1. What does NFT mean? Not For Trade e.g. the master has restricted trades of this item for one of several reasons. If there’s a date (NFT until 1/1/2030) then the item will be available for trading after that date. Otherwise, it generally means you must only trade for them through the master directly. Learn more about NFT recordings here. 

   1. NFT items are listed here because a) it’s handy to see what’s available in general and b) I need a complete list of my own items so I don’t double-trade.

2. What does GIFT mean? The master has designated that this specific item is available for gifting, aka sending a link without having to trade for one back. If an item on my list has GIFT in front of it, you may request it without needing to offer something to trade in return. 

   1. I don’t do gifts outside of the ones that are required to be given as gifts per the master.

3. What does LT 2:1 / Limited Trades mean? The master has designated this item to be traded at a higher than normal ratio. 2:1 means TWO items for every ONE; there are higher ratios but they all mean about the same thing.

4. What does “generation loss” mean? In the olden days, videos were traded by copying from one VHS to another. Eventually, the physical tape got worn (or the new tape wasn’t that hot) and the video degraded over time. Sometimes this also happened when converting from one old format to a newer format. A video with generation loss could have lines going across the screen, jumping images, color loss, sound loss, a grainy texture, etc. 

5. What’s a VOB and why do traders want them? A VOB is a file format that’s used to create a DVD that can be read by a DVD player. This was the standard master release format for more than a decade and is normally high quality. Traders prefer VOB + smalls because they know that they’re getting the highest quality video file AND the original released format for a recording.

   1. Modern master releases tend to be in digital-first formats, such as .mp4 or .MTS. 

6. What's a small file? Small files are the DVD menus and chapter pages for a video file. If you burn a VOB + smalls recording to a DVD, you'll be able to play it in a DVD player just like a regular movie. They end in the following file formats: .BUP, .IFO, .VOB.

7. What’s a Youtube link/Youtube rip? A Youtube link is a bootleg that someone uploaded to Youtube. The quality is usually not as good as an actual VOB file or .mkv, and important information is often missing, so traders don’t want them. A Youtube rip is when someone downloads a video from YT. 

   1. Recently, production companies have been uploading 720p/1080p Proshot videos to their Youtube accounts and people have been ripping them. These are higher quality than bootlegs that have been uploaded to YT by fans and are usually okay to trade. 

   2. Resolution quality (in general): 480p = SD = standard definition, 720p = HD = high definition, 1080p = HD = high(er) definition, 4K = HD = highest definition. The higher the resolution, the bigger the file size.

8. What does “soundboard” audio mean? A soundboard is an audio file recorded directly from the soundboard-- the thing the actors’ microphones feeds into which then goes back out into the theater. These are usually the highest quality recordings available since there’s no background noise/echos/etc. And was taken directly from the sound system.

Useful sites:

• Sass' Trading Survival Guide - how to get started, lingo for the scene, etc.

• master guide - more info about file formats, recording, etc.

• Master Releases - a directory of video masters and original file formats for their releases.

Useful technology:

• Use VLC player to watch and listen to all file formats on your computer OR tablet/phone, including VOB files.

• Convert VOB files to .mkv/.mp4 using Handbrake. Make sure to keep the original files for trading, of course!

• Use Jdownloader2 to queue downloads from (almost) all download sites, including Mediafire and Mega.

People I have had good experiences trading with before!