Originally posted by yeahYou can't please everyone.
They just cover their ass with the rather strict policy (soundboards ARE allowed btw.). The "md5 crap" you mention is there to make sure that everybody gets the same full and working files. Every serious torrent site requires that... Also the lineage is important to make sure that you don't get a lossy recording and to retrace the history, generation, taping gear,....
I called it "md5 crap" because I had no idea what it means. But just now, looking into some md5 files that I had a look at (you can use Notepad to check them out) I now see why they're there. And now, I call them "useful md5 files" because they do make sense. As always, if I do rip something down from a HDTV recording and then take just the audio out I'll likely save it first as a FLAC file and then if need be, back up the original FLAC and convert to 192Kbps MP3. I wouldn't rip straight to MP3 because you lose lots and lots of data from the file.
Yeah rightly points out that ALD/soundboards indeed are allowed (my mistake):
http://u2torrents.com/torrents-browse.php?search=soundboard&cat=0
The FLAC files that I have recieved on disc sound much more clearer than an MP3. But I would take MP3 gladly simply for the compression factor. If iPod could play FLAC files (technically it can with iPod Linux or Rockbox) with the bog-standard firmware I'd gladly go to FLAC.