Copy DVD's

China is the land of copy DVD's.  Although there is always big talk about 'crackdowns' on piracy in China, the ease at which anyone can obtain the latest season series of 24, or premier editions of the latest blockbuster films are always available.

I don't buy them...I just don't.  Back when they were first available in 1998 or so, I tried to buy a few, and the quality was one of three things.

• Bad Picture
• Bad Sound
• Combination of both.

Generally, I head to HMV in HK to pick up what I want.  Because our tv sucks here, it is not uncommon for me to plunk down $300 in DVD's from HMV on a quick visit to HK.  I can count on the quality, and more important, the extra features that the knock off guys just don't copy.  I just picked up the first few James Bond flicks, all of them are 2 DVD sets with loads of extras.  I love that stuff.

Tai-Tai recently went to the market and picked up a handful of movies.  I scratched my head as to why...because you just get frustrated at the quality of it to enjoy the movie itself.  The first movie she popped in was Night At The Museum.  The menu of the movie should tell you something when it gives you the following options:

• Play Movie
• Select Scenes
• Traler

Traler?  Don't ya think they have spell check on the latest version of DVD software? 

When we start the movie, it becomes clear...this was filmed by a camcorder inside a theater.  The sound is like a tin can...and the edges of the picture are fuzzy and dark.  Although expat son watched the movie and liked it...I just can't handle the poor quality.  $1, down the drain.

Every time I have visitors come, they all ask, 'can you take me somewhere that I can get copy DVD's?'  WHY?  You can get the real thing at home!!  It's funny the things you want.  I point them to the subway station entrance...and they can go at it all they want.

I frequent the computer market here in order to pick up blank DVD's so I can burn hockey games on them.  The shop I stop in is usually humming with some sort of copying going on...always.  But, its not only that shop, you can walk through stall after stall in this one small market and you will see hundreds, if not thousands, of discs being burned at any given time.  The only way to fight this in China, is to stem the demand. 

Comments

[FlyRice]

My friend used to use the bad DVD's as coasters in her house.

[Stevo in Taichung]

Thing is I have no love for the movie or music "industries" so instead of paying inflated prices to Virgin Records or whoever I will purposely buy knock offs.
BTW last time I was down in Vietnam I got a box set of the first 4 seasons of the West Wing for a song, and the quality is fine.
Anyway why give a shit after my dearly beloved turned down (free) tickets to see the Stones at Shea.
I guess it's that she didn't want to be seen at the Mets place!!!!!!!!!

[GZ Expat]

Maybe she turned them down, cuz they suck. I woulda.

[Venomous Kate]

Heh. I remember someone giving me a huge box of "copy DVDs" from China. Only they weren't copies: they were DVDs burned from covert tape taken by someone at a movie theater. The sound was awful, but it was particularly annoying to see someone from an aisle closer to the screen get up and walk across the camera's view just when the good part started to happen!

[GZ Expat]

Yup...we've had our share of those. That was essentially what the Night at the Museum disc was. It's always hit and miss with those discs. Yours, and mine, were definite misses.