Original Sources

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 isnt always idle, and it might be filmed from an angle. !f cropped
properly, this is hard to tell unless theres te"t 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. #ue to these factors picture and sound $uality are usually $uite
poor, but sometimes were lucky, and the theater will be fairly empty and a fairly clear
signal will be heard.
%&'&S()C *%S+ - A telesync is the same spec as a CAM e"cept it uses an e"ternal audio
source *most likely an audio ,ack in the chair for hard of hearing people+. A direct audio
source does not ensure a good $uality 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 pro,ection
booth with a professional camera, giving a better picture $uality. -uality ranges
drastically, check the sample before downloading the full release. A high percentage of
%elesyncs are CAMs that have been mislabeled.
%&'&C!)& *%C+ -
A telecine machine copies the film digitally from the reels. Sound and picture should be
very good, but due to the e$uipment involved and cost telecines are fairly uncommon.
.enerally the film will be in correct aspect ratio, although /01 telecines have e"isted. A
great e"ample is the 234ASS!C 5A46 1 %C done last year. %C should not be confused
with %imeCode , which is a visible counter on screen throughout the film.
SC4&&)&4 *SC4+ -
A pre 78S tape, sent to rental stores, and various other places for promotional use. A
screener is supplied on a 78S tape, and is usually in a /01 *full screen+ a9r, although
letterbo"ed screeners are sometimes found. %he 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. %his is sometimes only for a few seconds, but unfortunately on some
copies this will last for the entire film, and some can be $uite big. #epending on the
e$uipment used, screener $uality can range from e"cellent if done from a MAS%&4 copy,
to very poor if done on an old 78S recorder thru poor capture e$uipment on a copied
tape. Most screeners are transferred to 7C#, but a few attempts at S7C# have occurred,
some looking better than others.
#7#-SC4&&)&4 *#7#scr+ -Same premise as a screener, but transferred off a #7#.
3sually letterbo" , but without the e"tras that a #7# retail would contain. %he ticker is
not usually in the black bars, and will disrupt the viewing. !f the ripper has any skill, a
#7#scr should be very good. 3sually transferred to S7C# or #iv;9;vi#.
#7#4ip - A copy of the final released #7#. !f possible this is released 54& retail *for
e"ample, Star <ars episode =+ again, should be e"cellent $uality. #7#rips are released in
S7C# and #iv;9;vi#.
78S4ip -%ransferred off a retail 78S, mainly skating9sports videos and ;;; releases.
%74ip -%7 episode that is either from )etwork *capped using digital cable9satellite
bo"es are preferable+ or 54&-A!4 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 <<> 4aw !s <ar contain e"tra parts, and the :dark matches: and
camera9commentary tests are included on the rips. 5#%7 is capped from a digital %7 5C!
card, generally giving the best results, and groups tend to release in S7C# for these.
7C#9S7C#9#iv;9;vi# rips are all supported by the %7 scene.
<O4654!)% *<5+ -A workprint is a copy of the film that has not been finished. !t can
be missing scenes, music, and $uality can range from e"cellent to very poor. Some <5s
are very different from the final print *Men !n ?lack is missing all the aliens, and has
actors in their places+ and others can contain e"tra scenes *2ay and Silent ?ob+ . <5s can
be nice additions to the collection once a good $uality final has been obtained.
#iv; 4e-&nc -A #iv; re-enc is a film that has been taken from its original 7C# source,
and re-encoded into a small #iv; file. Most commonly found on file sharers, these are
usually labeled something like >ilm.)ame..roup*@of=+ etc. Common groups are SM4
and %)#. %hese arent really worth downloading, unless youre that unsure about a film u
only want a =AAmb copy of it. .enerally avoid.
<atermarks -
A lot of films come from Asian Silvers95#7# *see below+ and these are tagged by the
people responsible. 3sually with a letter9initials or a little logo, generally in one of the
corners. Most famous are the :B: :A: and :.lobe: watermarks.
Asian Silvers 9 5#7# -
%hese 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 dont last more than a few releases. 5#7#s
are the same thing pressed onto a #7#. %hey have removable subtitles, and the $uality is
usually better than the silvers. %hese are ripped like a normal #7#, but usually released
as 7C#.
>ormats
7C# -
7C# is an mpeg@ based format, with a constant bitrate of @@CAkbit at a resolution of
1C="=/A *)%CS+. 7C#s are generally used for lower $uality transfers
*CAM9%S9%C9Screener*78S+9%7rip*analogue+ in order to make smaller file siDes, and fit
as much on a single disc as possible. ?oth 7C#s and S7C#s are timed in minutes, rather
than M?, so when looking at an mpeg, it may appear larger than the disc capacity, and in
reality u can fit E/min on a C#4E/.
S7C# -
S7C# is an mpeg= based *same as #7#+ which allows variable bit-rates of up to
=CAAkbits at a resolution of /FA"/FA *)%SC+ which is then decompressed into a /01
aspect ratio when played back. #ue to the variable bit-rate, the length you can fit on a
single C#4 is not fi"ed, but generally between 1C-GA Mins are the most common. %o get
a better S7C# encode using variable bit-rates, it is important to use multiple :passes:.
this takes a lot longer, but the results are far clearer.
;7C#9;S7C# -
%hese are basically 7C#9S7C# that dont obey the :rules:. %hey are both capable of
much higher resolutions and bit-rates, but it all depends on the player to whether the disc
can be played. ;*S+7C# are total non-standards, and are usually for home-ripping by
people who dont intend to release them.
67C# %hanks for lardo/life for the info
67C# is a modification to the standard M5&.-@ and M5&.-= .O5 structure and
-uantiDation Matri". !t enables you to create over @=A minutes of near #7# $uality
video, depending on your material, on a single FA minute C#-49C#-4<. <e have
published these specifications as 67C#"1, our official resolution, which produce
C=F"/FA *)%SC+ and C=F"CEG *5A'+ M5&.-@ variable bit rate video, from G/6bps to
1,AAA6bps. 3sing a resolution of 1C="=/A *)%SC+ or 1C="=FF *5A'+, its possible to
encode video up to H1GA minutes of near 7C# $uality on a single FA minute C#-4. %he
mpeg files created will play back in most modern standalone #7# players. (ou must
burn the 67C# M5&. files as non-standard 7C# or non-standard S7C# *depends on
your player+ with )ero or 7C#&asy.
#iv; 9 ;vi# -
#iv; is a format designed for multimedia platforms. !t uses two codecs, one low motion,
one high motion. most older films were encoded in low motion only, and they have
problems with high motion too. A method known as S?C *Smart ?it-rate Control+ was
developed which switches codecs at the encoding stage, making a much better print. %he
format is Ana orphic and the bit-rate9resolution are interchangeable. #ue to the higher
processing power re$uired, and the different codecs for playback, its unlikely well see a
#7# player capable of play #iv; for $uite a while, if at all. %here have been players in
development which are supposedly capable, but nothing has ever arisen. %he ma,ority of
54O5&4 #iv; rips *not 4e-&ncs+ are taken from #7#s, and generally up to =hours in
good $uality is possible per disc. 7arious codecs e"ist, most popular being the original
#iv"1.@@a and the new ;vi# codecs.
C7# -
C7# is a combination of 7C# and S7C# formats, and is generally supported by a
ma,ority of #7# players. !t supports M5&.= bit-rates of S7C#, but uses a resolution of
1C="/FA*ntsc+ as the horiDontal resolution is generally less important. Currently no
groups release in C7#.
#7#-4 -
!s the recordable #7# solution that seems to be the most popular *out of #7#-4AM,
#7#-4 and #7#I4+. it holds /.Egb of data per side, and double sided discs are
available, so discs can hold nearly @Agb in some circumstances. S7C# mpeg= images
must be converted before they can be burnt to #7#-4 and played successfully.
#7#J#7#4 copies are possible, but sometimes e"tras9languages have to be removed to
stick within the available /.Egb.
Mini#7# -
Mini#7#9c#7# is the same format as #7# but on a standard C#49C#4<. ?ecause of
the high resolution9bit-rates, its only possible to fit about @F-=@ mins of footage per disc,
and the format is only compatible with a few players.
Misc !nfo
4egional Coding -
%his was designed to stop people buying American #7#s 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.
4C& -
4C& *4egional Coding &nhancement+ was designed to overcome :Multiregion: players,
but it had a lot of faults and was overcome. 7ery few titles are 4C& encoded now, and it
was very unpopular.
Macrovision -
Macrovision is the copy protection employed on most commercial #7#s. !ts a system
that will display lines and darken the images of copies that are made by sending the 78S
signals it cant understand. Certain #7# players *for e"ample the #ansai FC= from
%escos+ have a secret menu where you can disable the macrovision, or a :video
stabaliser: costs about 1A365 from Maplin *www.maplin.co.uk+
)%SC95A' -
)%SC and 5A' are the two main standards used across the world. )%SC has a higher
frame rate than pal *=Kfps compared to =Cfps+ but 5A' has an increased resolution, and
gives off a generally sharper picture. 5laying )%SC discs on 5A' systems seems a lot
easier than vice-versa, which is good news for the ?rits An 4.? enabled scart lead will
play an )%SC picture in full colour on most modern tv sets, but to record this to a 78S
tape, you will need to convert it to 5A'CA *not 5A'GA as the ma,ority of #7# players
do.+ %his is either achieved by an e"pensive converter bo" *in the regions of L=AAI+ an
onboard converter *such as the #ansai FC= 9 certain #aewoos 9 Samsung EAK + or using a
<orld Standards 7C4 which can record in any format.
)ews Sites -
%here are generally = news sites for film release for p=p and they are0
nforce - 7C# 8elp
Code0
http099www.vcdhelp.com9
Code0
http099www.nforce.nl.
About 4elease >iles
4A4set -
%he movies are all supplied in 4A4 form, whether its v= *rarJ.r""+ or v1 *partA@.rar J
part"".rar+ form.
?!)9C3& -
7C# and S7C# films will e"tract to give a ?!)9C3&. 'oad the .C3& into notepad and
make sure the first line contains only a filename, and no path information. %hen load the
cue into )ero9C#4<in etc and this will burn the 7C#9S7C# correctly. %7 rips are
released as M5&.. #iv; files are ,ust the plain #iv; - .A7!
)>O -
An )>O file is supplied with each movie to promote the group, and give general
i)>Ormation about the release, such as format, source, siDe, and any notes that may be of
use. %hey are also used to recruit members and ac$uire hardware for the group.
S>7 -
Also supplied for each disc is an S>7 file. %hese 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 C4C is correct. A program such as pdS>7 or hkS>7
is re$uired to use these files.
3senet !nformation
Access -
%o get onto newsgroups, you will need a news server. Most !S5s 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+. >or the best service, a premium
news server should be paid for, and these will often have bandwidth restrictions in place.
Software -
(ou will need a newsreader to access the files in the binary newsgroups. %here are many
different readers, and its usually down to personal opinion which is best. ;news 9 >orte
Agent 9 ?)4 @ 9 ?)4 = are amongst the popular choices. Outlook has the ability to read
newsgroups, but its recommended to not use that.
>ormat -
3senet posts are often the same as those listed on 7C#-3A'i%( *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. .enerally releases should come down in .4A4 sets. 5osts
will usually take more than one day to be uploaded, and can be spread out as far as a
week.
5A4 files -
As well as the .r"" files, you will also see files listed as .p""9.par . %hese are 5A4!%(
files. 5arity 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 A)( O)& file
that is missing from the rar set. %he more 5A4 files you have, the more files you can
replace. (ou will need a program called SMA4%5A4 for this.
Scene %ags
54O5&4 -
#ue to scene rules, whoever releases the first %elesync has won that race *for e"ample+.
?ut if the $uality of that release is fairly poor, if another group has another telesync *or
the same source in higher $uality+ then the tag 54O5&4 is added to the folder to avoid
being duped. 54O5&4 is the most sub,ective tag in the scene, and a lot of people will
generally argue whether the 54O5&4 is better than the original release. A lot of groups
release 54O5&4S ,ust out of desperation due to losing the race. A reason for the
54O5&4 should always be included in the )>O.
S3??&# -
!n the case of a 7C#, if a release is subbed, it usually means it has hard encoded subtitles
burnt throughout the movie. %hese are generally in malaysian9chinese9thai etc, and
sometimes there are two different languages, which can take up $uite a large amount of
the screen. S7C# supports switch able subtitles, so some #7#4ips are released with
switch able subs. %his will be mentioned in the )>O file if included.
3)S3??&# -
<hen a film has had a subbed release in the past, an 3nsubbed release may be released
'!M!%&# -
A limited movie means it has had a limited theater run, generally opening in less than =CA
theaters, generally smaller films *such as art house films+ are released as limited.
!)%&4)A' -
An internal release is done for several reasons. Classic #7# groups do a lot of
.!)%&4)A'. releases, as they wont be duped on it. Also lower $uality theater rips are
done !)%&4)A' so not to lower the reputation of the group, or due to the amount of rips
done already. An !)%&4)A' release is available as normal on the groups affiliate sites,
but they cant be traded to other sites without re$uest from the site ops. Some
!)%&4)A' releases still trickle down to !4C9)ewsgroups, it usually depends on the title
and the popularity. &arlier in the year people referred to Centropy going :internal:. %his
meant the group were only releasing the movies to their members and site ops. %his is in
a different conte"t to the usual definition.
S%7 -
Straight %o 7ideo. <as never released in theaters, and therefore a lot of sites do not allow
these.
O%8&4 %A.S -
M<SM for widescreen *letterbo"+
M>SM for >ullscreen.
4&CO#& -
A recode is a previously released version, usually filtered through %M5.enc to remove
subtitles, fi" color etc. <hilst they can look better, its not looked upon highly as groups
are e"pected to obtain their own sources.
4&5AC6 -
!f a group releases a bad rip, they will release a 4epack which will fi" the problems.
)36&# -
A film can be nuked for various reasons. !ndividual sites will nuke for breaking their
rules *such as :)o %elesyncs:+ but if the film has something e"tremely wrong with it *no
soundtrack for =Amins, C#= is incorrect film9game etc+ then a global nuke will occur,
and people trading it across sites will lose their credits. )uked films can still reach other
sources such as p=p9usenet, but its a good idea to check why it was nuked first in case. !f
a group realise there is something wrong, they can re$uest a nuke.
)36& 4&ASO)S 00 this is a list of common reasons a film can be nuked for *generally
#7#4ip+
MM ?A# A94 MM 00 bad aspect ratio, ie people appear too fat9thin
MM ?A# !7%C MM 00 bad inverse telecine. process of converting framerates was incorrect.
MM !)%&4'AC&# MM 00 black lines on movement as the field order is incorrect.
#35& -
#upe is $uite simply, if something e"ists already, then theres no reason for it to e"ist
again without proper reason.