Guide to understanding Movie Release Jargon
| Asian Silvers / PDVD | These are films put out by eastern bootleggers, and these are usually bought by some groups to put out as their own. Silvers are very cheap and easily available in a lot of countries, and its easy to put out a release, which is why there are so many in the scene at the moment, mainly from smaller groups who don't last more than a few releases. PDVDs are the same thing pressed onto a DVD. They have removable subtitles, and the quality is usually better than the silvers. These are ripped like a normal DVD, but usually released as VCD. | ||||||
| CAM | A cam is a theater rip usually done with a digital video camera. A mini tripod is sometimes used, but a lot of the time this wont be possible, so the camera make shake. Also seating placement isn't always idle, and it might be filmed from an angle. If cropped properly, this is hard to tell unless there's text on the screen, but a lot of times these are left with triangular borders on the top and bottom of the screen. Sound is taken from the onboard microphone of the camera, and especially in comedies, laughter can often be heard during the film. Due to these factors picture and sound quality are usually quite poor, but sometimes we're lucky, and the theater will be fairly empty and a fairly clear signal will be heard. | ||||||
| DivX Re-Enc | A DivX re-enc is a film that has been taken from its original VCD source, and re-encoded into a small DivX file. Most commonly found on file sharers, these are usually labeled something like Film.Name.Group(1of2) etc. Common groups are SMR and TND. These aren't really worth downloading, unless you're that unsure about a film u only want a 200mb copy of it. Generally avoid. | ||||||
| DVDRip | A copy of the final released DVD. If possible this is released PRE retail (for example, Star Wars episode 2) again, should be excellent quality. DVDrips are released in SVCD and DivX/XviD. | ||||||
| DVD-SCREENER (DVDscr) | Same premise as a screener, but transferred off a DVD. Usually letterbox , but without the extras that a DVD retail would contain. The ticker is not usually in the black bars, and will disrupt the viewing. If the ripper has any skill, a DVDscr should be very good. Usually transferred to SVCD or DivX/XviD. | ||||||
| HDTV-Rip | A method of copying video that involves recording television shows or movies broadcast in high definition quality, often with 5.1 surround sound. The recording can either be done directly through a PC video capture device, or via a networked digital video recorder box. Either during or after recording, the video may be compressed using a variety of codecs, such as MPEG-4. An HDTV-Rip, however, does not need to be HD in its final format. It just needs to be captured from an HD source. | ||||||
| Matroska, MKA, MKV, MKS | A new video and
audio container format similiar to AVI but with several new features like
support for OGG audio, Variable Framerate Video. Matroska File Formats:
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| R3 | Region 3 is from
Southeast Asia and East Asia (including Hong Kong) The quality of R3 retail is very similar to dvdscr's.they must use a TS or a cam English audio rip because there high quality audio would only be in a Region 3 language. |
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| R5 Line-means | An R5 is a warez
release, made with a telecine machine from an analog source. Unlike a TC,
the digitization is performed by the studio itself with very professional
(and expensive) equipment and usually from the original source. The purpose
of it is to create a high quality digital copy (usually for a later DVD
release). But unlike a DVD, an R5 is released before the digital
post-processing is finished. The quality of the rips can differ, but an R5
can be almost indistinguishable from a DVDRip since many movies are
published on DVD with minimal editing. The name R5 refers to DVD Region 5, which includes the former Soviet Union, the Indian subcontinent, and much of Africa. In an effort to compete with movie piracy in these areas, the movie industry chose to create a new format for DVD releases that could be produced more quickly and less expensively than traditional DVD releases. R5 releases differ from normal releases in that they lack both the image post-processing and special features that are common on DVD releases. This allows the film to be released for sale at the same time that DVD Screeners are released. Since DVD Screeners are the chief source of high-quality pre-DVD release pirated movies (in comparison to cam or telesync, mostly), this allows the movie studios to beat the pirates to market. Bootlegged copies of these releases are often distributed on the Internet. |
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| SCREENER (SCR) | A pre VHS tape, sent to rental stores, and various other places for promotional use. A screener is supplied on a VHS tape, and is usually in a 4:3 (full screen) a/r, although letterboxed screeners are sometimes found. The main draw back is a "ticker" (a message that scrolls past at the bottom of the screen, with the copyright and anti-copy telephone number). Also, if the tape contains any serial numbers, or any other markings that could lead to the source of the tape, these will have to be blocked, usually with a black mark over the section. This is sometimes only for a few seconds, but unfortunately on some copies this will last for the entire film, and some can be quite big. Depending on the equipment used, screener quality can range from excellent if done from a MASTER copy, to very poor if done on an old VHS recorder thru poor capture equipment on a copied tape. Most screeners are transferred to VCD, but a few attempts at SVCD have occurred, some looking better than others. | ||||||
| TELECINE (TC) | A telecine machine copies the film digitally from the reels. Sound and picture should be very good, but due to the equipment involved and cost telecines are fairly uncommon. Generally the film will be in correct aspect ratio, although 4:3 telecines have existed. A great example is the JURASSIC PARK 3 TC done last year. TC should not be confused with TimeCode , which is a visible counter on screen throughout the film. | ||||||
| TELESYNC (TS) | A telesync is the same spec as a CAM except it uses an external audio source (most likely an audio jack in the chair for hard of hearing people). A direct audio source does not ensure a good quality audio source, as a lot of background noise can interfere. A lot of the times a telesync is filmed in an empty cinema or from the projection booth with a professional camera, giving a better picture quality. Quality ranges drastically, check the sample before downloading the full release. A high percentage of Telesyncs are CAMs that have been mislabeled. | ||||||
| TVRip | TV episode that is either from Network (capped using digital cable/satellite boxes are preferable) or PRE-AIR from satellite feeds sending the program around to networks a few days earlier (do not contain "dogs" but sometimes have flickers etc) Some programs such as WWF Raw Is War contain extra parts, and the "dark matches" and camera/commentary tests are included on the rips. PDTV is capped from a digital TV PCI card, generally giving the best results, and groups tend to release in SVCD for these. VCD/SVCD/DivX/XviD rips are all supported by the TV scene. | ||||||
| VHSRip | Transferred off a retail VHS, mainly skating/sports videos and XXX releases. | ||||||
| Watermarks | A lot of films come from Asian Silvers/PDVD (see below) and these are tagged by the people responsible. Usually with a letter/initials or a little logo, generally in one of the corners. Most famous are the "Z" "A" and "Globe" watermarks. | ||||||
| WORKPRINT (WP) | A workprint is a copy of the film that has not been finished. It can be missing scenes, music, and quality can range from excellent to very poor. Some WPs are very different from the final print (Men In Black is missing all the aliens, and has actors in their places) and others can contain extra scenes (Jay and Silent Bob) . WPs can be nice additions to the collection once a good quality final has been obtained. |
Formats
| CVD | CVD is a combination of VCD and SVCD formats, and is generally supported by a majority of DVD players. It supports MPEG2 bit-rates of SVCD, but uses a resolution of 352x480(ntsc) as the horizontal resolution is generally less important. Currently no groups release in CVD. |
| DivX / XviD | DivX is a format designed for multimedia platforms. It uses two codecs, one low motion, one high motion. most older films were encoded in low motion only, and they have problems with high motion too. A method known as SBC (Smart Bit-rate Control) was developed which switches codecs at the encoding stage, making a much better print. The format is Ana orphic and the bit-rate/resolution are interchangeable. Due to the higher processing power required, and the different codecs for playback, its unlikely we'll see a DVD player capable of play DivX for quite a while, if at all. There have been players in development which are supposedly capable, but nothing has ever arisen. The majority of PROPER DivX rips (not Re-Encs) are taken from DVDs, and generally up to 2hours in good quality is possible per disc. Various codecs exist, most popular being the original Divx3.11a and the new XviD codecs. |
| DVD-R | Is the recordable DVD solution that seems to be the most popular (out of DVD-RAM, DVD-R and DVD+R). it holds 4.7gb of data per side, and double sided discs are available, so discs can hold nearly 10gb in some circumstances. SVCD mpeg2 images must be converted before they can be burnt to DVD-R and played successfully. DVD>DVDR copies are possible, but sometimes extras/languages have to be removed to stick within the available 4.7gb. |
| MiniDVD | MiniDVD/cDVD is the same format as DVD but on a standard CDR/CDRW. Because of the high resolution/bit-rates, its only possible to fit about 18-21 mins of footage per disc, and the format is only compatible with a few players. |
| SVCD | SVCD is an mpeg2 based (same as DVD) which allows variable bit-rates of up to 2500kbits at a resolution of 480x480 (NTSC) which is then decompressed into a 4:3 aspect ratio when played back. Due to the variable bit-rate, the length you can fit on a single CDR is not fixed, but generally between 35-60 Mins are the most common. To get a better SVCD encode using variable bit-rates, it is important to use multiple "passes". this takes a lot longer, but the results are far clearer. |
| VCD | VCD is an mpeg1 based format, with a constant bitrate of 1150kbit at a resolution of 352x240 (NTCS). VCDs are generally used for lower quality transfers (CAM/TS/TC/Screener(VHS)/TVrip(analogue) in order to make smaller file sizes, and fit as much on a single disc as possible. Both VCDs and SVCDs are timed in minutes, rather than MB, so when looking at an mpeg, it may appear larger than the disc capacity, and in reality u can fit 74min on a CDR74. |
| XVCD/XSVCD | These are basically VCD/SVCD that don't obey the "rules". They are both capable of much higher resolutions and bit-rates, but it all depends on the player to whether the disc can be played. X(S)VCD are total non-standards, and are usually for home-ripping by people who don't intend to release them. |
Misc Info
| Macrovision | Macrovision is the copy protection employed on most commercial DVDs. Its a system that will display lines and darken the images of copies that are made by sending the VHS signals it can't understand. Certain DVD players (for example the Dansai 852 from Tescos) have a secret menu where you can disable the macrovision, or a "video stabaliser" costs about 30UKP from Maplin |
| NTSC/PAL | NTSC and PAL are the two main standards used across the world. NTSC has a higher frame rate than pal (29fps compared to 25fps) but PAL has an increased resolution, and gives off a generally sharper picture. Playing NTSC discs on PAL systems seems a lot easier than vice-versa, which is good news for the Brits Smile An RGB enabled scart lead will play an NTSC picture in full colour on most modern tv sets, but to record this to a VHS tape, you will need to convert it to PAL50 (not PAL60 as the majority of DVD players do.) This is either achieved by an expensive converter box (in the regions of £200+) an onboard converter (such as the Dansai 852 / certain Daewoos / Samsung 709 ) or using a World Standards VCR which can record in any format. |
| RCE | RCE (Regional Coding Enhancement) was designed to overcome "Multiregion" players, but it had a lot of faults and was overcome. Very few titles are RCE encoded now, and it was very unpopular. |
| Regional Coding | This was designed to stop people buying American DVDs and watching them earlier in other countries, or for older films where world distribution is handled by different companies. A lot of players can either be hacked with a chip, or via a remote to disable this. |
Release Files
| BIN/CUE | VCD and SVCD films will extract to give a BIN/CUE. Load the .CUE into notepad and make sure the first line contains only a filename, and no path information. Then load the cue into Nero/CDRWin etc and this will burn the VCD/SVCD correctly. TV rips are released as MPEG. DivX files are just the plain DivX - .AVI |
| NFO | An NFO file is supplied with each movie to promote the group, and give general iNFOrmation about the release, such as format, source, size, and any notes that may be of use. They are also used to recruit members and acquire hardware for the group. |
| RARset | The movies are all supplied in RAR form, whether its v2 (rar>.rxx) or v3 (part01.rar > partxx.rar) form. |
| SFV | Also supplied for each disc is an SFV file. These are mainly used on site level to check each file has been uploaded correctly, but are also handy for people downloading to check they have all the files, and the CRC is correct. A program such as pdSFV or hkSFV is required to use these files. |
Usenet Information
Access -
To get onto newsgroups, you will need a news server. Most ISPs supply one, but
this is usually of poor retention (the amount of time the files are on server
for) and poor completition (the amount of files that make it there). For the
best service, a premium news server should be paid for, and these will often
have bandwidth restrictions in place.
Software -
You will need a newsreader to access the files in the binary newsgroups. There
are many different readers, and its usually down to personal opinion which is
best. Xnews / Forte Agent / BNR 1 / BNR 2 are amongst the popular choices.
Outlook has the ability to read newsgroups, but its recommended to not use that.
Format -
Usenet posts are often the same as those listed on VCDQUALiTY (i.e., untouched
group releases) but you have to check the filenames and the description to make
sure you get what you think you are getting. Generally releases should come down
in .RAR sets. Posts will usually take more than one day to be uploaded, and can
be spread out as far as a week.
PAR files -
As well as the .rxx files, you will also see files listed as .pxx/.par . These
are PARITY files. Parity files are common in usenet posts, as a lot of times,
there will be at least one or two damaged files on some servers. A parity file
can be used to replace ANY ONE file that is missing from the rar set. The more
PAR files you have, the more files you can replace. You will need a program
called SMARTPAR for this.
Scene Tags
PROPER -
Due to scene rules, whoever releases the first Telesync has won that race (for
example). But if the quality of that release is fairly poor, if another group
has another telesync (or the same source in higher quality) then the tag PROPER
is added to the folder to avoid being duped. PROPER is the most subjective tag
in the scene, and a lot of people will generally argue whether the PROPER is
better than the original release. A lot of groups release PROPERS just out of
desperation due to losing the race. A reason for the PROPER should always be
included in the NFO.
SUBBED -
In the case of a VCD, if a release is subbed, it usually means it has hard
encoded subtitles burnt throughout the movie. These are generally in malaysian/chinese/thai
etc, and sometimes there are two different languages, which can take up quite a
large amount of the screen. SVCD supports switch able subtitles, so some DVDRips
are released with switch able subs. This will be mentioned in the NFO file if
included.
UNSUBBED -
When a film has had a subbed release in the past, an Unsubbed release may be
released
LIMITED -
A limited movie means it has had a limited theater run, generally opening in
less than 250 theaters, generally smaller films (such as art house films) are
released as limited.
INTERNAL -
An internal release is done for several reasons. Classic DVD groups do a lot of
.INTERNAL. releases, as they wont be dupe'd on it. Also lower quality theater
rips are done INTERNAL so not to lower the reputation of the group, or due to
the amount of rips done already. An INTERNAL release is available as normal on
the groups affiliate sites, but they can't be traded to other sites without
request from the site ops. Some INTERNAL releases still trickle down to
IRC/Newsgroups, it usually depends on the title and the popularity. Earlier in
the year people referred to Centropy going "internal". This meant the group were
only releasing the movies to their members and site ops. This is in a different
context to the usual definition.
STV -
Straight To Video. Was never released in theaters, and therefore a lot of sites
do not allow these.
ASPECT RATIO TAGS -
These are *WS* for widescreen (letterbox) and *FS* for Fullscreen.
RECODE -
A recode is a previously released version, usually filtered through TMPGenc to
remove subtitles, fix color etc. Whilst they can look better, its not looked
upon highly as groups are expected to obtain their own sources.
REPACK -
If a group releases a bad rip, they will release a Repack which will fix the
problems.
NUKED -
A film can be nuked for various reasons. Individual sites will nuke for breaking
their rules (such as "No Telesyncs") but if the film has something extremely
wrong with it (no soundtrack for 20mins, CD2 is incorrect film/game etc) then a
global nuke will occur, and people trading it across sites will lose their
credits. Nuked films can still reach other sources such as p2p/usenet, but its a
good idea to check why it was nuked first in case. If a group realise there is
something wrong, they can request a nuke.
NUKE REASONS :: this is a list of common reasons a film can be nuked for
(generally DVDRip)
** BAD A/R ** :: bad aspect ratio, ie people appear too fat/thin
** BAD IVTC ** :: bad inverse telecine. process of converting framerates was
incorrect.
** INTERLACED ** :: black lines on movement as the field order is incorrect.
**OOS** ::out of sync
DUPE -
Dupe is quite simply, if something exists already, then theres no reason for it
to exist again without proper reason.
1080i
1080i is the shorthand name for a category of video modes. The number 1080
stands for 1080 lines of vertical resolution, while the letter i stands for
interlaced or non-progressive scan. 1080i is considered to be an HDTV video
mode. The term usually assumes a widescreen aspect ratio of 16:9, implying a
horizontal resolution of 1920 pixels and a frame resolution of 1920 × 1080 or
about 2.07 million pixels, and a field resolution of 1920 × 1080 / 2 (because
it's interlaced) or about 1.04 million pixels. The field rate (not the frame
rate) in hertz can be either implied by the context or specified after the
letter i. The two field rates in common use are 50 and 60 Hz, with the former
(1080i50) generally being used in traditional PAL and SECAM countries (Europe,
Australia, much of Asia, Africa), the latter (1080i60) in traditional NTSC
countries (e.g. United States, Canada and Japan). Both variants can be
transported by both major digital television
formats, ATSC and DVB.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1080i
1080p
1080p is the shorthand name for a category of video modes. The number 1080
represents 1,080 lines of vertical resolution[1], while the letter p stands for
progressive scan or non-interlaced. 1080p is considered an HDTV video mode. The
term usually assumes a widescreen aspect ratio of 16:9, implying a horizontal
(display) resolution of 1920 dots across and a frame resolution of 1920 × 1080
or over two million pixels. The frame rate in hertz can be either implied by the
context or specified after the letter p (such as 1080p30, meaning 30 frames per
second).
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1080p
16:9
Aspect ratio most commonly known as widescreen or letterbox. It is wider than
the standard 4:3 aspect ratio. 16:9 supporters state that the wider picture
corresponds much better to the human visual field than the almost square 4:3.
2:2 pulldown
The process of transferring 24-frame-per-second film to video by repeating each
film frame as two video fields. When 24-fps film is converted via 2:2 pulldown
to 25-fps 625/50 PAL video, the film runs 4 percent faster than normal.
2:3 pulldown
The process of converting 24-frame-per-second film to video by repeating one
film frame as three fields, then the next film frame as two fields
3:2 pulldown
An uncommon variation of 2-3 pulldown, where the first film frame is repeat
ed for 3 fields instead of two. Most people mean 2:3 pulldown when they say 3:2
pulldown.
3GP
The mpeg4 based video format used in mobile terminals, like cell phones.
3ivX
3ivx is an MPEG-4 toolkit that supports MPEG-4 Video, MPEG-4 Audio and the MP4
File Format.
http://www.3ivx.com/technology/index.html
42
A Mac program that goes directly from DVD to various video formats including VCD,
SVCD, and Divx.
480p
480p is the shorthand name for a video mode. The p stands for progressive scan,
i.e. non-interlaced, while the 480 denotes a vertical resolution of 480 lines,
usually with a horizontal resolution of 854 pixels and a 16:9 aspect ratio on
high-definition television (HDTV), or 640 pixels and 4:3 aspect ratio on
standard-definition television (SDTV).
4:1:1
4:1:1 Sampling
A ratio used to describe the sampling frequency of a digitized signal. The ratio
describes luminance as being sampled 4 times at 3.37 MHz, while color is sampled
1 time at 3.37 MHz in each of it's separate parts. DV, DVCAM and DVCPRO25 use
4:1:1 color sampling. Formulated as: Y (luminance) is sampled at 13.5 MHz (or
3.37 x 4), R-Y (color) is sampled at 3.37 MHz (or 3.37 x 1), B-Y (color) is
sampled at 3.37 MHz (or 3.37 x 1) equals 4:1:1.
4:2:2, 4:4:4, 4:4:4:4
Put simply 4:4:4 and 4:2:2 terms are descriptions of the sample formats used in
digital video. In the early 80's tests were done to determine the sample formats
and rates for digital video. The eventual sample structure used for SDI video
ended up being 4 times the base sample rate chosen.
The first 4 in the 4:2:2 term is for luminance or the black and white
information, and this is where most of the picture detail is. Early tests in
television human vision discovered a greater sensitivity to black and white
information, while the color is filled in with less detailed areas of the human
eye. This means you can reduce the color information and your eye cannot really
tell. This is what the 2:2 part of 4:2:2 is for. It means the red and blue
channels of the video signal are half the bandwidth of the luminance
information. Green is not sent, as you can calculate green from red, blue and
luminance information.
This color bandwidth reduction has been used for years in broadcast color
television, and in fact the color bandwidth of 4:2:2 is much higher than
composite video. This all adds up to 4:2:2 being compatible with black and white
or composite television, as the color and luminance information is sent
separately, while only 2/3 of the data rate is required for about the same
visual quality video.
4:4:4 video is similar, but this time all the color information is sent. RGB
computer graphics are really 4:4:4. The 4:4:4:4 format adds a key channel.
4:3
Traditional nearly square aspect ratio used for most current analog television
screens and IMAX movie theater screens. This aspect ratio will slowly be phased
out in favor of the wider, more panoramic and movie-like 16:9 ratio. Video
displays using a 4-by-3 ratio display images 4 units wide (horizontal measure)
by 3 units tall (vertical measure).
The 4:3 ratio performs fine for television programming, which was designed for
it, but it creates problems with movie material originally designed for theater
release. The movies are created with a wider, more rectangular aspect ratio
(16:9 or wider) in order to create a larger viewing surface and bring the viewer
more into the film. On a traditional 4-by-3 aspect ratio display, these movies
must be letterboxed or cut down in size (pan & scan).
5.1 Audio
In contrast to the Stereo sound system and conventional Surround Systems, this
sound system offers five separate full band audio signals: Left, middle, right,
rear left, rear right. An additional subwoofer (LFE) channel is also provided.
525/60
The scanning system of 525 lines per frame and 60 interlaced fields (30 frames)
per second. Used by the NTSC television standard.
625/50
The scanning system of 625 lines per frame and 50 interlaced fields (25 frames)
per second. Used by PAL and SECAM television standards.
720p
720p is the shorthand name for a category of HDTV video modes. The number 720
stands for 720 lines of vertical display resolution, while the letter p stands
for progressive scan or non-interlaced.