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An R5 is a warez release, made with a telecine machine from an analog source. Unlike a TC the digitization is performed by the studio itself with very professional (and expensive) equipment and usually from the original source. The purpose of it is to create a high quality digital copy (usually for a later DVD release). But unlike a DVD, an R5 is released before the digital post-processing is finished. The quality of the rips can differ, but an R5 can be almost indistinguishable from a DVDRip since many movies are published on DVD with minimal editing.

The name R5 refers to DVD Region 5, which includes the former Soviet Union, the Indian subcontinent, and much of Africa. In an effort to compete with movie piracy in these areas, the movie industry chose to create a new format for DVD releases that could be produced more quickly and less expensively than traditional DVD releases. R5 releases differ from normal releases in that they lack both the image post-processing and special features that are common on DVD releases. This allows the film to be released for sale at the same time that DVD Screeners are released. Since DVD Screeners are the chief source of high-quality pre-DVD release pirated movies, this allows the movie studios to beat the pirates to market. Bootlegged copies of these releases are often distributed on the Internet.

R5 Release Dates