Pressed Blu-rays

[SlidersFanBlog]

I know counterfeit pressed blu-rays are uncommon. But how can I rule it out? Especially if they duplicate the original metadata.

I doubt they would take the time to laser in a serial number on the inner ring matrix. Plus unlikely they would use BD-50s. Also likely no copy protection. Any other clear indicators other than misspelled words/bad artwork?

[Streamingsux]

Do you have any examples of questionable discs that you'd like to share?

[SlidersFanBlog]

Originally Posted by Streamingsux

Do you have any examples of questionable discs that you'd like to share?

None right now. I know eBay is a complete swamp at times, I know it's best to avoid it but some titles are OOP and you have to resort to that. I was wondering if there's anything else discernible with official pressed and the forged ones.

[benricci]

I've literally never seen pressed blu-rays that are counterfeit, only BD-Rs. Not saying they don't exist, I just can't see any bootlegger going through the effort (or actually being able to press them en masse, to be honest).

Do you have one example you could provide, for context? Bootleggers likely aren't gonna get in the queue at any legit pressing plant, so I'm not sure how they'd even get these done, short of buying a disc press for themselves. And they certainly aren't duping BD-50 discs for an added cost, as the profit margins just aren't there.

Much easier just to make the packaging look legit and burn them in bulk to BD-Rs.

Just buy from legit retailers and avoid the issue altogether. When on eBay, buy only from trusted sellers if you absolutely HAVE to get an OOP title right now -- the best you can really do is ask to see pics and see if it raises any red flags.

Like the seller only offering "region free titles" with "free shipping from China" [RED FLAG]
or
Legit OOP titles you've been after that they have MULTIPLE copies of [RED FLAG]
or
Are selling for WAAAY less than you known they go for on the used market. Like they want $18 for a new disc and you know it's OOP and routinely sells for $80 or more. [RED FLAG]

[Streamingsux]

I've never gotten anything from eBay that has ever raised a red flag with me. I'm actually more wary of Amazon. On eBay, stick with sellers who have stellar reputations and (when possible) buy from someone who provides pictures of the actual thing you will be receiving and you just about can't go wrong. And remember, if it looks or sounds too good to be true...it probably is. In some cases, you're going to have to spend more than you'd like to. Period. That's just the nature of the beast. Sometimes it's either that or making peace with not owning what you want to own..

[bigdaddyhorse]

I got a set of Ash vs Evil Dead seasons from ebay that had a fake lenticular slipcover, but the discs were still purple on the play side. Never seen any that were pressed. Those would've been it I would think seeing how well done the covers and disc art and everything was, only the shrinkwrap over the slips and purple discs gave it away as bootleg.

[Jobla]

Originally Posted by bigdaddyhorse

I got a set of Ash vs Evil Dead seasons from ebay that had a fake lenticular slipcover, but the discs were still purple on the play side. Never seen any that were pressed. Those would've been it I would think seeing how well done the covers and disc art and everything was, only the shrinkwrap over the slips and purple discs gave it away as bootleg.

Yes, the purple discs (compared to silver discs) are a sure sign of a bootleg.

[Bruhingtonbruh]

Typically there is only 3 things I look for when buying off ebay

The Seller: How good is the reputation of the seller, also just in case check their negative/neutral feedback if they have any to see why somebody might've given such a rating. Also how long have they been on ebay is another factor, if its an extremely new account I tend to dodge.
Typically if I'm buying new, I go to pop market (who does a 20% off deal if you buy enough from them) or Shout Factory's official page.
Typically when used I check the seller's page to check everything.

The Listing: What is the price, how much photos are there? Usually I will dodge a used listing if it is up there in price and have no photos of the actual discs themselves as those are usually the best way to find a boot or real release (note this isn't always perfect, there are official BD-R releases I.e. Eight Crazy Nights from Sony's Choice Collection label of BD-R releases, always look into a release if you have your doubts). If the price is absurdly cheaper than the rest (not saying its an impossibility but there is the chance) then I don't touch it, for example I might buy something used if the seller has good photos, good reputation (no bootlegs reported in feedback) & its like say $5-$10 less than the regular release. Also check to make sure the low price isn't because of some auction, a lot of the time, sellers do have authentic items and start them for cheap prices in an auction, the idea is that it will be eventually shipped. Also make sure the seller doesn't specialize in "Mod" releases, likely a not they are making the copies themselves.

Location: One last check is to check the location a seller is shipping from, China is a good one to avoid, most bootlegs on ebay will come from there, also avoid Spain as they produce a ton of bootlegs, also just generally research the location if its a weird country, might wanna check on that guy from Myanmar selling a Blu Ray of Airheads for $60.

Typically as long as you aren't buying releases of films that never had a Blu ray (which you can easily check on this site) or are paying absurdly cheap for some OOP film worth hundreds typically, you should be for the most part good, again just check photos & check the seller feedback. I've had good luck with ebay, throughout my years of buying Blu rays on there, not once was I sent a bootleg unaware of such. For how I'm aware there is NO PRESSED BLU RAY BOOTLEGS, This might change at some point but as for now I don't think there's a Blu ray plant in the world willing to press a bootleg knowingly.