Can someone help me get this DVD to work with my setup? (1 Viewer)

[JamesH]

Hi, I live in the US, and I would really like to get this DVD set and watch it:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...tem=1551411337
The problem is that it's PAL, and I don't want to spend a lot of money on it and then have it be useless because it's not compatible with my equipment.
This is the TV that I have:
http://www.zenith.com/sub_prod/produ...sp?cat=9&id=24
I use my PS2 primarily for a DVD player, but I am under the impression that the US PS2 cannot play PAL DVDs. I also have a US version Xbox, although I haven't bought the DVD module for it yet. I read in another post that the Xbox can convert NTSC/PAL and play all regions, so if this is the case, please let me know and I'll buy the DVD remote for it and be done with it.

 

[rutger_s]

The X Box remote control sold in the U.S. is coded for R1 playback. However, the X Box can convert PAL to NTSC prefectly for R0 discs.

 

[Jeff Kleist]

This is also a bootleg, and the English subs will be very poor

 

[JamesH]

Just wondering, how do you know that that is a bootleg?

 

[Mark Zimmer]

1. From Hong Kong
2. Chinese Subtitles
3. Price of $4 per disc

All of these should raise red flags. The combination is deadly.

 

[Jeff Kleist]

As mentioned

$60 for 14 DVDs
Region 0
Chinese and English subtitles
From the look of it, it comes in a cardboard foldout, a 99.9% positive sign of a bootleg right there. (I have yet to see a legit Asian product come ina cardboard foldout)

 

[Todd Terwilliger]

Question: why does it being from Hong Kong and have Chinese subs indicate it's a bootleg?
EDIT: I just ran a preliminary search on the internet and I've found the set for sale elsewhere. However, the sets I saw were VCDs (though they had Chinese and English subs) and ran for almost $200.00 for 58 VCDs. So, I'm pretty sure the DVD set for sale on Ebay was a bootleg, but not because of the subtitles.
EDIT #2: This Site, AsiaZest.com has the VCD set for $99.00. I also found another place, OrientVisual.com selling a DVD set (30 discs) for $87.00. I can't say if one or either are bootlegs though the VCDs look legit. Caveat emptor, I guess.

 

[LouieT]

I have one of these sets and they are definitely legit. It's produced from China and the subs are better than most Hong Kong released titles. I watched about half the discs and can't remember any mispellings at all. The picture quality is from a master source and looks just like any TV show out on DVD. The prices on eBay might reflect where the seller is from. I bought mine from SF Chinatown and paid about $170 for the exact same DVD set. As for the cardboard box, I think that's how China DVDs are packaged - like the Once Upon a Time in China sets.

 

[Mark_Wilson]

The JVC progressive scan DVD players will play that DVD set since its Region 0.

 

[Jeff Kleist]

mine from SF Chinatown and paid about $170 for the exact same DVD set. As for the cardboard box, I think that's how China DVDs are packaged - like the Once Upon a Time in China sets.

No legit Asian DVD, that includes China, Japan, Hong Kong and Korea that I have seen, and I've seen a lot come in a digipak. The Fact your bought it in Chinatown seals the fact it's a bootleg. The bootleggers are turning out sets that look 100% professional on the outside these days. Those Once Upon a Time in China sets are boots, and so are the Studio Ghilbi sets.
If you still don't believe me, I checked the following dealers who don't carry bootlegs
Link Removed No listing
Link Removed Only VCDs (at $7.25/disc)
Link Removed No listing
I did find what appears to be a legit VCD set. The pricing is in line for the typical markup by places on the west coast, and the disc count and packaging are in line for what I've seen before on legit sets. I'm guessing the set runs about $120 in HK. In fact, I don't think I've ever seen a full DVD season set of anything, it's all VCD from HK, even of domestic programming
http://shop.store.yahoo.com/chinesem...fthrekin1.html
Again, believe what you want, but it doesn't alter the fact that they're bootlegs.

 

[Todd Terwilliger]

Jeff, AznFilms just listed the DVD set on their site: The link is here. The price is $169.99 and it is an all-region PAL release, consisting of 14 DVDs. Do you still think it's a bootleg?

 

[Mark_Wilson]

Japanese? I had read that these were done by the CCTV, Chinese Cultural Television.

 

[Jeff Kleist]

Yes, it's a Chinese show

AznFilms is down right now, so I can't look. However I'm sure the set they're selling for $150 is legit given their firm no-boot stance

Do you really think someone is hawking them on Ebay for $60 when they're not a bootleg? That's 50% off SRP, and given the usual profit margin in Asia off wholesale, I'd put him at taking a $20-30 hit. Again, all the sets in the proper price range I'm seeing are jewel case shaped, consistant with usual packaging standards in Asia. (Jewel cases in a box for high disc count sets)

I will look at AZN when it's back up

 

[Todd Terwilliger]

Jeff,

I agree that the Ebay set is most likely a bootleg but at least it seems that a legitimate DVD set is out there.

 

[Jeff Kleist]

OK AZN is now back up

The one on Ebay is definately a boot of this legit set. I've never seen the series, but this has definately peaked my interest. Maybe I'll pick up some of the VCD singles to check it out.

 

[Todd Terwilliger]

Jeff,

This has piqued my interest at well. If you do pick up a couple of the VCD singles, let me know how it is.

 

[Mark_Wilson]

How can you tell? The AZN pic looks the same.

I too am very interested, I love stuff like this.

 

[Jeff Kleist]

OK, the set is made by ShenFen Digital, a hole in the wall company. The series is apparently owned by the Chinese government so the likelyhood of a boot being around is actually fairly small (rip off the government, they come kill you, the same reason why bootlegs never have tax stickers). The guy even said "It looks like a bootleg at first glance"
AZN told me their cost was around $120 on it, though the cost in China is probably a bit less because they had to wheel and deal through 3 distributors to get the sets.
However, this is the first time , I can call boots with the best of them, and this showed all the signs. I guess the .1% won out

 

[LouieT]

I don't know about the Aznfilms' set, but from the cover, they look the same. Now that I think about it, my Once Upon a Time in China is a boot. It's a cardboard box with paper/plastic sleeves (no DVD cover) inside the cardboard box. Picture print looks crappy.

The Romance set I got looks legit though. I'm going to find a digital camera to show you guys. It's a cardboard box (roughly 11.5 x 8 in) and inside are four double-sided DVD cases (carrying 4 discs in each DVD case). The back of the DVD cover has a catalog number, ISRC CN-C08-00-166-00/V.J9. The weird part was that it lists it as an "all region NTSC" format, but it's Region 0 PAL. I think this right because I looked at the Aznfilm's site and they noted the same thing. So is this set legit or not?

 

[Mark_Wilson]

Damn! Good investigative work Jeff!

Isn't China NTSC like HK?