About the WEB-DL
The WEB-DL is not a webrip. Webrips are attempts at capturing the streaming video and audio from either a tv network's website or something like Hulu that are mostly very unsatisfactory. WEB-DL are files purchased from the various national iTunes stores or from Amazon on Demand and which then have the DRM removed.
Most scene groups absolutely hate WEB-DL and will belittle them to no end. Why? They threaten their dominance and really screw with their 'game' of who can get it out first without screwing it up. Insult the competition and hope the ignorant masses follow you. That is about as simple as it gets. Various groups have complained that WEB-DL "isn't even x.264" or is "shit reencodes". The statements aren't exactly true but they sound convincing. The reality is that x.264 is the open source version of h.264 and for all practical end-user purposes it matters not whether a file has an h264 or x264 tag in its name. Both are H.264/MPEG-4 Part 10 or AVC (Advanced Video Coding) files.
One reason why scene groups hate WEB-DL is because it really fucked with their game of who can get a show out first. The group CLERKS used WEB-DL files as the source for their DVDrips of a score shows. That would be cheating and misleading. They got caught when some aspect ratios of their releases didn't match the DVDs they claimed to have ripped the episodes from. See below for the detailed response from two scene DVDrip groups.
People say that WEB-DL are re-encodings and most places ban re-encodings. But think about it. Is not ax xvid file made from a 1080i HDTV broadcast re-encoded from 1080i mpeg2 to 352p h263? Is not a DVDrip made from a 1080i master that is then encoded to 480i mpeg2 that is then encoded to 352p h263? All of them are re-encodings but they just don't like to admit it; they draw the line in the sand just the other side of where they place their feet. And for that matter a 720p WEB-DL doesn't have any encoding done to it; the DRM is removed and the file is muxed into a .mkv container. If they were to really think about it then by their own line in the sand they drew the 720p WEB-DL is better than their own releases.
By the same logic put forward in the previous paragraph i shall address the WEB-DL.XviD that can be found here for a variety of shows. Taking the official release and making an XviD file of the episodes is what they do with DVDs and BDs to get DVDRiPs and BDRiPs. They remove the copy protection and covert the file to 352p h263. The same thing is done with the WEB-DL to produce the WEB-DL.XviD or h263 file. The 720p WEB-DL simply removes the copy protection while the WEB-DL.XviD goes the other step to make the file compatible with stand-alone DVD players. It is the same principle that scene groups have lived by for many years, just applied to a different medium.
So what is the use of the WEB-DL and the WEB-DL.XviD you might be wondering. There are a few uses. Scene groups tend to be very arrogant and sometimes it is appropriate or justifiable. But there are times when scene groups will release shows with such low bitrates that it is pathetic. There is just no way to justify 720p HDTV release of a 42 minute drama being less than 900MB and yet as is often the case some shows can be found smaller than 700MB. An insanely low bitrate 720p file isn't worth the MBs it would consume on one's hard drive. Your typical WEB-DL will be in the 1.3 to 1.4 GB range with a bitrate of about 4MB/s. If the episode is longer then the file is larger but it is still about 4MB/s. Most scene groups hover around 2.2MB/s though some go as low was 1.6MB/s and others as high as 3.6MB/s. The WEB-DL is higher quality and there are no broadcaster bugs or snipes and you get the end credits too. The WEB-DL is about par with scene 720p.Bluray releases and the WEB-DL.XviD is about equal to a BDrip. And they often come out a lot sooner than the respective scene retail rips. And if any music is altered for the home video release the WEB-DL will often retain the original music. Then there is the matter of shows which weren't released because scene groups are picky and they don't do much from New Zealand and only recently started doing Canadian shows. So there are shows which are only available from various online retailers for direct download. Or in other words you can't get a (720p) HDTV release and there is no DVDrip either. Maybe AOD has it or iTunes in Australia has it.
If you do release any WEB-DL or WEB-DL.XviD don't be a dick like CLERKS and claim they are DVDRip or 720p.Bluray releases.
Scenenotice.about.those.cheating.bastards.CLERKS
This is the story of a miracle, two actually.
On September 13th CLERKS released dvdrips of the ninth season of Scrubs. And surprisingly those dvdrips (let's call them dvdrips for now) were in WS format. Surprising because all previous seasons were released in FS. The story became miraculous when we checked the dvds and guess what, they were in FS. So somehow CLERKS managed to convert those FS dvds into WS dvdrips, halleluja, bless the lord.
A month later CLERKS released Star Wars:The Clone Wars S2 dvdrips, once again in WS (16:9, to be exact). Once again a miracle since the dvds turned out to be in 2.35:1. Only this time their rip of episode 2x10 was nuked for a glitch at 2.55 min and oos after that.
And this is when the story gets interesting. There is a p2p itunes HD rip available "Star.Wars.The.Clone.Wars.S02E10.The.Deserter.720p.WEB.DL.DD5.1.AAC.H.264.IAA.mkv" and this itunes rip has the identical glitch and the same AR (16:9), impossible unless either both used the same faulty source or CLERKS used the mentioned rip as source. Either way it certainly proves that CLERKS were not using the retail dvds.
So then we looked for Scrubs S9 HD itunes rips in WS, and of course we found them.
Then i remembered someone telling me about a glitch on one of the CLERKS Psych S4 "dvdrips". Found it in 4x09 at 26:28 min, and by now it won't surprise you, there is an HD webrip with exactly the same glitch: Psych.S04E09.Shawn.Takes.a.Shot.in.the.Dark.720p.WEB-DL.DD5.1.H.264-MMI (samples for Psych also in the proof folder).
The only conclusion is: CLERKS has been using HD webrips as source for their releases, not retail dvds. And worse, they've been using p2p reencodes, which would also explain why they refuse to do subs (except for Dynasty S5, where they pred a subpack and which is also the only season they ever pred after the retail streetdate) and why their avis seem to have been encoded up to 10 days before the actual pre.
In the proof folder you will find screenshots of Clone Wars, Scrubs, and also Warehouse 13 and samples of the mentioned dvdrips, webrips and retail dvds. On Warehouse 13 the CLERKS rips have more pixels on top and bottom than the actual retail dvds, another impossibility.
However these additional pixels are present on the HD webrips.
That's at least four seasons where these cheating fuckers used p2p reencodes as source and my guess is, everything they ever released is the same shit (except for Dynasty S5, one legit season out of 21).
Nuke it all, ban them from your sites and as a result of this we are working on changing the rules for TV dvdrips to include mandatory source proof.
And if they ever dare to release anything else, nuke it unless it contains source proof. We proved they were cheating, now it's up to them to prove they can be honest.
Signed
REWARD & SAiNTS
United States of Tara S02
United.States.of.Tara.S02E01.Yes.720p.WEB-DL.DD5.1.H.264-LP
United.States.of.Tara.S02E02.Trouble Junction.720p.WEB-DL.DD5.1.H.264-LP
United.States.of.Tara.S02E03.The Truth Hurts.720p.WEB-DL.DD5.1.H.264-LP
United.States.of.Tara.S02E04.You Becoming You.720p.WEB-DL.DD5.1.H.264-LP
United.States.of.Tara.S02E05.Doin_ Time.720p.WEB-DL.DD5.1.H.264-LP
United.States.of.Tara.S02E06.Torando.720p.WEB-DL.DD5.1.H.264-LP
United.States.of.Tara.S02E07.Dept. of F____d Up Family Service.720p.WEB-DL.DD5.1.H.264-LP
United.States.of.Tara.S02E08.Explosive Diorama.720p.WEB-DL.DD5.1.H.264-LP
United.States.of.Tara.S02E09.The Family Portrait.720p.WEB-DL.DD5.1.H.264-LP
United.States.of.Tara.S02E10.Open House.720p.WEB-DL.DD5.1.H.264-LP
etc
star wars Clone Wars S02
Star.Wars.The.Clone.Wars.S02E01.Holocron Heist.720p.WEB-DL.DD5.1.AAC.H.264-IAA.mkv
Star.Wars.The.Clone.Wars.S02E02.Cargo of Doom.720p.WEB-DL.DD5.1.AAC.H.264-IAA.mkv
Star.Wars.The.Clone.Wars.S02E03.Children of the Force.720p.WEB-DL.DD5.1.AAC.H.264-IAA.mkv
Star.Wars.The.Clone.Wars.S02E04.Senate Spy.720p.WEB-DL.DD5.1.AAC.H.264-IAA.mkv
Star.Wars.The.Clone.Wars.S02E05.Landing At Point Rain.720p.WEB-DL.DD5.1.AAC.H.264-IAA.mkv
Star.Wars.The.Clone.Wars.S02E06.Weapons Factory.720p.WEB-DL.DD5.1.AAC.H.264-IAA.mkv
Star.Wars.The.Clone.Wars.S02E07.Legacy of Terror.720p.WEB-DL.DD5.1.AAC.H.264-IAA.mkv
Star.Wars.The.Clone.Wars.S02E08.Brain Invaders.720p.WEB-DL.DD5.1.AAC.H.264-IAA.mkv
Star.Wars.The.Clone.Wars.S02E09.Grievous Intrigue.720p.WEB-DL.DD5.1.AAC.H.264-IAA.mkv
Star.Wars.The.Clone.Wars.S02E10.The Deserter.720p.WEB-DL.DD5.1.AAC.H.264-IAA.mkv
etc
Lie to Me S02
http://www.hotfilesearch.com/download/17043509-Lie.to.Me.S02E01.720p.WEB-DL.DD5.1.H.264-DNR.mkv.html
Lie.to.Me.S02E01.720p.WEB-DL.DD5.1.H.264-DNR
Lie.to.Me.S02E02.720p.WEB-DL.DD5.1.H.264-DNR
Lie.to.Me.S02E03.720p.WEB-DL.DD5.1.H.264-DNR
Lie.to.Me.S02E04.720p.WEB-DL.DD5.1.H.264-DNR
Lie.to.Me.S02E05.720p.WEB-DL.DD5.1.H.264-DNR
Lie.to.Me.S02E06.720p.WEB-DL.DD5.1.H.264-DNR
Lie.to.Me.S02E07.720p.WEB-DL.DD5.1.H.264-DNR
Lie.to.Me.S02E08.720p.WEB-DL.DD5.1.H.264-DNR
Lie.to.Me.S02E09.720p.WEB-DL.DD5.1.H.264-DNR
Lie.to.Me.S02E10.720p.WEB-DL.DD5.1.H.264-DNR
etc
Warehouse 13 S01
Warehouse.13.S01E01.Pilot.720p.WEB-DL.DD5.1.h.264-RANDi
Warehouse.13.S01E02.Resonance.720p.WEB-DL.DD5.1.h.264-RANDi
Warehouse.13.S01E03.Magnetism.720p.WEB-DL.DD5.1.h.264-RANDi
Warehouse.13.S01E04.Claudia.720p.WEB-DL.DD5.1.h.264-RANDi
Warehouse.13.S01E05.Elements.720p.WEB-DL.DD5.1.h.264-RANDi
Warehouse.13.S01E06.Burnout.720p.WEB-DL.DD5.1.h.264-RANDi
Warehouse.13.S01E07.Implosion.720p.WEB-DL.DD5.1.h.264-RANDi
Warehouse.13.S01E08.Duped.720p.WEB-DL.DD5.1.h.264-RANDi
Warehouse.13.S01E09.Regrets.720p.WEB-DL.DD5.1.h.264-RANDi
Warehouse.13.S01E10.Breakdown.720p.WEB-DL.DD5.1.h.264-RANDi
etc
Community S01
Community.S01E01.Pilot.720p.WEB-DL.h.264.DD5.1-myTV.mkv
Community.S01E02.Spanish101.720p.WEB-DL.h.264.DD5.1-myTV.mkv
Community.S01E03.Introduction.To.Film.720p.WEB-DL.h.264.AAC2.0-myTV.mkv
Community.S01E04.Social.Psychology.720p.WEB-DL.h.264.DD5.1-myTV.mkv
Community.S01E05.Advanced.Criminal.Law.720p.WEB-DL.h.264.DD5.1-myTV.mkv
Community.S01E06.Football.Feminism.And.You.720p.WEB-DL.h.264.DD5.1-myTV.mkv
Community.S01E07.Introduction.To.Statistics.720p.WEB-DL.h.264.DD5.1-myTV.mkv
Community.S01E08.Home.Economics.720p.WEB-DL.h.264.DD5.1-myTV.mkv
Community.S01E09.Debate109.720p.WEB-DL.h.264.DD5.1-myTV.mkv
Community.S01E10.Environmental.Science.720p.WEB-DL.h.264.DD5.1-myTV.mkv
etc
Scrubs
Scrubs.S09E01.720p.WEB-DL.DD5.1.H.264-DNR
Scrubs.S09E02.720p.WEB-DL.DD5.1.H.264-DNR
Scrubs.S09E03.720p.WEB-DL.DD5.1.H.264-DNR
Scrubs.S09E04.720p.WEB-DL.DD5.1.H.264-DNR
Scrubs.S09E05.720p.WEB-DL.DD5.1.H.264-DNR
Scrubs.S09E06.720p.WEB-DL.DD5.1.H.264-DNR
Scrubs.S09E07.720p.WEB-DL.DD5.1.H.264-Chotab
Scrubs.S09E08.720p.WEB-DL.DD5.1.H.264-Chotab
Scrubs.S09E09.720p.WEB-DL.DD5.1.H.264-Chotab
Scrubs.S09E10.720p.WEB-DL.DD5.1.H.264-Chotab
etc
Psych S04
Psych.S04.720p.WEB-DL.DD5.1.H.264-MMI PiLAF
Heroes
Heroes S04E01E02 720p Web-DL DD 5.1 H264-McC
Heroes S04E03 720p Web-DL DD 5.1 H264-McC
Heroes S04E04 720p Web-DL DD 5.1 H264-McC
Heroes S04E05 720p Web-DL DD 5.1 H264-McC
Heroes S04E06 720p Web-DL DD 5.1 H264-McC
Heroes S04E07 720p Web-DL DD 5.1 H264-McC
Heroes S04E08 720p Web-DL DD 5.1 H264-McC
Heroes S04E09 720p Web-DL DD 5.1 H264-McC
Heroes S04E10 720p Web-DL DD 5.1 H264-McC
etc
