How to spot a bootleg DVD question
#1
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How to spot a bootleg DVD question
Somebody here had a link in their sig to a guide on how to spot bootlegs. Does anybody here know who that was, or anywhere to go to have a good idea how to spot bootlegs?
Thanks
Thanks
#2
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http://members.ebay.com/aboutme/waskydiver/
It was Wasky Driver
It was Wasky Driver
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Photocopied covers is a dead give away. If a film just came out in theaters, assume all it's dvd formats are bootlegs unless it is a screener.
#9
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other giveaways
1. the cover says dvd9 (most genuine dvds are dvd9s and don't need to advertise it)
2. the cover has square edges - most R1 dvd covers i've seen have rounded corners
3. the cover has the old AC3 logo ( a series of square in a semi circle) this is an old dolby surround sound logo and they no longer use it
1. the cover says dvd9 (most genuine dvds are dvd9s and don't need to advertise it)
2. the cover has square edges - most R1 dvd covers i've seen have rounded corners
3. the cover has the old AC3 logo ( a series of square in a semi circle) this is an old dolby surround sound logo and they no longer use it
#10
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duz:
Out of over 600 DVDs, the only ones that didn't have an insert were cheap ones (Laserlight, Madacy, etc.). I'm mostly asking for the purpose of disks that typically get bootleged on eBay, etc, which are mostly Criterions and similar releases. If it says "no insert" on a Criterion disc, they can sell it to somebody else, cause until proven otherwise, it's bootleg in my mind.
Last edited by imp66; 03-20-03 at 01:14 PM.
#11
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All of my R1 new releases came with inserts. About 50% of my catalog titles from major studios (not Madacy, Diamond, Laserlight) did not. 90% of my R2 discs (that are not bootlegs) did not come with an insert, none of my R0 HK discs that are legit came with inserts. This is out of about 350 discs.
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Biggest source of bootlegs has to be Scarface. Since it went out of print there have been so many different variations of the film. I got sucked into buying a version which I thought was legit for $40. Turns out it's an import with no insert, scratched ID numbers, and no"Making Of". On the plus side I got anamorphic picture and DD 5.1 & DTS sound. So it wasn't all that big of a loss.
Another dead giveaway for a bootleg/import is the cover art. Often times it will have a cheap "photo copied" quality to it. Another is if the CD itself looks like it's been slapped on with logos. Usually big companies do a good job meshing the art with the disc, but most bootleggers haven't got it down right, and you can tell.
Another thing, make sure you are getting the disc from a reliable source. Do a background check by asking around from other buyers, or check the EXACT specs on the product beforeyou buy it and compare it to what the studio released. It all depends on the movie though. Like I said, it looks like Scarface has the biggest following of bootlegs out there.
Another dead giveaway for a bootleg/import is the cover art. Often times it will have a cheap "photo copied" quality to it. Another is if the CD itself looks like it's been slapped on with logos. Usually big companies do a good job meshing the art with the disc, but most bootleggers haven't got it down right, and you can tell.
Another thing, make sure you are getting the disc from a reliable source. Do a background check by asking around from other buyers, or check the EXACT specs on the product beforeyou buy it and compare it to what the studio released. It all depends on the movie though. Like I said, it looks like Scarface has the biggest following of bootlegs out there.
#15
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Incorrectly spelled words are also a giveaway. My Lady and the Tramp DVD had Disney spelled incorrectly on the DVD (D-I-S-N-A-Y).
Also, the photo art on the DVD itself was horrible, and the company information that circles the outer part of the DVD was truncated and started and ended at odd places.
Also, the photo art on the DVD itself was horrible, and the company information that circles the outer part of the DVD was truncated and started and ended at odd places.
#16
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Bad cover art
Ridiculous use of DTS
DVD9 Logo
Region 0 (90% of the time)
OOP films (i.e. Bond, Criterion, Disney)
Films that haven't been released (Star Wars, Indy, some bootlegs of BTTF, ET, and Godfather still around)
Crap cases used.
Ridiculous use of DTS
DVD9 Logo
Region 0 (90% of the time)
OOP films (i.e. Bond, Criterion, Disney)
Films that haven't been released (Star Wars, Indy, some bootlegs of BTTF, ET, and Godfather still around)
Crap cases used.
#17
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Originally posted by dave_b9000
2. the cover has square edges - most R1 dvd covers i've seen have rounded corners
2. the cover has square edges - most R1 dvd covers i've seen have rounded corners
I don't know what this means, if anything. But square corners on the cover insert don't always mean the disc's a bootleg. (And I know you did say "most" -- just expanding on that idea...)
#18
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This question comes up a lot. Aside from obvious, glaring differences on a DVD's cover, I would think there is another fool-proof way to spot a bootleg which I've never seen mentioned.
First, if you put the DVD into your PC, click "My Computer," then click your player's drive, it will give you the size of the disc. Assuming you know whether the movie is supposed to be single layer or double layer, there should be close to 5 GB used on a single layer or more on a double layer. (This is only a generalization of course, since it varies depending on the film's running time.)
If it passes this test, you can then go through Windows Explorer and right click on various files stored on the DVD to check its properties. This will give you the creation date. Obviously, this date will need to be something reasonable. If the DVD is out of print, and the date is (for instance) this year, I would say this is a dead giveaway that it's a bootleg.
I'm very leery of any OOP DVD sold on Ebay and don't like getting ripped off. So if there are ways bootlegs can circumvent these tests please let me know.
First, if you put the DVD into your PC, click "My Computer," then click your player's drive, it will give you the size of the disc. Assuming you know whether the movie is supposed to be single layer or double layer, there should be close to 5 GB used on a single layer or more on a double layer. (This is only a generalization of course, since it varies depending on the film's running time.)
If it passes this test, you can then go through Windows Explorer and right click on various files stored on the DVD to check its properties. This will give you the creation date. Obviously, this date will need to be something reasonable. If the DVD is out of print, and the date is (for instance) this year, I would say this is a dead giveaway that it's a bootleg.
I'm very leery of any OOP DVD sold on Ebay and don't like getting ripped off. So if there are ways bootlegs can circumvent these tests please let me know.
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First, if you put the DVD into your PC, click "My Computer," then click your player's drive, it will give you the size of the disc. Assuming you know whether the movie is supposed to be single layer or double layer, there should be close to 5 GB used on a single layer or more on a double layer. (This is only a generalization of course, since it varies depending on the film's running time.)
If it passes this test, you can then go through Windows Explorer and right click on various files stored on the DVD to check its properties. This will give you the creation date. Obviously, this date will need to be something reasonable. If the DVD is out of print, and the date is (for instance) this year, I would say this is a dead giveaway that it's a bootleg.
I'm very leery of any OOP DVD sold on Ebay and don't like getting ripped off. So if there are ways bootlegs can circumvent these tests please let me know.
the cover has square edges - most R1 dvd covers i've seen have rounded corners
Region 0 (90% of the time)
#20
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Thanks for clearing that up Truffaut Fan. Like I said, I never heard anyone mention these methods before, so I guess they are not as good indicators as I thought. That being said, I've admittedly bought DVDs before where the case looks legit, the file sizes/properties checked out on the PC, but the top label on the disc was questionable. Some of these guys are better than I thought. (And after a couple of negative experiences, I think the only home video format I'm going to buy anymore off Ebay is laserdiscs!)
#21
DVD Talk Platinum Edition
Originally Posted by Seantn
If you download it
All these are signs of it being a bootleg.
All these are signs of it being a bootleg.
Last edited by Me007gold; 12-11-04 at 03:48 PM.
#23
DVD Talk Platinum Edition
Originally Posted by hogfat
I'm not aware of a single company that sells full retail dvds for download. If it's downloaded, it's not legal data . . .
#24
DVD Talk Platinum Edition
Originally Posted by Me007gold
i never said it was legal. but its not a bootleg. its the exact same dvd you can buy in the store
DJ