

This is a matter of personal preference, not something where a consensus opinion helps. Where you’re at, it sounds like 1080p x265 isn’t worth it. Would it become worthwhile to you if you were using it on a different device? With a different set of conditions (like lower battery drain)? If a small change can make it acceptable to you, it’s a hangup, not a standard.

Not Muslim here, but I struggled with rationalizing taking an easier way to get what I wanted. Intention matters: are you borrowing it until you can afford to buy it, and do you follow through? Or are you “borrowing” it until you get bored with it and don’t feel it’s worth the honor anymore? It basically came down to me having to look at how honest I was willing to be with myself in order to get what I wanted.
Halal and haram encourage Muslims to hold themselves accountable to a standard of behavior, right? They’re there as signals for the right thing to do, but you’re the only one who can hold yourself accountable over the things you do that nobody else knows about. What do your own values tell you, versus the values of the people around you? How have those values been influenced by your religious beliefs? How important are your religious beliefs to you? How much deviation from religious laws are you willing to accept from yourself? How about secular or regional laws? Being honest with your answers will help you see your best way through, even if they’re not what others would want you to choose.