posted on December 21, 2000 03:35:00 PM new
I was wondering if someone might be able to answer or has had experience with this type of product.
I was doing some searches on ebay for DVDs and kept running across listings which were lower than the average listing. They were all being sold by a seller who was in Hong Kong.
They are advertising new in package current titles but seem to have some variation from the norm. I noticed that all of the titles state there is no region coding on the disc. For those who don't know and are in the market for DVDs, the world is divided up into regions when it comes to DVD. North America is region 1. Your US sold DVD player will not play a region disc for anything else but 1. If a disc came from Australia it would not play on your DVD player here.
I am assuming that, like computer software, China is now illegally duplicating DVDs in their factories but without any region restrictions. The price is reasonable and so is the shipping cost. Their feedback is all positive.
The lack of region coding is what makes me suspicious of the items. Can anyone confirm that these types of items would definitely be illegal copies or is there some legitimate production of non-region coded DVDs?
posted on December 21, 2000 03:46:34 PM new
These sound like VideoCDs or some such title like that! From what I understand ya make copies with a CDR burner -- the quality is garbage compared to DVDs, but ya can play them on you CD-ROM. Or I may be talking OMA!
posted on December 21, 2000 04:17:26 PM new
the far east countries are notorious for knocking off everything from designer clothes to watches to pharmaceuticals. occasionally the authorities will trace the sales and personally i would not take the chance(quality aside) to save a few dollars.
posted on December 21, 2000 04:53:45 PM new
tomwiii: I saw ads specifically some ads for VCDs on ebay but these ads state DVD in the text. I would assume people are getting DVDs or they wouldn't be posting positive feedback comments... and some pretty glowing comments at that.
posted on December 21, 2000 05:59:14 PM new
tom is correct - they are VCD's. The sellers can call them anything they want as there is no consequence to them if a buyer is pissed off.
VCD's are similiar in quality to low grade, multi-generational VHS tapes. They do not include surround sound or any extras typically found on DVD. Many of them are dubbed in Chinese or some other language with English sub-titles. Widescreen versions are almost non-existent. Most of the movies and tv series available on these Asian releases are pirated and mass produced in Hong Kong.
Basically, they are garbage. About the only thing they may be good for is a game of "Torture Frisbee", but you can get used CD's far cheaper for this purpose
My advice, especially if you are a movie lover - avoid these things like the plague (and PayPal).
PS - as to the glowing FB, think of the population of China and the size of the pirate rings who are producing these things ... if each 'member' posted one positive FB, the seller would become a Power Seller in no time.
posted on December 21, 2000 06:13:26 PM new
I have purchased DVDs from the Hong Kong sellers.
I purchased titles that will not be out till 2001 or later from the major studios in the US. I think they may be producing titles from high quality masters of videos tapes. The quality of those I have bought is very good, although I expect when the same titles are issued by the original studios, the quality may be better.
None of the DVDs I have bought turned out to be VCDs, which are the most popular format in the Far East. The Far East sellers who are selling VCDs clearly advertise they are VCDs not DVDs, and most explain the difference.
When I bought from the Hong Kong sellers, I found them to be very receptive to answering questions, acknowledged payment the day I made it, and were VERY fast to ship.
The long and the short of it: check the feedback, and if it is good, you won't have a problem.
posted on December 21, 2000 06:36:10 PM new
"I purchased titles that will not be out till 2001 or later from the major studios in the US"
Which means you purchased bootleg videos...and Chinese bootleg videos no less. The Chinese have even less respect for American copyright law than the video pirates in this country, and since there are so many of them, they can sell bootlegs for next to nothing and still keep their profit margin up.
I'm sure all the legitimate video dealers will join me in giving you a round of applause for supporting video piracy.
posted on December 21, 2000 07:46:20 PM new
Do not be so quick to judge. A lot of international films are available in other countries before they are available in the USA.
The Hong Kong DVDs I have seen from the gentleman on EBAY are legitimate and well-produced. They are movies unreleased in the USA but available in other markets, including Hong Kong
posted on December 21, 2000 08:22:03 PM new
As genxmike points out, what I have purchased are titles licensed internationally but scheduled for release later in the US/Canada market. I guess I wasn't clear in my earlier reply. I buy titles that are in my hobby interest (Alfred Hitchcock), and like to get them on DVD as quickly as I can.
I wouldn't buy items I felt were bootlegs, and the items I have bought I don't believe to be. (And I really don't want to argue the specifics of copyright law; I am a lawyer, and I founded and run a literary mailing list since 1996. Doing so has made me acutely aware of copyright law, and has forced me to caution others on use of copyrighted material on the list).
posted on December 22, 2000 06:22:16 AM new
ascorti ... ever thought of contracting your legal skills out to eBay? Countries like China, who are either very ignorant when it comes to copyright law, or just don't care may be Number 1, but eBay runs a very close 2nd. They are in desperate need of someone who can explain the 'real' copyright rules to them, not some made up farce that they force down their members' throats
btw, most of the VCD's (call them DVD's if it makes you feel better) coming out of these countries are not copies of international films - they are ripped off, dubbed copies of films produced in North America. As a copyright lawyer, I am sure that you are well aware of the MPAA's stand (and Ms. Reno's) on these pirated "disks". By supporting the producers, you're not helping in the effort to eradicate these varmits ... regardless of what material is on the "disks" you are purchasing.
