How to Spot a Bootleg

[post-it]

I've also gotten burned with DVD's - but I know what to look for now:

Vandread seasons come with all 13 episodes per season per DVD plus you
can skip the openings, that show itself, the endings and the previews just by
tapping the "search key forward."

The Secret to getting the Original series is to remember that DVD's store
up to 19 gig's of material - when it is done by Licensed venders.

- hope that help

[Thomas JPtakk]

I've gotta tell ya... this is the first time I have ever posted on these forums, but I can't possibly not here.

I think you're all overreacting about this whole thing. Sure bootlegs are bad... but who cares. If people wanna sell 'em, let 'em do so to those who wanna buy them and don't get mad just because you watch your friend's bootleg copy and realize that, in fact, it is as good of quality as your $120 set though they only paid $25. Your loss!

I am a big anime fan and sure I buy real DVDs all of the time, but about a fourth of my collection is made up of these "bootlegs" from various companies. I own two Bo Jing sets that aren't great quality but watchable especially since one of them isn't even available here and the other cost $50 (i got it for $12). But most of my Bootleg Animes are FX and if anyone says that FX is crappy quality, then they surely have not watched an Anime produced by FX. FX has the best quality dvds I've seen for certain Animes and all their DVDs are great with fantastic box art. (I'll post pics of my FX set this weekend.) But let me say this! My Kenshin set from FX is BETTER QUALITY than my friend's ADV set and whatever company that does the series (can't think of the name becasue I don't own them). I also recently got rid of my Vampire Hunter D set (both movies) that were official releases becasue I could sell them both to my local Babbages (i.e. Game Stop; i.e. Software ETC) and buy the FX rips and have money left over and the same damn quality.

I know of a couple of bootleg sellers, and I swear by them... usually not for anything that has an official release unless its an anime that is released by FX. One company basically runs out of my own back yard. He sells out of Syracuse, UT nationwide and I live in Clearfield, UT (the cities are exactly right next to each other). He is my biggest source for FX DVDs. And Quite simply I don't understand how someone who has access to a good quality bootleg would go and buy the real thing.

I take that back. I owned chinese bootlegs of all three LOTR movies, but got rid of them when the real things came out becasue I am a fan of such. Therefore, I know some people want the real thing for their favorite shows... but what if its a show you like but are not willing to fork over $100 for? Buy it bootleg for the price of a rental!!! There ain't nothing wrong with that. I've looked into copyright law. IT IS NOT ILLEGAL TO BUY, it is only illegal to sell. Hell, you can copy a series and give it away, but as long as you do not make aprofit IT IS NOT AGAINST THE LAW. Therefore, go ahead and buy... you ain't doing anything but getting a good deal. The bad thing about buying bootlegs is that you get into the habbit of it and when you source gets caught you have to find another or go pay real prices.

Anyway, this forum has given me a head ache. I don't come in here for months, when I do, thread catches my attention, I read all nine pages, my eyes hurt and I write a big long response. EGHHH!!! I hate message boards when you don't frequent them!!

[paizuri]

Sure, bootlegs aren't bad at all except THE ORIGINAL CREATORS OF THE MATERIAL DON'T GET ANY COMPENSATION WHENEVER YOU BUY A BOOTLEG. Think of it like if you work at a job, make a product, and then don't get paid for it. Are you going to continue working at this job? Even if it is a labor of love on your part, probably not, because you've still gotta live. Supporting bootlegs not only allows people to make money through other people's hard work, but also threatens the continuation of these same people from creating more things for you, the consumer.

Not only that, but prices will continue to stay up if the companies believe that they have to make up for the loss in profit due to bootlegging as well as the normal production and licensing costs that they had to pay to produce the material here in the first place. Bootlegging probably isn't the sole reason that anime DVD prices are so much higher than regular shows/movies, but I don't doubt that it is a factor. Or even if it isn't a factor, it is certainly a convenient excuse for companies to point at people like you who brazenly say, "Hey, let's all bootleg!"

And furthermore, if these companies go out of business, where will your bootleggers copy from?

I don't expect this post to change your purchasing habits, but don't delude yourself into thinking that it's okay because it is a victimless crime.

[Scintilla]

But most of my Bootleg Animes are FX and if anyone says that FX is crappy quality, then they surely have not watched an Anime produced by FX. FX has the best quality dvds I've seen for certain Animes and all their DVDs are great with fantastic box art. (I'll post pics of my FX set this weekend.) But let me say this! My Kenshin set from FX is BETTER QUALITY than my friend's ADV set and whatever company that does the series (can't think of the name becasue I don't own them).

How can your FX set be BETTER QUALITY than the ADV and Media Blasters releases if they <i>ripped the ADV and Media Blasters DVDs</i> in order to make theirs? (Which is, as far as I can tell, what FX always does when making DVDs... rip R1s' episodes with English audio track and subtitles intact, compress slightly and stuff onto fewer discs, then re-package and (sometimes) make new menus. At least that's certainly how it looks.)

Anyway, this forum has given me a head ache. I don't come in here for months, when I do, thread catches my attention, I read all nine pages, my eyes hurt and I write a big long response. EGHHH!!! I hate message boards when you don't frequent them!!

Not our fault.

[Otohiko]

There's rationalizations to be made for everything.

On the other hand, it continues to perplex me how and why people constantly try to get the community forum involved in their own dirty laundry.

The rule of thumb should be: if you do it and think it's ok - fine, go ahead. We don't mind. But don't get others (such as the administration and other members of this forum) involved in your own illegal and disrespectful behaviour.

[Thomas JPtakk]

I didn't get people involved in my own "dirty laundry" and I refrained from giving any site names specifically for that reason. I respect your opinions I was just making my own.

As for the quality of FX being better than ADV and Media Blasters (not all ADV mind you, just Kenshin) on my Digital TV dvds have better resolution. I say the quality is better on FX dvds than adv and media blasters because there was no "digitizing" going on (brief moments that the image gets blocky) in my FX copies but it did happen quite often (not all the time but often) when I watched my friends US Retail copies. That is why I say FX is better. But even if its not in your eyes, they are close to or equal to the quality of the others and my logic dictated against buying real ones.

BTW the reason Anime prices are high is not because of bootleggers. They are no higher than regular DVDs. A regular DVD's list price is $29.99, but stores compete with each other and $19.99 has become a standard. But Anime sections commonly are few and far between, outside of specialty stores, that sell more than four or five titles... therefore, there is less competition and fans of anime are still going to buy from the company who offers, which aren't many (in comparison to hollywood movie DVD availability), so they can sell them for their actual SRP of $29.99. Plain and simple.

The companies that produce the anime DVDs (bandai, adv, manga, etc.) do not charge more for their DVDs then anyone else... its the place that you buy them from who sets the price, the producers of the DVD only give a SRP (Suggested Retail Price).

Anyway!!!

[SS5_Majin_Bebi]

I've also gotten burned with DVD's - but I know what to look for now:

Vandread seasons come with all 13 episodes per season per DVD plus you
can skip the openings, that show itself, the endings and the previews just by
tapping the "search key forward."

The Secret to getting the Original series is to remember that DVD's store
up to 19 gig's of material - when it is done by Licensed venders.

- hope that help

I have never yet seen a DVD, even a DVD-9, that held 19gb of data. Sure, I've seen double-sided dual-layer DVDs that hold close to that, but I have never NEVER seen a single-sided dual layer disc hold that much. Theres a reason they have sizing standards, you know. And considering alot of no-name-brand DVDs (and CDs as well) are seriously out-of-spec (I talk about those 99 minute 900mb CDs and the like), the proper companies would be slitting their own throats by using media like that. 13 episodes per DVD would look like complete and total ASS. Oh, and here in Australia, Vandread got licensced by Siren as well. So I KNOW it's going to look like your stomach contents on the floor, the saturday morning after a big friday night.

And yet another thing - work on your sentence structure and spelling. It isn't that hard, you know.

I say if the bootlegs are better quality in terms of box art, footage quality and disc quality, then get them. If the originals are better, which is more often than not the case, then just accept you're paying for what you're getting and be comfortable with it. I have about 50 legitimately bought anime DVDs, and a small stack of copied DVDs that I intend to buy as soon as I can either find them to buy or afford them, in the case of the Berserk boxset and the FLCL boxset. Ditto for the Star Wars movies - I'm waiting for Ep 3 to come out, because then they're releasing the ultimate boxset with all the movies and a shitload of special features. I made no profit from copying infact, i made a loss - and I fully intend to purchase the copied articles when the opportunity presents itself. Therefore the companies have not made a loss and no-one gets hurt.

THAT is not morally reprehensible. But if i was to sell them, thats another story.

[Artzangel]

wait so Bootleging and Fansubing aren't the same? Hm... you know I couldn't really give a second glance if it's bootleg or not If I can get it before it gets ruined then I'm perfectly fine. One Piece? Good luck on finding an Uncut version of that one and them finishing it whoooh I'm already near Eps 200 and Fox kids is already talking about taking it off the air after what the 8th episode which is really episode 16 and probably 14 combined. There are a lot of things that have not come out here and have not been release in Fansubing that you can't get a hold of anymore that Hong Kong items do have that have been off air or out of production for a long time.

[Scintilla]

One Piece? Good luck on finding an Uncut version of that one and them finishing it...

Doesn't FUNimation eventually release uncut versions of all 4Kids properties?

[Artzangel]

Not really Have to find out but Funimation lost all rights to One Piece since 4kids took it from them and 4kids come out with their own DVD's more or less Pioneer takes over the Uncut but they stated that Uncut just might not happen. Dissapointed with Case closed too aka Mentantei Conan change the name ok change the title... ok but don't change the the episode releases like One Piece my lord! lets see Episode one of One Piece was episode one... Episode four was episode 14 cause Buggy just Happens to jump in there. GAH going to win the lottery and make a network station that ONLY plays anime SUBTITLED with very very occasional dubbs and a prodution agency that brings out all the anime that were left in Japan *waves*