Scenario 1 possible but pointless - you only need one original disc for replication purposes - any one acquaintance can send this from India.

Scenario 2 very unlikely unless the disc is copy protected. Unfortunately copy protection on DVDs hasn’t entered Indian DVD vocabulary as yet. This is the reason you’ll never see replicated discs of Lagaan and Mission Kashmir.

Scenario 3 is just silly :p

Scenario 4 sounds like what is actually going on and what replicating discs is all about. Also in reality there is nothing Shermaroo can do about is – they are powerless outside India.

You’ll find that some peoples attitude will reflect Rana’s last sentence. Sadly most peoples attitude reflect Rana’s last sentence minus the last two words :wot:

Ali



Edited By ali on June 04 2002 at 12:53

Ali & Rana indeed a well articulated reply. I would like to add a reply for the JUVENILE's in this forum who think they are smart when they make rather stupid remark. If they want to make a spectacle of themselves they are more than welcome to do that !

Now I abhor "pirated" DVDs... so much so that That i boycott all the DESI stores which sell such stuff. However with Shemaroo it is a different story. I would, as Rana has stated, like the original DVDs from India sold here but unfotunately I have no clue as to how I can get them. Also the cost of a Shemaroo DVD is INR 750 which comes to approx 25 Can $. Compare that with a Replicated Shemaroo DVD which is nearly half that price.

Given a chance I would definately like to buy an original Shemaroo DVD provided it is available here. As Ali has stated I am one of those few ppl who like Original stuff with the proper packaging etc. But due to logistical reasons I have decided to settle for a Non-Optimal product (in this case a replicated Disc).

So, how do we know that a DVD that we are going to buy is the genuine DVD or a replicated one by one of hundreds of replicating companies/ individuals?? How do we know that this replication is as good as reviewed or just an inferior DVD, sometimes as bad as 10th generation VHS copy?? As we all know, cover art is not difficult to reproduce.

Is buying directly from the manufacturer, the only answer??

Rana

Ever heard of DeCSS?

Very much so - then by that process they don’t become replicated discs - they become ‘copied/sourced from original DVD’.

Ali

To answer Rana's question I don’t think you can tell until you examine the disc yourself. The stores that sell Indian DVD rarely have the knowledge or expertise to go into technical details. Forget the technical details – if a store knowingly is selling replicated discs are they going to tell you? And for those that don’t know they’re replicated – they will tell you anything that you want/need to know to sell the DVD.

Another point to note is how sknath has put quotes around "pirated" – I often do this – everyone is defining piracy to suit their own wants/needs here. And this is a major problem in itself which I can blab on for ages and get nowhere :p

Point of replicated discs is that they are very easy to-do – you send one disc to a replication plant with an order of 1000 discs and they come back with exact copies. Most Indian DVDs has no copy protection on them – not just CSS but they are various other methods used by R1, R2 DVD companies that stop people from replicating original DVDs. That don’t mean to say that they cannot be copied by other means (ie ripping the video/audio stream by deCSS and recreating the a master) – anything digital can and will be copied regardless of what copy protection is on them – but these copy protection methods make it harder work for them to be copied/replicated. With Indian DVDs having next to non-existence copy protection – it’s no wonder replicated discs are being sold so widely - it makes economical sense for people selling them.

Legally nothing can be done about this disc replication because they are no such protection systems that Hollywood studios have. What’s left is a fight on moral grounds which are often used by film director/producers (Vinod Chopra and Subhash Ghai spring to mind) – morals simply don’t work in this day and age.

Ali

I personally feel that all Major WHOLSELLERS/PLAYERS of this bollywood dvd gANDA BAZAR are self sufficient with their own REPLICATOR(CLONING) plants or RESOURCES!!!

Remember! Bura Bhala! from AKS???? :vangry:
There is no DEMARCATION between Asli and Naqli at this point and from this perspective, BAS SUB CHALTA HAI!

Some sources say that the Kapoor family want Awara colorized.

They considered at one time but have firmly rejected it. Reason that Randhir gave was stupid but realistic.

Its good that they rejected it. I mean, if it were colorized, imagine how another classic would have been destroyed.

Btw, what reasons did Randhir Kapoor give?

It was (may be still is) on youtube 6-12 months ago. It was after the rumor startyed that RK Films is considering colorization of their old classics.
When asked, Randhir said that none of the old films that have been colorized, have done well at the box office. It's still the old generation that go to watch those films, not the younger generation. Not enough people from the 50s are around, now; that we can fill theatres). We are not here to lose money.
(And I remember, he exactly said) "We Are Not Stupid You Know".

So, it's all money issue, not preserving or reviving the old classics.

What about Mugal E Azam

Yes, Rana!! That's right! But, probably they can just colorize it for home video purpose.

And Sasural, Mughal-E-Azam was publicized to a very great extent. That's why, it became popular and was attracted people from all generations.

Or, since it was the first colorized film, everyone watched it only to give colorized movies a try and ended up getting disgusted at the destruction of the classic, therefore, they lost interest in watching colorized movies any further.
Or, since Mughal-E-Azam was the greatest epic of Indian cinema, people went to watch why it was so. And didn't even bother about Naya Daur and Hum Dono colour, as they aren't that great.

I seriously believe that colorizing of movies shouldnt be done, to prevent financial loss. Moreover, the least they can do is to colorize them to home video release.