Lately I've been seeing a lot of "Asian Import DVDs" for sale on eBay. All the listing mention that while the packages have some Asian characters, the contents of the DVD are exactly the same as DVDs released in the US.
Now, these things go for a good discount as opposed to the R1 releases ... TNG's entire seven-collection set was on eBay for about $120. My question is, is anyone familiar with these Asian Collector DVDs? If the content is identical, this is a good way to pick up DVDs on the cheap side.
Posted by PsyLiam (Member # 73) on :
The word "bootleg" has lept - panther like - to the front of my mind.
Posted by Malnurtured Snay (Member # 411) on :
That's one thing that I thought, which is why I thought I would post here and attempt to draw on Flare's legendary ...
... um ...
Posted by Tora Ziyal (Member # 53) on :
I suppose there could be legit DVDs from Taiwan and China (the ones I'm familiar with) if they have been published there, although everyone I know who has DVDs from China have bootleg versions. They usually have both Chinese and English descriptions on the back, but the English words either don't make any sense or refer a different movie altogether (I'm serious). That's one way you can tell it's a bootleg, I guess.
Posted by Masao (Member # 232) on :
I'm sure the disc contents are exactly the same, since the encryption has been cracked and the DVD has been copied in its entirety. Of course, it's possible, but unlikely, that the discs represent a legitimate Paramount release at a lower price than in the US. For example, Japan record companies sell CDs of Japanese singers in Korea and China at about 1/3 of the price in Japan, so the CDs are often re-imported to Japan to undercut the price of Japan-release CDs (which, according to some idiotic Japanese law, cannot be legally discounted). But I'd bet these DVDs are pirated (as opposed to bootleg, which refers to material never officially released), as is almost every golf club sold on eBay. Caveat emptor!
Posted by TSN (Member # 31) on :
Are they region 1? If they are, they probably aren't legitimate.
Posted by Dat (Member # 302) on :
My guess would be pirated as well. Probably a VHS copied to a DVD-R.
Posted by Masao (Member # 232) on :
TSN's right. If they're region 1 they have to be made illegally for sale in North America. Any official Paramount release in China would be region 6. Taiwan and Hong Kong is yet another region.
Posted by Cartman (Member # 256) on :
Many " Asian import DVDs" Recently I' which is seen; Ve; For the selling eBay. While being the Asian quality which is in the package, the contents of DVDs and DVD which are released in the United States reference of all lists which exactly are the same. Now, these things go for discounting which is possible to confront R1, it releases... TNG' The entire 7 collection sets of s were in eBay for approximately $120. My question anyone knowing these DVDs well, it reaches, the Asian collector? If contents equality, it is the good method this choosing DVDs of the cheap side.
Posted by deadcujo (Member # 13) on :
Huh?
Posted by Nim the Fanciful (Member # 205) on :
Either George W. Bush has borrowed Cartman's comp for a while, or Cartman has been playing with Babelfish. The prick.
Posted by Dat (Member # 302) on :
Anyways... I still would be careful because content may be the same, but quality may be crap.
BTW, I've seen them advertised as Region 0 or region free. The only legit DVDs I've seen like that are porn vids.
Posted by Wraith (Member # 779) on :
Or programmes about furniture restoration...
Posted by TSN (Member # 31) on :
Or both.
Posted by Nim the Fanciful (Member # 205) on :
Oh those tarted-up Ottomans... *slurp*
My brother is in Thailand as we speak, I told him to pick up the uncut "Kill Bill 1" if he found it. You know, the one with more gore scenes and no black and white segments.
Posted by Cartman (Member # 256) on :
Actually, I was trying to make a craftily concealed point about imported DVDs. I failed. Here, open my wrists.
Posted by Balaam Xumucane (Member # 419) on :
I got it. It took a second look. Funny.
No, but it really depends from title to title. Some are Region 0, and those are likely not legit. OTOH, these tend to be a LOT cheaper and occasionally some of them are of excellent quality. But go poke around the internet and you might find one or two sites dedicated to reviewing such things. One. Or two.
Posted by PsyLiam (Member # 73) on :
Of course, you'd be buying illegal stuff. And possibly financing the Chinese mafia, or puppy killers, or Charles...
Posted by TSN (Member # 31) on :
I thought Charles was a puppy-killing member of the Chinese Mafia.
Posted by Cartman (Member # 256) on :
Only by day. B)
Posted by Grokca (Member # 722) on :
He's Catwoman by night.
Posted by Nim the Fanciful (Member # 205) on :
That's funny, in a japanese Yakuza-movie I saw last year on the Stockholm Movie Festival, a yakuza agent flipped out, became convinced that a bystander's puppy was employed by the Triad to spy on them and proceeded to beat it to death.
It was a very surreal movie.
Posted by Ultra Magnus (Member # 239) on :
STOCKHOLM MOVIE FESTIVAL!
Posted by PsyLiam (Member # 73) on :
Do you do anything apart from write vaguely related comments all in capitals?
Posted by Ultra Magnus (Member # 239) on :
Not to the best of my knowledge, no.
Posted by Toadkiller (Member # 425) on :
So, ah, what else did you see in Stockholm, he asked him knowly...
wink, wink, you know what I mean...
Posted by Nim the Fanciful (Member # 205) on :
Blond hookers? Oh I'm afraid they're illegal nowadays. People simply didn't get any work done.
But in last November's SMF there was "Kill Bill". France, Germany and Japan (aforementioned) provided some really sick shit. Right up my alley. Meow.
Got word from my hermano in Siam, he hadn't caught the uncut "Kill Bill" DVD yet but he did see tiger cubs. Big, phluphy paws.
Posted by TSN (Member # 31) on :
Phluphy? Or floughy?
Posted by Nim the Fanciful (Member # 205) on :
I don't know about that (you're way smarter than me sir) but they did seem to appreciate the ghoti. Brother said they meow-roared when seeing it brought in, like only cubs can do.
Posted by Malnurtured Snay (Member # 411) on :
Well, I took a gamble, and won off eBay an import set of TNG season one. It arrived today, and I threw in one of the discs. The quality looks very good, and the menu looks (pretty much) identical to my season 7 TNG set. I'm betting on a rip, but the quality is good, there are no Asian subtitles on the screen. My only complaint is all the DVDs have an individual plastic baggy, and not any sort of storage system like with any other DVD box set you can buy ...
... anyway, for $20, it's worth it, and a lot cheaper then buying the R1 version.
Posted by PsyLiam (Member # 73) on :
Well, it's stolen, so it's obviously going to be cheaper.
Posted by Malnurtured Snay (Member # 411) on :
Y'know, I'm not so sure that it IS stolen. I mean, I'm not saying it isn't, just that if it is, the people who stole it put a lot of work into the box to make it look at least somewhat official. All the Paramount logos and crap.
Posted by PsyLiam (Member # 73) on :
What region is it? What subtitles are available?
Posted by Dat (Member # 302) on :
quote:Originally posted by Malnurtured Snay: Y'know, I'm not so sure that it IS stolen. I mean, I'm not saying it isn't, just that if it is, the people who stole it put a lot of work into the box to make it look at least somewhat official. All the Paramount logos and crap.
That's because if they get caught, they can say that it's legit material even though everyone knows it's not. They just want people to believe it's official.
Posted by Balaam Xumucane (Member # 419) on :
There's a certain Holy Trilogy which as of yet has not appeared on DVD you can get which has been artfully ripped from the Definitive Set LaserDiscs (THX, letterbox, but Han still shoots first) An acquaintance of mine bought it. Only they didn't do such a great job, and the sound is all over the place and there are big pauses at the side-changes. It looks 'official' enough, with the trademarked Logos and the box art. But it's kind of crap and doesn't include any extras.
I would be so good at making Hong Kong dubs.
Posted by Malnurtured Snay (Member # 411) on :
It says it's region 0.
Posted by TSN (Member # 31) on :
That's another way of saying it's regionless.
Posted by Dat (Member # 302) on :
That's another way of saying it's not legit and is pirated.
Posted by PsyLiam (Member # 73) on :
Yup.
Posted by Nim the Fanciful (Member # 205) on :