China selling Blu-Ray rip offs

China selling Blu-Ray rip offs

Brad Sams on 17 November 2008 - 14:41 · 35 comments & 11283 views

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If you're heading to China anytime soon be on the lookout for Blu-ray rip offs.

Not that this is a surprise to you or I, but Chinese pirates are attacking Blu-ray full force. The rip offs are actually DVDs but are encoded with AVCHD format on writable DVDs giving off a pleasant 720P. The titles are selling for about $7 and contain the ever so recognizable Blu-ray banner across the outer casing. The movies are being ripped from Blu-rays using easily available software, re-burned on DVD's and slapped in the official Blu-ray looking box. If you're in China be on the look out and send us a pic or two of the contraband!

Image Thanks to Ubergizmo.com

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#1 magik on 17 Nov 2008 - 14:53

Haha

#2 4tehlulz on 17 Nov 2008 - 14:55

>>a pleasant 720P

I'm glad that Chinese bootleggers have responded to the market with a pleasant def. The harsh, rough resolutions of earlier products were a real turn off.

(3 replies) #3 rm20010 on 17 Nov 2008 - 15:05

I wouldn't be surprised to see these surface in our local shops anytime soon. No need to run across the ocean.

#3.1 BinaryFragger on 17 Nov 2008 - 16:20

I remember seeing a DVD of 'Alexander' in a Chinatown movie store while the movie was still in theaters.

#3.2 KavazovAngel on 17 Nov 2008 - 16:25

BinaryFragger said,

I remember seeing a DVD of 'Alexander' in a Chinatown movie store while the movie was still in theaters.

Is that strange? Usually in my country, there are DVDs available the same/next day the movie is being officially shown for the first time.

#3.3 QuarterSwede on 18 Nov 2008 - 02:26

KavazovAngel said,

Is that strange? Usually in my country, there are DVDs available the same/next day the movie is being officially shown for the first time.

In the US the DVDs aren't even being made yet for the movies in theaters. By the time you get the films of course the DVDs have been out.

(6 replies) #4 Hidr0 on 17 Nov 2008 - 15:59

been available here for quiet long time (BR rip offs)... however is not an embraced media format, so the impact its almost null (here)... pple still luv their DVDs crappy copies...

#4.1 Mike Frett on 17 Nov 2008 - 17:31

Crappy, lol. Buddy, if you grew up watching b/w TV like me; DVD is an f'n miracle.

#4.2 Lelu on 17 Nov 2008 - 17:44

Yeah and not every one in the world owns some 32"+ HDTV to even enjoy them on. Don't bash on normal DVDs.

#4.3 Hidr0 on 17 Nov 2008 - 19:29

Hey guys... im talking about the image quality of the ripped DVDs (VHS tapes are far better in most cases)... Anyways still cheaper (DVDs) than movie theater and often movies are first on DVDs than theaters.

#4.4 Hidr0 on 17 Nov 2008 - 19:30

Mike Frett said,

Crappy, lol. Buddy, if you grew up watching b/w TV like me; DVD is an f'n miracle.

i know!

#4.5 ThaCrip on 18 Nov 2008 - 00:55

Hidr0 said,

i know!

well when i was a kid i had a black and white tv but it was fairly old at the time.

but yeah i agree with u guys

lol

but basically im not 'officially' old enough to remember black and white like im guessing you guys are. im only 29.

p.s. generally speaking i can watch HD movies but usually in compressed x264 format and i usually play them on my pc since it's about the only thing i have that you can appreciate the HD quality on vs standard DVD.

#4.6 Pentium100 on 18 Nov 2008 - 08:20

"however is not an embraced media format" probably because you need a special DVD player to play AVC coded DVDs, while standard DVD-Video works on all DVD players. Those who have PCs (and internet conection) can download the same movies for free.

(3 replies) #5 Unto Darkness on 17 Nov 2008 - 18:08

And the Chinese have the nerve to bit*h about Microsoft locking down pirated copies of Windows.... Wow..

#5.1 +Chsoriano on 17 Nov 2008 - 18:16

Haha, I was thinking the same thing.

#5.2 The Tjalian on 17 Nov 2008 - 19:16

In all fairness, you can't paint 2 billion people with the same brush. I know where you're coming from, though

#5.3 Unto Darkness on 18 Nov 2008 - 03:21

I don't mean to say all Chinese are like that, its just that most of them tend to overreact a little...

(2 replies) #6 rmorris003 on 17 Nov 2008 - 18:15

Pacific Mall here in Toronto have 20+ stores dedicated to pirated movies so I wouldn't be surprised if these show up there.

#6.1 Co_Co on 17 Nov 2008 - 18:54

oh pacific mall

#6.2 +Anaron on 17 Nov 2008 - 22:58

Hahaha! So true, so true. They got busted by the RCMP a couple of years ago.

#7 saxondale. on 17 Nov 2008 - 18:37

i probably got over 100 of these in china. great quality, just standard dvd quality for 20p (40 cents).

#8 mujjuman on 17 Nov 2008 - 19:46

go China!

#9 zeta_immersion on 17 Nov 2008 - 19:56

lets go china ... bum bum ... lets go china ...

china, here i come ... for women and blueray ... and the odd virus .. what doen't kill you , makes you even stronger

(1 reply) #10 +Xerxes on 17 Nov 2008 - 21:46

What took them so long?

ha and Hollywood thought they could stop them pirating it

(cause I recall China was to get it's own special version of Blu-Ray, to *ahem* stop this from happening

)

#10.1 kingco on 18 Nov 2008 - 01:34

No! China wanted it's own version of blue ray just because they did not want to be dictated from Hollywood.

#11 excalpius on 17 Nov 2008 - 22:32

As long as Hollywood does not provide a competitive legitimate alternative, priced for their target market, vendors like this will continue to pick up the slack. The studios have no one to blame but themselves here.

#12 stephen_0002 on 18 Nov 2008 - 01:01

not that I would ever do this .. wink wink .. but has been going on for a while now.. just over a year. even download movies in 1080p and downscale on a 720p to a regular dvd.

#13 Albert on 18 Nov 2008 - 01:32

deal with the pirates, you risk being pirated. ahhh ... the circle of lies ...

(1 reply) #14 kingco on 18 Nov 2008 - 01:35

When blue ray discs become cheaper we will soon find Chinese rip offs of the original thing for $5 or less. Nothing can stop a determined Chinese!!

#14.1 excalpius on 18 Nov 2008 - 03:13

Yes, clearly the only reason blu-ray media is SO ridiculously expensive is to prevent (potential) piracy. Meanwhile, all those legitimate uses (like backing up data) is rendered all but useless. It's cheaper per GB to just buy a spare external drive and have software auto-mirror it. Pathetic.

Last edited by excalpius on 19 Nov 2008 - 02:19

(1 reply) #15 leesmithg on 18 Nov 2008 - 07:38

Why travel all the way to China to get ripped off by the Chinese.

Get your clogs on and check out boot markets in London and the South East, I am sure other boot markets in England maybe.

Or if your're feeling ambitious then try Hackney or Dalston, I definitively know they are being sold there.

#15.1 Albert on 18 Nov 2008 - 12:04

oh i am pretty sure you can get quantum of solace for gbp 0.50, transformer bd for gbp 0.50, complete friends series for gbp 11.00, in great bloody britain, just to name few titles i saw when i was in shenzhen... 3 WEEKS AGO.

#16 skylinestar on 18 Nov 2008 - 12:00

meant for PC playback only?
typical DVD player can't play AVCHD

#17 Atlonite on 18 Nov 2008 - 14:35

i dont need em i'll dl a movie in h264 and plonk the avi on a spare dvd+r and watch that (im lucky my dvd player is good like that)

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