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Pirates Promise Improved Version of DaVinci Code
Y'arr, Matey writes "CD Freaks is reporting that pirates are not happy with the quality of the DaVinci Code. According to the article, "A sales assistant at one Shanghai DVD shop said the initial copies were 'pirated overseas' and that 'better quality' versions would probably be available early next month.""
A telesync has the same video quality as a cam. Both use a camera for video input. The difference is a telesync gets the audio feed directly from the source, so the audio quality is better.
Not, it isn't normal that the first pirated copies aren't top quality.
The guys who do this stuff usually try to get their hands on (pre)release DVD/VHS screeners.
Failing that, they grab a telecine or an telesync done in an empty theater.
Cams usually suck because of their bad quality, both audio and visual. Street corner bootleggers (in countries where it's something of a professional business) generally get their VCD/DVDs from a source that is hooked into the topsites.
Cam releases don't count for much in "the scene".
[Fuck Beta]
o0t!
If the reported paid only 5 yuan, he could only get a pirated CD with bad quality. For a better one, or some people say, "the copy of the legal copy", you need to pay 7 to 12 yuan, depending on your bargain skills.
It is normal that the first pirated copies are of bad quality. It is true that cam releases suck, but they sell nevertheless. If the pirates can get their hands on better material, that's fine, but it is by no means a rule that they do. And "they" don't wait for optimal material to release their DVDs. (I'm sure some do wait, but they are not the ones first to the market.)
Yes. As long as the movie companies maintain a monopoly on the industry, and continue to set prices artificialy high, I'll give props to anyone who rips them off.
How much you pay for a DVD in Beijing, China, is up to you and is in part dependent upon where you shop.
In the area of town frequented by _lots_ of foreigners (bars over near the embassies), DVDs in boxes have a starting price of 20RMB.
The very same DVD can be bought for 10RMB out where many of the universities are. If you go exploring the parts of the city where there are very few foreigners, DVD prices can drop to 7RMB or lower (5RMB would not surprise me.)
Those prices, 20, 10, 7, are all for the *very same* DVD.
China is a market economy that is largely driven by how much the buyer wants to pay. Of course there are limits to how low they will go, but there is no limit on how high they will start at if they think you'll pay more.
The ratio of the number of legal DVDs of western movies to pirate version would be about 100:1 and the only one of note that I've seen has been The Matrix Triology - 20-30RMB for each region 6 DVD.
How much does a single Matrix movie DVD cost in a store in down town Los Angeles? I'll wager it is a lot more than $4. But ask yourself this - why should the (legal) Chinese version of a DVD movie be 1/5th or less of that in the USA or elsewhere?
If the local cost of DVDs in China is truely reflective of the manufacturing cost then people elsehwere in the world are quite seriously (and willingly, it seems) being taken for a ride.
Having lived in SE Asia until quite recently, and having seen high quality copies of everything from the Incredibles to SW 3 weeks before they hit the cinema, I am certain that high quality boots are available of DvC.
My guess is that he choose the wrong vendor.
The guys who do this stuff usually try to get their hands on (pre)release DVD/VHS screeners.
while this is true, kudos are given to the group who releases the best copy as quickly as they can. As of late the best copies have been cams (often mislabeled as telesyncs). This is due to a huge scene bust that happened last summer. A lot of the bigger groups got out of the scene for fear of going to jail. You are correct that a telecine is used for scene releases, but what you missed was that correctly done telecines are very highly respected. They are also not done in an empty theater. A telecine machine requires that you actually run the film through it. Because of this, you cannot run a telecine and watch the movie on a big screen at the same time. If you want more information on this sort of thing, you should check out This website
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