How to Tell if Your Dvd is Fake/Bootleg or Is This Dvd Real?

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DVDFreak
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How to Tell if Your Dvd is Fake/Bootleg or Is This Dvd Real?

Post by DVDFreak »

Hi,

I'm new here and I just have a question regarding fake Disney DVDs.
How can you tell if one is fake? I guess this question would pertain mostly to the limited issue DVDs, because I've so much talk about fake Little Mermaid and Jungle Book DVDs.
I have both of those, but I was hoping someone could tell me what to look for, to determine whether it is a fake or authentic?

Are there any other Disney DVDs with a lot of fake copies floating around?

Thanks in advance, for any info!
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karlsen
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Post by karlsen »

If you do a search in the search function on the word "fake" you will find a lot of threeds talking about fake DVDs and good advices.
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Fake DVD'S

Post by Disney Guru »

This has been discussed a lot previously on the forum!!!!!!!!
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Post by wizzer »

just look at the bottom of the disc. dvd-rs are usually purple or blue in color and you can see a defined area where the written info on the disc stops before the edge of the disc. that sounds sort of confusing but if you've ever saved info on a cd-r, then look at the bottom and a dvd-r looks simular.
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Post by DVDFreak »

I can't find any threads that specifically talk about what to look for to determine whether your Disney DVD is fake. Can someone please repost the info here so that I don't have to continue searching for it.

The Jungle Book and Little Mermaid DVDs that I have, are silver on the bottom, not blue or purple...but what else should I look at to determine whether they are authentic or not?
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Just don't buy old OOP and wait patiently for rereleases

Post by slash »

Because of the professional manner the fake DVD's are being made, it won't be possible to just take a quick look at the DVD and realize it is a fake. All the fakes being sold on ebay, half, amazon, etc. look really authentic. Most people would hardly be able to tell if they had both the fake and real one right next to each other. I would say Disney probably has several tricks up their sleeves, maybe certian stuff they've stamped into the pictures on the DVD, codes in the cover art, digital signatures in the DVD (not within the data so it won't be copied), etc. but they won't ever publish these. If you are buying the DVD for collecting sake, I would say best thing to do is only buy it from the brick and mortar shops only (Best Buy, Walmart, Kmart, Target, Circuit City, etc.) or buy it from a major etailer like Amazon.com (but not the small shops within it). Don't bother trying to buy old OOP's, you've already missed your chance, and what you will be doing is paying a lot of money for what is most probably a fake.
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Post by MickeyMousePal »

Don't buy them online just buy them in the stores like Costco, Best buy, Wal-Mart, etc.
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Post by AwallaceUNC »

Well if you buy them online from Amazon, Buy.com, etc., then you can rely on it (unless you are buying it used through their site). Be sure to make these purchases through the links on this site, and welcome aboard :).

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Post by DVDFreak »

Thanks for all of the replies so far.

But I'm still searching for answers as to how one can tell a fake Disney Limited Issue DVD (specifically) from an authentic one.

People have mentioned here that it is very difficult to tell a fake from the real thing...if thats the case, then how come people here can come out and say who is selling fake Disney DVDs? If you can say that, then you know something about what is or isn't a fake Disney DVD and thats what I'm trying to find out.

The only evidence that I've uncovered so far, is the color of the data side of the DVD. I've seen DVD-Rs so I know that they usually come in blue or purple but the DVDs that I have all are silver on the bottom, but I'm sure that doesn't automatically make it authentic? Besides that, what are people looking for before coming out and saying things like "this seller is selling fake Disney DVDs" If people are accusing others of selling fake Disney DVDs then its pretty clear to me that people know what to look for to determine a fake from the real thing.

I don't want to start a debate or arguement on this issue, I just would like to get a straight answer as to what determines a Disney DVD to be fake or not, thats all.

Thanks
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Post by GOGOinVegas »

Some of the things I have noticed about fakes are:
The front cover print will have squared off corners instead of the rounded ones real disney ones.
The white case can be different, a different kind of clasp that actually locks the disk in.
The Disc itself should have a raised, textured feel to it. Most fakes are smooth tho the touch.( you would have to compare to a store bought,known"real" one.)
The insert has faded or a blurred image.( again compared to a known, authentic one)
The insert and cover paper should not be card type stock. Many fakes I have seen try too hard and print on super glossy card stock. ,but yet again, you have to compare it!
The side picture does not line up to others in same series. Their can be slight variations, but some fakes are way Off!!
These are just some things I have learned on my own over the years, Im not a pro like many of the others here :P
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Post by Tangela »

One way to know that a Disney DVD is fake on Ebay is to see its Player Format, if it says Region: ALL, it is definately fake, no Disney DVD is playable in DVD players all around the world.

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Post by karlsen »

If you had read all those threds like I sugested you would have found tips like:

* Always look for the sellers feedback, if he has sold one fake, he probably will sell more. It does not mather if he has 99% good feedback if those 1% reports that they recived a fake.

* Never buy from a person without feedback

* Look on their other auctions. If they list several oop title in numbers then the chance that its fake about 95%

There is realy no big diffrence between a fake Disney DVD and another fake DVD. A DVD is a DVD nomather who made it.

I know that all other studios just label it DVD and Disney labels it a Disney DVD, but there are no diffrence in them at all.

That is why you will find a lot of advices if you look at those other threeds.
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Post by DVDFreak »

GOGOinVegas wrote:Some of the things I have noticed about fakes are:
The front cover print will have squared off corners instead of the rounded ones real disney ones.
The white case can be different, a different kind of clasp that actually locks the disk in.
The Disc itself should have a raised, textured feel to it. Most fakes are smooth tho the touch.( you would have to compare to a store bought,known"real" one.)
The insert has faded or a blurred image.( again compared to a known, authentic one)
The insert and cover paper should not be card type stock. Many fakes I have seen try too hard and print on super glossy card stock. ,but yet again, you have to compare it!
The side picture does not line up to others in same series. Their can be slight variations, but some fakes are way Off!!
These are just some things I have learned on my own over the years, Im not a pro like many of the others here :P
Good Luck!! :D
Thank you! This is the info I have been searching for!
While on a little disappointing note, based on the pointers mentioned above, 3 of the 5 Limited Issue DVDs that I've purchased online are bootlegs :( These 3 were bought from the same seller who has been mentioned in a thread on this site. At the time I bought them, I had no idea what to look for, I just assumed that if they played great and the covers looked really clear, that it would be fine.

The 3 DVDs that I have that are bootlegs, are The Little Mermaid (surprise, surprise), Lady and the Tramp and The Jungle Book...again all bought from the same seller. These 3 while they don't match every point mentioned above, they do have a lot of things that would determine it to be a bootleg. Things like a white case that locks the DVD in, the DVDs have a smooth surface as opposed to a textured one and the inserts are much glossier than an authentic one.

Having said that, I'm not overly disappointed knowing that those 3 DVDs I have are bootlegs. I bought them solely for my own viewing, and to have in my collection. They all play perfectly and clearly, just as an authentic one would. I didn't pay that much for them either, not compared to the prices that I've seen people talking about here in regards to what authentic copies usually go for!

The 2 Limited Issue DVDs that I bought online that I know are authentic are Pinocchio and 101 Dalmatians. Well...2 out of 5 ain't bad... :roll:
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Does this look legit?

Post by stitch79 »

I'm interested in this ebay auction, but I want to be sure as possible that its not a bootleg. What do you guys think?

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vi ... 08232&rd=1

Thanks!
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Post by Kim Olav Svines »

It may be legit, but you can never know with Asian imports, since half of Asia consists of bootlegs.
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Post by Mr. Toad »

Stich - really hard to tell from the packaging.

All the good Asian knockoffs have got the packaging just about perfect.


You really have to look at the maker of the DVDs to tell for sure now.

Does Costco not have that 14 DVD set anymore where you are?
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Post by 2099net »

I would say it's not legit, as it claims to be R1, which is a region only allocated to North America and Canada.

While some legit DVDs are encoded R1 and R(whatever), this claims to be R1 only. I would expect it to be at least R1 and R2 or R1 and R3 compatible if legit.
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Post by stitch79 »

Thanks guys!

Jimmy - I would check Costco but I don't have a membership right now. :(
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Post by reyquila »

FAKE !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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Post by AwallaceUNC »

As a general rule, I simply do not bid on any DVDs from Asia. They are usually either bootlegs or not compatible with Region 1 players (which is what I have). You'll find what you want from America, Canada, UK, etc... whoever has the region you need, at a reasonable price eventually. Just hang in there.

-Aaron
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and The Thinking Fan's Guide to Walt Disney World: Magic Kingdom (Epcot coming soon)
• Host of Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Pod, the longest-running Disney podcast
• Entertainment Writer & Moderator at DVDizzy.com
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