Content:Files
AniDB stores information (metadata) about digital files that at some point in history has been released on the Internet. This information is an integral part of AniDB and for many users the most important reason for using AniDB. Note that AniDB does not, never has and never will, have any copies of these files. Read the general disclaimer for more information on this.
As a user you do of course not have to use any feature related to files; AniDB offers many features that are completely unrelated to them. There is also the concept of generic files: If you want to add an anime to your mylist, but watched it on TV, have it on DVD or just don't care about registering actual files, see Files:Generic files.
Content
Release information
Information related to the actual release of the file: group, relase date, CRC status and version. If the origin of a file is unknown, i.e. no group, then none of these fields have any meaning and should therefore not be set.
Group
AniDB stores the name and short name of the group/person that produced and released a file. The short name is usually found as tags in file names, for example "[AonE]". Please note that not all groups registered in AniDB are listed with the tag they actually use, as AniDB can only have one distinctive tag for each group.
Note: If a file is a joint release, like a file by e.g. ANBU-AonE, that joint group has its own group entry. The file should not be registered under either ANBU or AonE, but to the group that combines them both.
Note: Not all RAW groups are credited. See which RAW groups to credit.
Release date
The date when the group released the file. Usually provided on the group's homepage or on some other release info site like Envirosphere or Baka Updates.
CRC status
Most groups release files with corresponding CRC32 checksums; in the filename, in a sfv file or on their web page. If the calculated CRC32 sum of a file matches the sum provided by the group then the status is set to matches the official CRC. Otherwise, it is set to does NOT match the official CRC.
If no sum is provided by the group or if you can't bother to compare, then set it to not compared to the official CRC. If no CRC sum is registered in AniDB then this field has no meaning and can be ignored.
Allowed sources for official CRC:
- Official sfv (good source)
- CRC listing on official page/IRC topic (good source)
- CRC tag in filename (not a good source, but works... kinda)
- Envirosphere & Baka-Updates (3rd hand info, but kinda works.)
Version
Sometimes the group makes mistakes and wants to correct them by releasing a second (third, fourth...) version, usually called v2 (v3, v4, ...). This field is usually based on information in the file name (where no information normally means version 1).
Even if a group releases two files of the same episode it does not mean that the first has to be marked v1 and the second v2. There are other reasons to do something like that other than correcting mistakes like; different source (DTV/DVD), different sub languages, high and low quality versions, etc.
Technical information
Information that is of technical character and in most cases indisputable after verified by Avdump. For track level information, see Content:Files:Video, Content:Files:Audio and Content:Files:Subtitle.
| Field | Description |
|---|---|
| Type | The type of file. Possible values: video file, subtitle file, audio file, other. |
| Extension | Short name of the container format, see wikip. Possible values: avi, mkv, ogm, mp4, wmv, str, mpg, ssa, rm, sub, idx, rar, ass, smi, mov, zip, txt, swf, flv and ace. Deprecated values: rmvb, asf, mpeg. |
| Size | The size in bytes. |
| Duration | The duration in hh:mm:ss. |
| Check/Hash sums. | The hash sums are used for verification and identification puposes and includes CRC32, ED2K, MD5, SHA1 and TTH. ED2K is the main hash used for indentification in AniDB. |
Other information
Other information that is set manually and in some cases disputable.
Censored
Mainly used for files with pornographic content.
Source
Here you can set the source of the raw (unsubbed) anime. If you don't know the source, leave it as "unknown". If you find a tag like "(S)VHS" or "DVD" in the filename, choose the according option from the dropdown-menu. Sometimes, it's ok to make an educated guess: For animes that are released fansubbed shortly (within days/weeks) after they aired in Japan, you can safely assume "DTV" (Digital TV) as source. Another case for educated guessing is "HKDVD" (Hongkong-DVD) - the video-quality may be ok for them, but the translation is usually horrible, which is how you can spot them.
When creqing this field you should provide some sort of proof unless the old value is obviously wrong or set to "unknown". This means that you should be sure about the change and not just base it on assumptions. For example, don't creq DTV -> HDTV based on resolution/quality/filesize/etc. only.
Quality
Eyecancer, very low, low, med, high, very high.
- This is a very arbitrary field. It depends completely on the eye of the beholder. You should not put too much meaning into it, but rather use it as a general pointer of quality.
- This field should not be used to rate releases from different groups. Use anime-group comments/votes to express opinions about such.
- This field should be considered per group: When multiple releases exists from a group it can (and should) be used to differentiate them.
- Although there have never been any written rules; quality is usually bound to source. Ie. DVD -> very high, DTV -> high, VHS -> low, etc.. It is generally ok to follow this scheme, but don't go about creqing just because of it. There are many good reasons for not following it.
- Note that 'very high' quality rating is not reserved for the theoretical perfect release, or bound to DVD source or anything like that. It can be used more freely to differentiate.
- If you want to request a change, check the history of the file first. It might have some useful information (discussion) about why the current rating was selected and save you from a humiliating deny.
- Feel free to discuss this system in our forum/channel, but never start a personal creqing spree to "reform" it.
Description
Additional useful information about the file. See Content:Filecomments.
Statistics
Registering new files
Since files in AniDB are tied with an actual episode, the place where you add files is at the far right of each episode entry. Click the "add file" icon that looks like this: 
, and it will take you to a new page where you can fill in the information about the file you want to add. For video files, the most important fields are: ED2K-link, CRC/CRC Status, Release group and Audio and Subtitle languages.
Alternatively you can use the mass add file page which is linked at the bottom of every anime page (massf).
What is accepted?
Private files
Corruption
Fileentries on AniDB are supposed to be useful for a larger group of users: One of them adds the entry and many others can use it (by adding it to their list).
Adding wide-spread corrupted files
An entry for a corrupted file may still be useful for others as long as it's likely that more people have the exact same corrupted file as you have. (For example if one source sent the corrupted version to many people.)
If - and only if - this is the case, you can add the file normally to AniDB, marking it as "CRC invalid" and/or "Quality: Corrupted" if there are visible/audible errors in the file.
Adding "personal" corrupted files
If your specific (corrupted) version of the file isn't listed on AniDB, for example because of some hard- or software-problem on your side or because you manually edited the files, you should not add them to AniDB as they serve no purpose for other users.
Don't worry - you can still list such files properly in your mylist. For example: You have a corrupted version of group X's release. Navigate to the corresponding episode where the regular, uncorrupted version of group X's release is listed and click on the "add file ()" icon. On the next page, you can select the "Type: corrupted version/invalid crc" so that your mylist-entries properly indicate which version you have.
If there's no crc-valid version of group X added for the release you have, consider adding the episodes' generic files to your list instead.
Remuxed files
- They has to be wide-spread (see above); private files are not allowed.
- Do not mark them with the original group. Use no group or make your own group.
- Adding such files is generally frown upon unless some value was actually added in the remuxing process.
How to add
When you add a new file from a group that already have some files added for this anime, you can save yourself from going through the extra step of searching for the group again and again by using the by relation list, that contains only groups that already have at least one file added for this anime.
Otherwise, you have to search for the group. If the group isn't listed, you have to add it first.
Note: If the file is a no group file, do not set crc correct status! Most raw files come from share or winny hence no official crc is known!
Editing file entries
For editing see How to get started with creqing.
Removing file entries
If you added a bad entry you can also remove it as long as no one else has added it to his/her mylist. Otherwise, you have to issue a delete request.
File relations
Stuff
Now, there are a few different kinds of files that can be added to the different episodes for anime, but all files have a few fields that apply to them:
ED2K Sum | Various other hashes | CRC status | Size | Type | Extension | Version | Release date | Released by | Comments
All files, except generics, can also have relations to other files and/or episodes:
And we also have specific fields that only apply to video files, audio files and subtitle files:
Video files: Length | Censored | Quality | Source | Resolution | Aspect Ratio | Video Codec | Video Bitrate | FPS | Video Flags
Note: for alot of these fields you can use avdump to analyze the video file. It can tell you most of the things you need to know.
And the last two sections in this article are about if something is/has gone wrong:
Types
Video file
A file with at least video, but normally with audio and subtitles too. This is what you want 99% of the time and hence the default.
Subtitle file
A file containing only subs; srt, ssa, sub, idx, ass, smi, txt. Usually having a relation to one or more video files.
Audio file
A file containing only audio. Hardly used at all; you will probably never need this.
Other
An archive file containing one or more of the other types over; for example subtitles (although such files may be registered as Subtitle file too), sets of files or part of files. Hardly used, but slightly more common than Audio file.