What's a CAM?!?!

If you're interested in getting movies off the net but not sure what all those fancy terms mean, here's a little something to get you started.

Q. What's a CAM, Workprint, Telesync, Telecine, Screener, DVDRip?

CAM - This type of VCD was recorded by someone in a cinema with a camcorder and the audience can be heard! The picture quality is usually not that great and the sound is usually bad.

Telesync - These are also recorded in a cinema but usually on an expensive camera and they should have a seperate audio source (so the audience cannot be heard), these are generally very good quality and highly watchable.

Telecine - Done a number of ways, all from taking directly from the reel. Ripped in either widescreen (letterbox) or in full-screen (pan and scan) with excellent audio and video. The most common way is to get a device that you attach to the reel that generates a VHS tape of the reel. (called a telecine machine, but there are other machines that generate a digital output of both audio and video that are then put into a laptop or VCR and made into a VCD).

Screener - A Screener is usually recorded from a promotional video tape which is sent to censors and film critics etc.. The quality is usually as good as a commercial VCD, some times a copyright message appears on the screen.

Work-Print - Each frame of the film is copied from celluloid (or another source), these are sometimes incomplete movies. The sound is usually perfect and the visual quality can vary.

LD/DVDRip - VCDs with this on the cover are ripped from DVD or Laserdisc versions of the film and the quality is as good as genuine VCDs.

I don't watch too many cams so you won't see many links to them, unless the movie is too good to wait for a decent copy. There have been a good amount of screeners out there, especially during this time of year when studios are sending copies to critics and others, looking to get nominated for awards and such.

I've also put up some links to sites that will help you along your way. They're on the left somewhere.