First Bootleg movie:

[AnnaD - TX]

I saw my first bootleg movie on Sunday, Resident Evil Apocolypse. It was really, really good! Milla kicked azz, I want to be her. Anyways the picture wasn't bad at all, but my question is if its bootleg then why did I get a menu choice at the beginning of the movie??

Oh and the movie isn't mine, I didn't buy it.

[Cort]

Since the DVD has probably already been made, someone got a hold of it and copied it. That or they put it online and someone else did it, albeit at a lesser quality than the original. I don't have any experience with it, but there are tools out there to do it. Programs like bit torrent and irc, and just the internet in general, make it pretty easy for people to get away with things like that.

Usually they'll release a full DVD quality version (which tends to be huge in file size,) and a smaller .avi version that is of a lower quality, but also smaller and a lot easier to distribute as more people are willing to download a 500mb file as opposed to a 6gb file. I actually get a lot of anime like that, in the small format...but those are usually ripped directly off the television.

[Lee J B]

A lot of DVD-R rips now come with the entire dvd - so you get the menu and everything with it, just like the real thing......magic huh ?

[.V.]

Be careful getting stuff like this online - The RIAA and MPAA are setting traps to get you - they will put the stuff out to download and when you do, they have your location - now you are caught. There is a bill that just passed the house now it has to go before the senate for debate, consideration, votes that is actually adding jailtime to downloading stuff like this.

Another thing, these warez sites where you can find this stuff are FULL of viruses. If you go there, you need to have top notch virus protection.

[Only13]

Ive got about 40 bootleg dvds

[Cort]

a_welch, its not really warez. Easiest way is to just use bit torrent, viruses are fairly uncommon in normal media files, especially in places like suprnova.org or www.animesuki.com. With fansubbed unlicensed anime there's the added security that pretty much noone in the U.S. gives a crap about that until it becomes licensed by a distributer. I usually stay away from box office movies though, I'd rather watch them in the theatre with friends, or wait until its out on DVD.

[.V.]

Cort, stuff like you are talking about is ok, many of the older movies if you like that kind of thing which the copyrights have expired on are also available free for download, but if you get the newest box office movies before they hit the theaters - which are pretty easy to find - they will catch you - eventually. Backing up DVDs is another matter entirely. It is completely legal if you are making copies of your own stuff and not selling it or anything like that. The only thing illegal is selling the software to make the backups with. Thankfully all the best copying software is freeware.

[Cort]

www.suprnova.org provides pretty much anything, legal in the states or not. They would like you to think its just that easy to get caught, but it really isn't so. Illegal software sights are something to avoid because they are an easy way to infect your PC, but bootlegged movies are quite easy to come across without getting in trouble.

[.V.]

It is not that easy, but if you download one that has been set as a trap, you are caught. Best of luck, make sure you delete (use eraser not windows recycle bin - it leaves too much tracks behind) then clean your registry to get rid of your tracks. You might be OK.

[nate]

the chance of getting caught is so low. i dont download movies though, i get a fair bit of music, only casue its stuff i cant get in australia.

then theres the fact that i have a firewall and a router.