (hasHdr10Plus) return "hdr10plus"
+    if (hasAnyHdr) return "hdr10"
+    return "sdr"
+  }
+
+  function scoreForPreference(profile: HdrProfile): number {
+    if (settings.preferredHdr === "none") {
+      // Prefer no HDR; HDR variants after SDR.
+      if (profile === "sdr") return 4
+      if (profile === "hdr10") return 3
+      if (profile === "hdr10plus") return 2
+      return 1
+    }
+
+    if (settings.preferredHdr === "hdr10plus") {
+      // Requested behavior: HDR10+ best, HDR10 next, SDR then, DoVi last.
+      if (profile === "hdr10plus") return 4
+      if (profile === "hdr10") return 3
+      if (profile === "sdr") return 2
+      return 1
+    }
+
+    if (profile === "dovi") return 4
+    if (profile === "hdr10plus") return 3
+    if (profile === "hdr10") return 2
+    return 1
+  }
+
+  function hdrPreferenceScore(t: Torrent): number {
+    return scoreForPreference(detectHdrProfile(t))
+  }
+
+  return [...torrents].sort((a, b) => {
+    const epA = effectivePriority(a)
+    const epB = effectivePriority(b)
+    if (epB !== epA) return epB - epA
+
+    // Same effective resolution bucket - apply HDR format preference
+    const hdrScoreA = hdrPreferenceScore(a)
+    const hdrScoreB = hdrPreferenceScore(b)
+    if (hdrScoreB !== hdrScoreA) {
+      return hdrScoreB - hdrScoreA
+    }
+
+    // Fall back to raw resolution priority then size
+    const rawA = RESOLUTION_PRIORITY[a.resolution ?? ""] ?? 0
+    const rawB = RESOLUTION_PRIORITY[b.resolution ?? ""] ?? 0
+    if (rawB !== rawA) return rawB - rawA
+
+    return (b.size ?? 0) - (a.size ?? 0)
+  })
+}