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Mission Statement
Welcome to The Traders' Den. We the administrators will be familiar faces to some, and new to others. Each of us have been involved in various trading communities for many years, and many have worked together on other trading sites. We have come together to create an online trading site with an entirely new ideology. This site will be geared towards a certain kind of collector: those who feel quality and integrity are important. Our policies will seem demanding to many users, but we have witnessed the decline in overall quality in many other trading circles due to lax restrictions. We offer a safe haven for traders frustrated with the dilution of quality in the trading pool, as well as our combined experience and devotion to helping new users enter an elite trading community.

Please read the seeding rules, FAQs, and linked tutorials for more information as to how we are employing our ideals to better serve traders of all music tastes. If there are any questions, comments, or ways we can help make the experience more rewarding, please don't hesitate to post in our forums or message one of us.

Quality is not an option in the seeds here, it will be the standard.


Audio BitTorrent Seeding Policy

To maintain the highest quality and purity for the trading pool, we have compiled a list of rules for making good seeds. Please read this list carefully before seeding here as our rules are likely the most stringent you'll find on any music sharing tracker. Each of these regulations are absolutely mandatory, and seeds that do not comply will be deleted from the tracker. Some rules will seem overbearing to some users, but these regulations are in place to ensure that we only spread recordings in "as good as it gets" quality so that all traders have equal opportunity to obtain the same music. If you have a question as to why a certain rule exists or are unsure if your seed complies, please feel free to post in Technobabble. If you have questions regarding this FAQ and wish to discuss them in a language other than english, please post in our multilingual forum, Babylon.

1. All seeds must be CD quality, lossless audio in FLAC, APE, or SHN format.
No seed that has been compressed to a lossy format at some point in the past will be accepted here. This includes mp3, ogg, aac, or any other lossy format. Also note that lossless filetypes other than FLAC, APE, and SHN are not permitted; this includes WAV, AIFF, ALC, MKW, Windows Lossless, Real Lossless, and any other lossless format.

2. All seeds must be digitally pure (no diginoise) gapless audio files.
Digital skipping or clicking noises are the result of incorrectly ripped or burned CDs, and are explicitly prohibited at this site. Please listen closely to your files before seeding to ensure they are digitally clean. Also, your files must play back gaplessly without any skips or hiccups between tracks. For live shows this is important and clips in the audience noise or song transitions are extremely irritating. 2-second gaps are often the result of incorrectly burned audio CDRs (using track-at-once mode), and are not allowed for seeding here. Also, shows that are not aligned properly to sector boundaries may have short (~1/75 of a second) clips of silence that interrupt the flow between tracks. Ensure that your files are perfectly seamless before seeding.

3. No official or out-of-print material is allowed.
To keep our site legal, we will strictly enforce this ban on officially released songs being included on any seed. This includes any out-of-print or deleted albums, alternate mixes of official music (ala Dr. Ebbett's) or compilations with officially released songs. It also includes audio ripped from an official DVD-Video regardless of whether that audio has ever been released on CD. The only exception to this rule is FM broadcasts where a portion of a song has been released as part of a release promo or studio interview. Note that FM broadcasts where a complete officially released song is played are not allowed on our tracker. Please remove any complete songs if you would still like to seed, and be sure to note in your info file what was removed so that traders can fill in the blank with the complete song from the official CD.

4. All torrents must contain a complete seed. Spanning a single set over multiple seeds is not permitted.
To eliminate confusion, all torrents uploaded must be as a complete set. This means that two disc sets must be seeded together. Reseeds must contain the complete material, not split across multiple seeds. If a certain "fixed" track is posted, the seed must contain the entire "fixed" set with the changed material included. If peers have already completed much of the set, then they can connect to the complete torrent and it will check the files that are already complete and only re-download the changed tracks. To keep the tracker clean and so that people don't have to continually check back for fixes or the completion of set, everything must be seeded as a complete torrent the first time. If you attempt to post single "fixed" tracks or multi-disc sets in parts, your thread will be removed and you will be asked to make a complete seed.

5. CDR rips of material available on Silver CD and rips of CDRs burned from previously downloaded lossless files are not permitted.
We at The Traders' Den are trying to promote purity in the trading pool. When dealing with a set that has been released on silver pressed CD, we require that the lossless files have been cleanly ripped from an original silver CD. To help ensure that everyone has equal access to pure versions, Silver CD > CDR > Lossless is not a legal lineage. On the same token, once a show has been ripped to lossless media format, burning to a CD and then re-extracting is an extraneous step that often-times results in errors. FLAC, APE, or SHN sets that circulate may not be burned to audio CD and then re-traded or re-seeded. In otherwords, nothing like flac > CDR > (extraction method > wav >) flac. Please archive and trade only the original lossless files or acoustically identical alternate formats (verify this with st5s - see the Checksum Types FAQ). CDR generations are bad for the trading pool, and unless all versions of the bootleg circulate only on CDR, it will not be permitted here.

6. If you rip an audio CD to lossless files, you must use an error correcting ripper.
Right now, the only programs permitted for ripping are Exact Audio Copy (EAC), dbpoweramp in Secure Mode, xACT, cdparanoia and PlexTools DAE. This is to ensure that the audio content of the lossless files perfectly matches that of your audio CD, and is not negotiable. Use one of these verifiable ripping programs or your seed will not be permitted.

We understand that some people may have older rips where the result logs may not have been included. In this case, please give your files a close listen to ensure that they are error-free before seeding. All new rips should contain result logs.

7. Audio ripped from an MPEG video or DVD is not permitted.
All digital video codecs use lossy audio compression schemes, and therefore audio extracted from an MPEG video or DVD is not permitted for seeding here. The exception to this rule is that DVDs which have been authored with uncompressed LPCM audio are allowed to have the audio stream extracted, compressed to a lossless format, and seeded. This rule does not apply to audio taken from VHS sources, which is permitted with the caveat that no cleaner or higher fidelity version circulates. Audio from VCD and SVCD sources is explicitly prohibited as it uses MPEG layer 2 compression, a less complex form of the shunned mp3 codec. Note that ac3 Dolby Digital audio is also lossy in comparison to the original uncompressed version, and is likewise prohibited for audio-only seeding at The Traders Den.

8. All seeds must include a complete and accurate lineage, indicating what formats and media the audio has previously used.
This is extremely important. Any seed without complete lineage included will be deleted from our tracker. Any seed with inaccurate lineage will be deleted from our tracker. We prefer to have seeds that are only from Silver-pressed bootleg CDs or from original master recordings over ones that have been through multiple CDR generations. There are some items where this stipulation is impossible, and special exceptions can be made for CDR sourced material provided that it verifies as lossless, gapless, and digitally clean. You must include every bit of information you know in the lineage or your seed will be deleted. If your show is from a CDR, you MUST include the number of generations or write CDRx if unknown.

Starting June 1, 2009, if a show is dated after January 1, 2005, it MUST have complete and accurate lineage. There is really no reason for a show taped in the last couple of years to not have this info. In other words, unknown gen CDR > EAC > wav > flac type of lineage will no longer be allowed for shows taped after that date. (If you have questions about a particular show, please PM a Moderator.)

Here are some examples of legal lineages:

  • AUD > ? > Silver bootleg CD > EAC > WAV > Flac Frontend > FLAC (lvl 7, SBE aligned)
  • SBD > Sony DAT > PC Digital Coax Input > WAV > CDWav > APE
  • FM > ? > CDRx (verified digitally clean) > iTunes (with error correction) > AIFF > xACT > FLAC
Here are some examples of illegal lineages that will result in your seed being deleted:
  • Audience (this is a completely useless, infoless lineage)
  • AUD > Silver CD > CDR > EAC > WAV > FLAC (no Silver CD > CDR transitions allowed!)
  • SBD > Sony DAT > PC Digital Coax Input > WAV > CDWav > APE > WAV > CDR(1) > EAC > WAV > FLAC (no lossless file > CDR > lossless file)
  • SBD > ? > CDR > EAC > WAV > FLAC (please include the CDR gen!)
  • Silver CD > WAV > FLAC (extraction software MUST be specified)
  • AUD > DAT > MD > Digital Optical Soundcard Input > WAV > FLAC (no DAT > MD, see rule 11)
  • AUD > MD(M) > MD(1) > WAV > FLAC (only MD sources/masters are allowed; again, see rule 11)

9. All seeds must include a text file with complete recording information, including bands, dates, venues, lineages, and setlists.
Please include as much information as you know. Any additional notes, reviews, band members, etc are desirable but at a bare minimum you must have a band title, venue/date, lineage and an accurate setlist included as part of your text file and the information should also be included in the thread. Any items missing this information may be deleted from our tracker.

10. All seeds must include either st5 checksums or FLAC ffp fingerprints.
The Traders' Den is dedicated to making sure that audio files can be traded and verified as acoustically identical to the original seed. For this reason, all FLAC seeds must include a FLAC ffp fingerprint and all SHN/APE seeds must include st5 checksums (also called shntool md5s). Please note that the traditional "wholefile" md5 checksums generated by mdsummer, mkwact, etc are not sufficient. TLH and xACT will create all these types of checksums, but you must pick the appropriate type in the dropdown/selection area.

We understand that this is a radical departure from what many users are used to at other trading sites, but we are looking towards the future. Though it's not ready to be presented to the public, we will be making an archive of every seed made here, including the checksums. With traditional md5 checksums that look at the entire file, users cannot convert, tag, or re-compress their files, and thus are pigeonholed into the originally seeded format in order to have the checksum verify. St5 checksums and FLAC fingerprints only consider the audio data in a file, NOT any additional header information. Therefore, users are free to manipulate the files any way they choose and, so long as they do not alter the audio, the checksum will remain identical.

Checksum naming for Audio (posts on or after November 6, 2023): Checksum file extensions (no quotes) are ".ffp" or ".st5" per the Windows OS (we know on MacOS and Linux it doesn't matter, but Windows is still the majority desktop OS). The filename part before the extension is up to you. Suggested filenames:

  • fingerprints.ffp
  • checksums.ffp
  • ffp.ffp
  • checksums.st5
  • st5.st5
  • Posts before November 6, 2023: The checksum naming before this date was undefined and thus older posts have been grandfathered in. Moderators, please do not delete an audio torrent for an incorrect checksum extension if it was posted before November 6, 2023. Fingerprints.ffp.txt is fine if it was posted before November 6, 2023. If you reseed a torrent originally posted before this date, rename/create the checksum file as per the now defined naming.

    Please read this guide Checksums Demystified for more information, or post in the Technobabble forum for more clarification on this issue.

    11. Mini-disc is accepted ONLY if it's from the original source master.
    Quite simply, mini-disc uses a compression format which decreases the quality of a recording slightly from true CD quality. Since there are many excellent sounding MD sources in circulation, these are accepted provided that the original recording was made with an MD. Converting from other formats into MD and then to lossless audio is prohibited. Also, shows that have been through multiple MD generations are prohibited. Please seed your MD masters directly to lossless files, but keep the quality as good as possible by not seeding multiple gen MD stuff.

    12. Audio only Webcast Rips and Digital Broadcasts are not permitted on The Traders' Den.
    At the current time, webcasts and digital radio broadcasts are not held to any reasonable quality standards. We are aware that there are some nice sounding webcasts and digital satellite radio broadcasts available in some locations, but at this point it would be a slippery slope to try to regulate what separates quality from not quality in these areas.

    13. Remasters are NOT allowed as of June 1, 2011.
    While we understand that remastering a recording may improve the listening experience for the user, we also understand that every user has a different set of ears and a different set up for listening to their shows and thus there is no one-size-fits-all remastering that can be done to a recording to improve it for everyone. This rule is not set up to bar a taper from the little tweeks they apply prior to releasing their show, it is set up to bar Joe Blow from coming along and taking a master recording (or even a who-knows-where-it's-from recording) and applying who-knows-what to it because it then sounds better on *their* system to *their* ears and they want to share it. (There may be a couple of exceptions to this rule, but that will be on a case-by-case basis with prior approval from one of our ABT moderators.)

    NOTE: You may post torrents here from other sites provided that they meet the TTD Policy standards. Sometimes other sites are a bit more lax on allowing commercially released material on their tracker. We are not a completely private tracker and therefore we cannot allow this. So, please, if you are reposting something from another site, you need to do a little bit of homework and make sure you are not uploading something that is commercially released. Sometimes this is just a couple of tracks. Just omit them from the torrent and then it is fine to upload it here. (You should make note in the thread that you removed the tracks.)

    modified 2012-02-01, added dbpoweramp as an approved ripper in rule 6.

    modified 2023-11-05, specified check naming in rule 10.

    modified 2023-11-05, rule 12 applies only to audio, not video.


    DVD Video BitTorrent Seeding Policy

    To maintain the highest quality and purity for the trading pool, we have compiled a list of rules for making good seeds. Please read this list carefully before seeding here as our rules are likely the most stringent you'll find on any music sharing tracker. Each of these regulations are absolutely mandatory, and seeds that do not comply will be deleted from the tracker. Some rules will seem overbearing to some users, but these regulations are in place to ensure that we only spread recordings in "as good as it gets" quality so that all traders have equal opportunity to obtain the same music. If you have a question as to why a certain rule exists or are unsure if your seed complies, please feel free to contact The Video Mods or post in Technobabble. If you have questions regarding this FAQ and wish to discuss them in a language other than english, please post in our multilingual forum, Babylon.

    1. All seeds must be authored DVD-Video file structures.
    In keeping with our dedication to helping keep seeds in the highest possible quality given current technology, we have decided to limit all video seeds to DVD-Video only. To make the files easily burnable on all systems, your seed must not employ DVD-Image files such as .iso, bin/cue, etc. Also, do not compress the authored video files to .zip, .rar, or other similar archive formats as it will not make the filesize any smaller but will cause unnecessary confusion.

    2. No official or out-of-print material is permitted.
    To keep our site legal, we do not permit any official or out-of-print material to be seeded here. If your seed contains a television broadcast, check with the TV station's website to make sure that the item is not available for direct sale before seeding. Oftentimes there is a message at the conclusion of a broadcast stating that you may buy a copy of the program you just watched. If this is the case, the material is not allowed for seeding at The Traders' Den. Also note that unofficial video that has been overdubbed with official audio releases is not permitted. Though they were never sold, promos containing official audio are not allowed here.

    3. All seeds must have a properly named DVD file structure, including an appropriately named main folder and a VIDEO_TS subfolder.
    The correct file structure for a DVD seed is to have a main "parent" folder which will be named appropriately to indicate the respective seed. Inside this parent folder will be the VIDEO_TS folder (must be in ALL CAPS), authored so that it can be directly burned to a DVD-Video disc with any DVD burning suite. Also within this 'parent' folder, you must include the md5 and text file. You can also include artwork or any other files you wish to distribute with the seed. These additional files MUST NOT be placed inside the VIDEO_TS folder. Please see the screen capture below for a properly layed out DVD seed file structure.

    4. All seeds must contain a correct md5 checksum of the contents of the VIDEO_TS folder.
    We are making an effort to not only increase the overall quality of the trade pool, but also to help create a system by which sources can be tracked and certain versions verified. For this reason, we will archive the .md5 checksum results of just the VIDEO_TS folder so that a future trader can confirm they have the exact version, with errors, that was originally seeded. This is not for verifying a complete download as BitTorrent will inherently perform md5 checking before reporting 100% completion (though it can be used as a double-check) but rather to provide verification options to future traders of material torrented here.

    Until we get something written in this FAQ, here is a short method written by feralicious:

    Grab md5summer from www.md5summer.org

    Just open it up, navigate to the folder of your DVD and click on "create sums"
    Choose "select all" and then "add" and then "ok"
    Wait a while for it to do its thing
    When it's finished it will open up the "save" window, just make sure you save it with the .md5 extension and your good to go!

    One thing I usually do when I remember is go in and edit it by right clicking on the md5 and selecting "edit" and take out the md5summer references because if you use a program other than md5summer to verify that text shows up as an error and I find that annoying.

    Good applications to use to create checksums include Trader's Little Helper (PC), www.md5summer.org (PC), and xACT (Mac). Please do NOT use Easy MD5 Creator as it creates non-standard md5 checksums. Other applications you may use are listed in the Freeware Software Links. Look Inside If You're Stuck! FAQ.

    5. All torrents must consist of a complete set, no partials will be permitted.
    To eliminate confusion, all torrents uploaded must be as a complete set. This includes multi-DVD sets. This is to avoid confusion and to help people not have to check back repeatedly to find the rest of a DVD set. If you are issuing a reauthor or a DVD with new menus added, you must seed the complete set so that anyone can hop on and download it without having to search through back (possibly inactive) torrents to find the remainder of the material. If your post is not a complete seed, it will be removed and you will be asked to seed a complete set.

    If you are concerned that your torrent is large and will take a long time to be shared amongst the community, consider this option. Make a few copies of your show you would like to seed, mail them to several other people (approximately $1-2 per copy), and have them help co-seed the show with you. This not only allows you to get your show out to others more quickly, but it also saves bandwidth, especially if your ISP tightly regulates how much upload you are allowed per month.

    6. All seeds must contain a complete and accurate lineage.
    This is extremely important. Any seed without complete lineage included will be deleted from our tracker. Any seed with inaccurate lineage will be deleted from our tracker. If you are ripping video from a VHS tape please ensure that it is a low analog generation source and include all information as to how the video was transferred including your hardware and software configuration. We prefer to have fully authored DVDs with logical chapter breaks when appropriate.

    Also, ANY TV Broadcast or AUD recorded video from 2005 on MUST have COMPLETE & ACCURATE lineage!! There is NO EXCUSE for a show recorded in the last couple years to NOT have this.

    What is the complete and accurate lineage?
    Format the show was recorded with and onto?
    Transfer from Source to Hard Drive and What format?
    Program/Software used to do the transfer and author?
    All equipment, cables, cards, etc involved in the process to achieve the above.

    We would honestly not like any shows on here that do not have complete & accurate lineage, however we understand its not likely to track down the taper/transfer/author for a show from 10-20 yrs ago (this is why there are examples of lineage listed above).

    If you got a show from this point on in a trade, please do some research on it to get all the information available on it before seeding.

    You either know the information or you don't (ie, you did the transfer/authoring work from the VHS or you didnt). If you don't know the information because you received a dvd via trade or downloaded it from another site where the capture/transfer info was not provided, then the lineage would read something like one of these:

    - For a SA (StandAlone) DVD (does not have correct chapter marks, usually 5 min chapters):
    • Video: Tv > (Master, 1st Gen, Low, Med, High Gen)* VHS > SA > DVD
    • Video: AUD (Tripod or Hand Held)* > (Master, 1st Gen, Low, Med, or High Gen)* VHS > SA > DVD

    - An authored DVD (At least has correct chapter points, but may have menu's):
    • Video: Tv > (Master, 1st Gen, Low, Med, High Gen)* VHS > ? Transfer > ? Author > DVD
    • Video: AUD (Tripod or Hand Held)* > (Master, 1st Gen, Low, Med, or High Gen)* VHS > ? Transfer > ? Author > DVD

    *Pick one

    Look at what you have. Picture quality wise, what does it look like (master, 1-2 Gen, High Gen VHS)? Is it authored or a SA (Standalone)? If you can't tell the difference in quality from a Master & other Gens of tapes, I'm truly sorry. Generation's of the copies of the actual dvd are misleading BS, period.

    Some examples of correct lineage:

    Example 1:

    Video: AUD (Tripod) Master
    Master: JVC Single Tube Camera, Nak 300 Shotguns > 0 Decks > Panasonic AG-7400 > S-VHS Master
    Transfer: S-VHS Master > Panasonic AG-7150 > Canopus ADVC-100 > iMac G4 > Final Cut Pro 3 > DVD Studio Pro 1
    NTSC 4:3
    D1 & D3 8400 kbs, D2 7400 kbs
    720X480 29.97 fps

    Audio: SBD > DAT > CDR
    LPCM
    1.5 Mbs

    Example 2:

    Video Source: TV > Master broadcast VHS > Sony SLV-D300P > AVT-8710 TBC > Sony RDR-GX 300 > Vegas 6.0d > TMPGEnc MPEG Editor 1.0.1.59 > DVD Architect 3.0c (720 x 480 29.97 fps NTSC 5836 Kbps VBR, Peak = 9016 Kbps).
    Audio Source: SBD > Cassette Master (Maxell MX90) > Sony TC-WE475 > Sony R500 (Pass Through) > SEK'D Prodif Plus > Samplitude Professional v8.01 > FLAC > WAV > DAW(Bertha) > FLAC > WAV > Adobe Audition > Vegas 6.0b (Dolby AC-3 Stereo 448 Kbps 48Khz)

    Example 3:

    Video: AUD (Tripod) > Master > Firewire > Vegas 7.0 > Architect 4.0 > DVD PAL, 720 x 576 5 MB/sec variable
    Audio: SBD
    LPCM

    Example of Incorrect Lineage:

    Generation: TV>VHS(1)>MINI-DV(1)>DVDR(3) ->HDD -> DVDR(4) when burned

    Lineage for Silver DVDs:

    Silver DVDs are allowed if they meet the following considerations. If a known lineage source already exists on the tracker, Silver DVDs may NOT be seeded. Remasters of Silver DVDs must include source information for adjustments and be an improvement from ac3 to LPCM. Improvements within audio codec will NOT be allowed without previous approval based on undeniable proof.

    Proper lineage would look something like:

    Audience shot > ? > Silver DVD
    TV Broadcast > ? > Silver DVD

    or the following Silver DVD with remastering.

    Audience shot > ? > Silver DVD
    This audience shot video is the same as the already released DVD by *insert username*, *TTD Link*, with improved (LPCM, approved AC3) audio. I have attached samples below.
    new audio source - AKG 481 > SD 744 @ 24/48



    7. All seeds must include the video system (NTSC or PAL), audio codec and bitrate information in the info file.
    NTSC and PAL designation is important, and must be included. Additionally, we require the audio and video codec information. Audio is usually .ac3 (Dolby Digital) mp1, mp2, mp3, or PCM. Ideally, 1hr 5 min worth of footage on a single layer to have room for LPCM audio. Maximum StandAlone transfer would be 2 hours on a single layer. We request that, along with designating the video system, you include the following statistics:

    • Video bitrate
    • Audio codec
    • Audio bitrate
    • Frame rate
    • Disc Time in 00:00:00 [(hrs, min, sec) Individual times must be included for compilations]

    See our FAQ, How to get Video Stats for your DVD for help in obtaining this information.

    To see what this information tells us, please read "How can I use the Lineage provided with DVDs to my advantage?"

    8. Digital cable and satellite broadcast rips are permitted so long as a complete listing of the software and hardware used to make the rip is listed. No video webcasts are allowed.
    Webcast videos captured to DVDs are not permitted at this site as the video quality of webcasts is currently not up to a reasonable standard. Digital TV broadcast captures are permitted, as long as the lineage is provided. The optimal way to capture is through a DVB Card in your computer with no standalone in the lineage, however, we will allow standalone DVD recordings because the use of DVB cards (and similar) isn't yet widespread enough amongst video tapers.

    9. Only DVDs produced from MPEG-2 may be seeded here.
    No DVDs will be allowed to be seeded here which were sourced from lesser quality video (ie. VCD/CVD/SVCD/DivX/xvid/ASF/wmv//mp4/etc converted to DVD). Converting a lesser quality video to DVD does not make the quality of the video any better, and is therefore pointless. It is equivilent to creating a flac fileset from mp3s simply because the flac format came around and is better than all others. We also do not allow video's shot with digital camera's, cell phone's, or any other device that is not made or meant for recording video. None of the above mentioned video codecs are up to par with The Trader's Den Video BT Seeding Guidelines, and therefore, will not be allowed on the tracker.

    10. No Transcoded or Re-Encoded DVDs are allowed.
    We do not allow any DVDs to be seeded that have been recompressed in any way. This includes any DVD9>DVD5 or PAL>NTSC or NTSC>PAL, MPEG-2 > remaster > MPEG-2. Please seed the DVDs in the original released form. The only exception here is if you received a DVD with no menus or chapters, then feel free to add a menu and chapter points (this MUST be done without RE-encoding the video), but please give credit to the original author, if known. Once you download the show, you may do what you want to it, but please only share the DVDs in their original released form.

    We normally do NOT allow any sort of re-encoded video, however it has come to our attention that there are a very few number of shows that originated in PAL being rebroadcast in NTSC. We have decided to allow these ONLY if the following information is provided when the torrent is uploaded and plainly clear in the first post of the torrent thread (this is in addition to all other required information): rebroadcast date, rebroadcast country, rebroadcast channel. If this additional information is not clearly stated in the thread, the show will be pulled. NOTE: Due to a poor quality encode on the fly done by ConcertTV, we will not allow NTSC Rockpalast or any other broadcasts originating in PAL countries on this channel to be seeded.


    modified 2008-05-15, modified rule 10 to say broadcasts captured from ConcertTV that originated in PAL countries are allowed. modified 2008-03-28, modified rule 6 to note about complete lineage being required for shows dated 2005 forward.
    modified 2008-03-01, modified rule 9 to add bit about not allowing video from digital cameras, cell phones, etc.
    modified 2008-02-16, modified rule 2 to explain our stand on promos and rule 10 to add in rule regarding rebroadcast PAL shows.


    High Definition Video BitTorrent Seeding Policy

    (For the DVD Video BitTorrent Seeding Policy please check here.)

    This is in the works at the moment. If you have comments, post them in this thread - What about High Definition streams?

    To maintain the highest quality and purity for the trading pool, we have compiled a list of rules for making good seeds. Please read this list carefully before seeding here as our rules are likely the most stringent you'll find on any music sharing tracker. Each of these regulations are absolutely mandatory, and seeds that do not comply will be deleted from the tracker. Some rules will seem overbearing to some users, but these regulations are in place to ensure that we only spread recordings in "as good as it gets" quality so that all traders have equal opportunity to obtain the same music. If you have a question as to why a certain rule exists or are unsure if your seed complies, please feel free to contact a Video Mod or post in the Technobabble Forum and ask.

    1. No official or out-of-print material is permitted.
    To keep our site legal, we do not permit any official or out-of-print material to be seeded here. If your seed contains a television broadcast, check with the TV station's website to make sure that the item is not available for direct sale before seeding. Often times there is a message at the conclusion of a broadcast stating that you may buy a copy of the program you just watched. If this is the case, the material is not allowed for seeding at The Traders' Den. Also note that unofficial video that has been overdubbed with official audio releases is not permitted. Though they were never sold, promos containing official audio are not allowed here.

    2. Permitted file formats.

    • High Definition Transport Stream (.ts) and Matroska container (.mkv) is preferred format for straight digital captures of HD TV broadcasts.
      • The file needs to be checked before uploading against discontinuity errors. If possible, please attach a log file from your capturing program or dedicated software. If possible, please attach a log file from your capturing program or dedicated software.
      • Unnecessary data, like doubled the same audio stream should be stripped to keep the file as small as possible. Commercials, and non music related contents must be cut out.
      • Please note that the Transport Stream format is not permitted for standard definition video (DVD), and high definition audience video.
      • The seeding policy concerning High Definition Transport Stream is subject to change when a quality consumer software for Blu-ray format authoring is available.
    • Blu-ray (BR) must be fully authored with menu(s) and chapter marks, and ready to burn Blu-ray video.
      • It must have a properly named Blu-ray files and folders structure – see: http://www.videohelp.com/hd
      • Not permitted is rough not authored .m2ts file due it larger size than the transport stream (.ts) format.
      • Please check if your authoring software does not re-encode the stream, which is currently a case for Nero Vision, Ulead MovieFactory [perhaps others too, need to be checked]
    • High definition audience video has to be in form of authored and ready to burn Blu-ray (BR) video only.

    3. Not permitted file formats.

    • Containers like HD DivX, .EVO, MP4, .TP, and Toshiba HD structured videos are not permitted on this site.
    • Image files (.iso, .bin, etc.), and compressed files (.rar, .zip, etc.) are not accepted.

    4. No Transcoded or Re-Encoded high definition videos are allowed.
    We do not allow any high definition video to be seeded that have been recompressed in any way. This includes any:

    • Blu-ray / (high or standard definition) .ts > Blu-ray / high definition .ts with lower bitrate and/or video frame size
    • DVD, and standard definition AVI, DivX, MPEG1, MPEG2, .ts > Blu-ray / high definition .ts
    • Blu-ray / high definition .ts > DVD

    5. All seeds must contain a correct md5 checksum of the contents of the video folder.
    We are making an effort to not only increase the overall quality of the trade pool, but also to help create a system by which sources can be tracked and certain versions verified. For this reason, we will archive the .md5 checksum results of just the video folder so that a future trader can confirm they have the exact version, with errors, that was originally seeded. This is not for verifying a complete download as BitTorrent will inherently perform md5 checking before reporting 100% completion (though it can be used as a double-check) but rather to provide verification options to future traders of material torrented here.

    Until we get something written in this FAQ, here is a short method written by feralicious:

    • Grab md5summer from www.md5summer.org
    • Just open it up, navigate to the folder of your DVD and click on "create sums"
    • Choose "select all" and then "add" and then "ok"
    • Wait a while for it to do its thing
    • When it's finished it will open up the "save" window, just make sure you save it with the .md5 extension and your good to go!

    One thing I usually do when I remember is go in and edit it by right clicking on the md5 and selecting "edit" and take out the md5summer references because if you use a program other than md5summer to verify that text shows up as an error and I find that annoying.

    6. All torrents must consist of a complete set, no partials will be permitted.
    To eliminate confusion, all torrents uploaded must be as a complete set. This includes multi-Blu-ray sets. This is to avoid confusion and to help people not have to check back repeatedly to find the rest of a Blu-ray set. If you are issuing a reauthor or a Blu-ray with new menus added, you must seed the complete set so that anyone can hop on and download it without having to search through back (possibly inactive) torrents to find the remainder of the material. If your post is not a complete seed, it will be removed and you will be asked to seed a complete set.

    If you are concerned that your torrent is large and will take a long time to be shared amongst the community, consider this option. Make a few copies of your show you would like to seed, mail them to several other people, and have them help co-seed the show with you. This not only allows you to get your show out to others more quickly, but it also saves bandwidth, especially if your ISP tightly regulates how much upload you are allowed per month.

    7. All seeds must contain a complete and accurate lineage, audio codec and bitrate information in the info file.
    This is extremely important. Any seed without complete lineage included will be deleted from our tracker. Any seed with inaccurate lineage will be deleted from our tracker. Please ensure that all information is provided as to how the video was transferred including your hardware and software configuration. We prefer to have fully authored Blu-ray discs with logical chapter breaks.

    ANY TV Broadcast or AUD recorded video from 2005 on MUST have COMPLETE & ACCURATE lineage!! There is NO EXCUSE for a show recorded in the last couple years to NOT have this.

    What is the complete and accurate lineage?
    Format the show was recorded with and onto?
    Transfer from Source to Hard Drive and What format?
    Program/Software used to do the transfer and author?
    All equipment, cables, cards, etc involved in the process to achieve the above.


    If you got a show from this point on in a trade, please do some research on it to get all the information available on it before seeding. If you don't know the information because you received a video via trade or downloaded it from another site where the capture/transfer info was not provided, then contact the person uploading and find out these details, otherwise, it will NOT be allowed here. The following information is required with every show:
    • Video codec (MPEG2 HD, H.264 or VC-1)
    • Video bitrate
    • Audio codec (LPCM, AC3)
    • Audio bitrate
    • Frame rate
    • Disc Time in 00:00:00 [(hrs, min, sec) Individual times must be included for compilations]

    Note: Audio in MP2 format is permitted for Transport Stream only (a case for some European HD TV channels). Please note that MP2 is not Blu-ray compatible audio format and as such it has to be transcoded when authored to a Blu-ray disc – preferably to LPCM to avoid double re-encoding as it would be the case for AC3 encoder.

    Here are examples of correct lineage and video properties:
    • Transport Stream:
      • Lineage: Astra HD+ > TT S2-3200 > DVB Viewer > H264TS_Cutter > .ts
        Video: h.264, 1920x1080p, 16:9, 12 Mbps average
        Audio: AC3 2.0 448 kbps
      • Scientific Atlanta HD cable box > Firewire Cable > Mac > VirtualDVHS [OS X] > .ts
        Video: MPEG2, 1920x1080p, 16:9, 11.5 Mbps average
        Audio AC3 5.1 384 kbps
    • Blu-ray:
      • Lineage: Einsfestival HD > TT S2-3200 > DVB Viewer > H264TS_Cutter > eac3to (demux) > ArcSoft TotalMedia Extreme (authoring) > Blu-ray disc
        Video: h.264, 1280x720i, 16:9, 8.0 Mbps average
        Audio: AC3 2.0 256 kbps



    Getting Shows Removed from the Tracker
    There are a number of reason's why someone may want something removed from the tracker. If you need a Mod's attention to get something removed, please hit the Report this Post link,, and you may ask us to remove the show.

    BitTorrent Help

    Glossary
    The following is a list we have compiled of commonly used terms on this site:

    Show / Hide BitTorrent Terms
    Show / Hide Audio Terms
    Show / Hide Video Terms
    Show / Hide Miscellaneous Terms

    Freeware Software Links. Look Inside If You're Stuck!
    The following is a list of free software packages useful to music traders. Most of the entries are mentioned elsewhere in this FAQ in the specific categories they relate to, so search around for more information.

    Show / Hide Windows/PC Software:
    Show / Hide Macintosh Software:
    Show / Hide Linux Software:

    Show / Hide Free Image Hosting:
    Show / Hide Pay-for-use Software

    B&Ps, Vines, Trees, Loops, Snail Mail Trades, Etc.
    While primarily being a BitTorrent community, we seek to have a thriving community of more traditional modes of audio and video trading as well. We currently have special forums dedicated to snail mail trades, B&P offers, loops, and vines. Read descriptions of each of these types, and then cruise on over to the forums and participate. If you're feeling generous, offer up some discs to those amongst us who are not fortunate enough to have high bandwdith capacity for download BitTorrents.

    Posting Guidelines
    Each forum contains specific discussions. To make sure your post gets to the right place, please read through the posting guidelines. Note this site prohibits all advertising and commercial enterprise. Any SPAM, advertising links, lists of items for sale, or offers to sell bootleg CDRs/DVDRs will be deleted. Repeat offenders will have their accounts banned.

    Also, please do not post any users full name, address, phone number, or IP address. In other words, don't post their private information here.

    A word about the moderators
    This site exists because of the contributions of many, in many different ways. The moderation team here is one such contribution. There is a lot of behind the scenes work that goes into the smooth running of this site in terms of moderation, server stuff, etc. Many decisions regarding the site are discussed behind the scenes by the moderators. It is an all volunteer effort and is done solely because we want to do what is best for this site. The work of the moderators should be appreciated and they should not be disrespected. What we do not want, is to have moderators having to do a lot of work because of one poster who decides to misbehave. If you are that one poster that causes us a lot more work, your posting rights may be removed.


    The Traders' Den User Options
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