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bootleg copies vs originals for TV series?
Respected1989
20-09-2014
Hi everyone,

I've only just started to catch up on the awesome TV series that I've missed over the years. I've realised just how rampant bootleg copies are on ebay. For instance, I purchased the Game of Thrones (season 1-3) from Amazon for £42 but on ebay it is being sold new for £26 (with positive feedback from customers). Now it does take someone from MI5 to work out that they are counterfeits.

I'm just wondering whether anyone buys these bootleg copies?
Larry_Kirsten
20-09-2014
Originally Posted by Respected1989:
“Hi everyone,

I've only just started to catch up on the awesome TV series that I've missed over the years. I've realised just how rampant bootleg copies are on ebay. For instance, I purchased the Game of Thrones (season 1-3) from Amazon for £42 but on ebay it is being sold new for £26 (with positive feedback from customers). Now it does take someone from MI5 to work out that they are counterfeits.

I'm just wondering whether anyone buys these bootleg copies?”

Does it?
They look like genuine copies to me. Maybe grey imports at worst. You do know what the mark up on these things are?
David (2)
20-09-2014
I don't buy stuff like this on eBay anymore, for this very reason. Buy new (genuine) put it in the drive and it's clearly a copy. Look at the cover closely and it's a reprint using an inkjet. I once bought a box set, 6 discs. 1-5 were fine, 6 was clearly not original quality.
fmradiotuner1
20-09-2014
If its not a film which is at the cinema quality should be as good.
I never download the new films as cannot stand them I wait till they are out.
Blu Rays are the best to buy for quality.
oilman
20-09-2014
If the copy is made from a manufacturers original DVD, then then no quality loss should occur of the film.


However if copy is made from a video file e.g. a .wmv file, then the quality will depend on quality of recording and quality of conversion to dvd format.

At end of the day, you pays yer money and takes yer choice.
Respected1989
20-09-2014
Originally Posted by Larry_Kirsten:
“Does it?
They look like genuine copies to me. Maybe grey imports at worst. You do know what the mark up on these things are?”

No idea what the mark up is. Please share this knowledge provided it based on evidence and not just hearsay. The price difference is so drastic that it seems highly unlikely that it's an original. Imagine seeing a brand new Citroen C1 at a unknown garage for £4k less than it is at your local Citroen dealer. Anyone would rightly be suspicious as it's too good to be true.

Also, bear in mind that Amazon is the biggest on line retailer (at least in the UK) and so can get the best prices for most things. For instance, I recently purchased a popular Sony car stereo which was 20% cheaper on Amazon compared to even the lowest quote from a wholesaler (through the family business).
tim1964
20-09-2014
DVDs?

What is this. the 20th century?

Larry_Kirsten
20-09-2014
Originally Posted by Respected1989:
“No idea what the mark up is. Please share this knowledge provided it based on evidence and not just hearsay. The price difference is so drastic that it seems highly unlikely that it's an original. Imagine seeing a brand new Citroen C1 at a unknown garage for £4k less than it is at your local Citroen dealer. Anyone would rightly be suspicious as it's too good to be true.

Also, bear in mind that Amazon is the biggest on line retailer (at least in the UK) and so can get the best prices for most things. For instance, I recently purchased a popular Sony car stereo which was 20% cheaper on Amazon compared to even the lowest quote from a wholesaler (through the family business).”

The average mark up on DVD's is 40% That means that a £42 box set is bought in by the retailer at £25.20. But you have to take into account that will depend on the numbers purchased for stock, the bigger the number the bigger the discount to the store.
There are loads of other factors to take into account of course, but I think you'll find it costs pennies to actually make these things. Most of the costs is hidden in royalties, packaging, marketing, distribution etc.

I can often find things cheaper than Amazon, just because they're the biggest doesn't mean they're always the cheapest.

ETA. Who on earth in their right mind would buy a Citroen c1 in the first place?
David (2)
20-09-2014
Originally Posted by oilman:
“If the copy is made from a manufacturers original DVD, then then no quality loss should occur of the film.


However if copy is made from a video file e.g. a .wmv file, then the quality will depend on quality of recording and quality of conversion to dvd format.

At end of the day, you pays yer money and takes yer choice.”


Duplicating original DVDs doesn't equal same quality from what I have seen. It's good, but not the same. Big prob is various mpg2 compression engines used to take the original content and squeeze it onto a smaller capacity blank disc. For example, if the original content is on a dual layer disc taking 7gb and the copy disc can hold only 4gb.
David (2)
20-09-2014
Originally Posted by Larry_Kirsten:
“The average mark up on DVD's is 40% That means that a £42 box set is bought in by the retailer at £25.20. But you have to take into account that will depend on the numbers purchased for stock, the bigger the number the bigger the discount to the store.
There are loads of other factors to take into account of course, but I think you'll find it costs pennies to actually make these things. Most of the costs is hidden in royalties, packaging, marketing, distribution etc.

I can often find things cheaper than Amazon, just because they're the biggest doesn't mean they're always the cheapest.

ETA. Who on earth in their right mind would buy a Citroen c1 in the first place? ”

Don't think there's anything wrong with a C1 ?
bobcar
21-09-2014
Originally Posted by Respected1989:
“No idea what the mark up is. Please share this knowledge provided it based on evidence and not just hearsay.”

To be fair your original comment about them obviously being bootleg was not based upon any evidence.

FWIW I have no idea how many copies on eBay are bootleg. I will say that Amazon are most definitely not always the cheapest.
Respected1989
21-09-2014
Originally Posted by bobcar:
“To be fair your original comment about them obviously being bootleg was not based upon any evidence.

FWIW I have no idea how many copies on eBay are bootleg. I will say that Amazon are most definitely not always the cheapest.”

Valid point I just can't see how the game of thrones boxset could be sold legitimately for £26 when it's retailed over £42. Most of the feedback is positive from these sales but there are a few that claim they are counterfeits (on the ebay seller's profile). Thus it seems that even the counterfeits are of good enough quality that most people don't realise they're not legit.

So in general I wondering whether anyone on here buys these boxsets knowing that they are not legit.
bobcar
21-09-2014
Originally Posted by Respected1989:
“Valid point I just can't see how the game of thrones boxset could be sold legitimately for £26 when it's retailed over £42. Most of the feedback is positive from these sales but there are a few that claim they are counterfeits (on the ebay seller's profile). Thus it seems that even the counterfeits are of good enough quality that most people don't realise they're not legit.

So in general I wondering whether anyone on here buys these boxsets knowing that they are not legit.”

I tend not to buy items that are much cheaper than Amazon unless there are quite a few companies selling them at that price. The one time I broke this rule was for an Amazon marketplace selling Star Wars blu-ray for £52 where Amazon and everywhere else was £62 (or something like that), he had good feedback going back 5 years but never sent the goods and after a while the negative feedback started piling in as he'd obviously "sold" loads. In the end I got my money back off Amazon.

I assumed it was legit when I made the purchase but maybe that was being naive, I certainly wouldn't have made the purchase (that I never got) if I'd thought they were bootlegged. (That said I sometimes wonder if bootlegged might be better when I'm waiting for copyright warnings to end).
Chasing Shadows
22-09-2014
Originally Posted by Respected1989:
“Valid point I just can't see how the game of thrones boxset could be sold legitimately for £26 when it's retailed over £42. Most of the feedback is positive from these sales but there are a few that claim they are counterfeits (on the ebay seller's profile). Thus it seems that even the counterfeits are of good enough quality that most people don't realise they're not legit.

So in general I wondering whether anyone on here buys these boxsets knowing that they are not legit.”

What if the seller was bought it as a birthday present, and either didn't want it or already had it? Why shouldn't he then sell it for £26 - purely because he has absolutely no use for it, and twenty six quid in his back pocket is better than a second set of GoT discs which will never be opened.
Respected1989
22-09-2014
Originally Posted by Chasing Shadows:
“What if the seller was bought it as a birthday present, and either didn't want it or already had it? Why shouldn't he then sell it for £26 - purely because he has absolutely no use for it, and twenty six quid in his back pocket is better than a second set of GoT discs which will never be opened.”

The sellers we're referring to have sold hundreds of these sets so that situation doesn't imply here.
Larry_Kirsten
23-09-2014
Originally Posted by bobcar:
“
I assumed it was legit when I made the purchase but maybe that was being naive, I certainly wouldn't have made the purchase (that I never got) if I'd thought they were bootlegged. (That said I sometimes wonder if bootlegged might be better when I'm waiting for copyright warnings to end).”

Bib is one of the main reasons I have no problem with bootleg/downloads etc.
The genuine buyer is being punished by having to watch that crap!
What moron ever thought it was a good idea to put a bootleg warning on a genuine DVD/Bluray? We've already bought the damn thing you cretins!!!

Haven't bought a genuine copy of anytyhing for about 6 years or so now.
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