When downloading movies, TV shows, or other media from torrent sites, you may have noticed long and complicated file names. These names are not random—they often contain useful information about the video quality, source, and encoding. This guide explains what each part of a typical video file name means, helping you choose high-quality content with confidence.
1. Resolution
Resolution refers to the number of pixels displayed in each dimension:
- 480p – Standard Definition (SD), typically 640×480 or 854×480 pixels for 16:9 ratio.
- 720p – High Definition (HD), 1280×720 pixels, good for most monitors.
- 1080p/1080i – Full HD, 1920×1080 pixels, widely used for high-quality media.
2. Video Source
The source indicates where the video was recorded or extracted from:
- CAM – Filmed in theaters using a handheld camera (very low quality).
- TS (Telesync) – Similar to CAM but with better audio.
- DVDSCR – DVD screener copy, often with watermarks.
- R5 – Region 5 DVD release, generally decent quality.
- DVDRip – Ripped from a retail DVD.
- HDTV – Recorded from digital television broadcasts.
- BDRip – Ripped from a Blu-ray disc, typically the highest quality.
3. Video Codec
Video codecs compress and decompress digital video. Common formats include:
- H.264 – High compression efficiency, widely used for Blu-ray and streaming.
- MPEG4 – Common for various media formats.
- DivX/Xvid – Based on MPEG-4, popular for compact video files.
- WMV – Microsoft codec with good quality-to-size ratio.
4. Audio Codec
Audio codecs are used to encode and decode digital audio data:
- AC3 – Dolby Audio Compression, standard for DVDs.
- DTS – High-quality multi-channel sound.
- Dolby TrueHD – Lossless multi-channel audio.
- MP3 – Widely used lossy audio format.
Tips
Be cautious with files that are unusually small or poorly named, especially those with promotional content or low resolution. High-resolution files (720p and up) from BDRip or DVDRip sources usually offer the best viewing experience.