Superman Returns SR DVD Out In China Already?

[Pickle-El]

http://english.eastday.com/eastday/englishedition/features/userobject1ai2349488.html

Superman Returns Today - in Licensed DVDs 28/9/2006 9:48

The latest incarnation of Superman will try entering Chinese homes from today as the official DVDs hit the shelves of over 8,000 audio and video outlets nationwide. 　　

Warner Brothers hopes to surprise and suppress the pirates and score another first in the Chinese audio/video industry by choosing China for the world premiere release of "Superman Returns" on DVD, two months earlier than in the United States.

It has already made history by becoming the first US home video company to distribute its DVD/VCDs in China through its joint venture with China Audio Video, which holds 51 per cent of the company. 　　

"This is one of the latest anti-piracy initiatives CAV Warner is taking together with the government," Tony Vaughan, managing director of the joint venture - CAV Warner Home Entertainment said in an exclusive interview with China Daily. 　

The main reasons for DVD/VCD piracy in China are that the legitimate copies are too expensive and released too late.

However, "Superman Returns" was released on July 11 in China and raked in 31.7 million yuan at the box office in the first week. 　

In addition to the world premiere release, the DVDs will be sold at relatively affordable prices, at 28 yuan for the presale version with a documentary of on-location shooting, 22 yuan for the silver version and a mere 14 yuan for the simple pack. 　

For its release, CAV Warner has expanded its distribution network from the previous 5,000 for the simple pack to around 8,000, thus turning outlets selling pirated copies into official vendors. 　　

Vaughan said that the Chinese Government's "100 day campaign against piracy" allowed DVDs of "Superman Returns" to scale new heights in China. 　　

Official "Superman Returns" DVDs can be regarded as the latest move to support the on-going campaign against piracy, he said.

The 100-day intensive crackdown on piracy, which began on July 15, has mobilized staff from 10 ministries and national departments, including the Ministry of Public Security, the State Administration of Press and Publication, the National Copyright Administration and the Ministry of Culture. 　　

Vaughan added that the company has been co-operating with the government to fight with piracy ever since its establishment early last year.

 

[Pickle-El]

http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/china/2006-09/28/content_698602.htm

http://english.people.com.cn/200609/28/eng20060928_307068.html

Am I reading this wrong?

 

[KalMart]

Interesting. Guess piracy must be really rampant over there...but it smells a bit too much of the whole 'legalize drugs' fallacy. Are they going to price the official DVD competitively with pirated versions? And last I checked, it's not too hard to copy a studio-released DVD these days (not that I condone that), so in a way, they could be providing a source for better-quality pirated copies.

 

[CGHulk]

Interesting. Guess piracy must be reallyrampant over there...but it smells a bit too much of the whole 'legalize drugs' fallacy. Are they going to price the official DVD competitively with pirated versions? And last I checked, it's not too hard to copy a studio-released DVD these days (not that I condone that), so in a way, they could be providing a source for better-quality pirated copies.

Exactly! What is WB thinking, now people will be even be more tempted because they will be getting higher quality downloads!

 

[TrailerCues]

This is the most stupidest move ever. They are just giving the rest of the world perfect quality downloads of the Movie days later once they realize the dvd is out there. Ah well w/e floats the WBs boat

 

[dark_b]

thnk you WB for a dvd quality .

p.s. when exactly is this coming out? and will they also realese the HD?

 

[The Kid]

WB doesn't really need to worry... I don't think many will download the movie.

and I love this picture. It's a masterpiece.

 

[KalMart]

This is the most stupidest move ever. They are just giving the rest of the world perfect quality downloads of the Movie days later once they realize the dvd is out there. Ah well w/e floats the WBs boat

Awesomest grammer ever!

 

[johnsonuk]

Interesting. Guess piracy must be really rampant over there...but it smells a bit too much of the whole 'legalize drugs' fallacy. Are they going to price the official DVD competitively with pirated versions? And last I checked, it's not too hard to copy a studio-released DVD these days (not that I condone that), so in a way, they could be providing a source for better-quality pirated copies.

though it is Mandarin language only.

 

[AgentPat]

http://english.eastday.com/eastday/englishedition/features/userobject1ai2349488.html

Warner Brothers hopes to surprise and suppress the pirates and score another first in the Chinese audio/video industry by choosing China for the world premiere release of "Superman Returns" on DVD, two months earlier than in the United States.

Are they THAT desperate for bragging rights, albeit it short-lived *and* not even in the US?

 

[3 Dev Adam]

Hey, people: the chinese DVD is in MANDARIN LANGUAGE ONLY.

No english language. No english subtitles. Just the good old Mandarin.

 

[AgentPat]

Hey, people: the chinese DVD is in MANDARIN LANGUAGE ONLY.

D'OH!

What a relief. That means only about 867.2 million people worldwide will be able to understand it. Phew!

Good safety tip. Thanks Egon.

 

[Ulic Queldroma]

An article on the front page of SHH says that the DVD will be heavily encrypted so that it will be very difficult to copy. I know there are tons of hackers out there that could break the ecryption, but how many do you think would care enough to even try.

 

[Super Kal]

hmph... those lucky chinamen..

 

[3 Dev Adam]

An article on the front page of SHH says that the DVD will be heavily encrypted so that it will be very difficult to copy. I know there are tons of hackers out there that could break the ecryption, but how many do you think would care enough to even try.

More people than you can even start to imagine.

 

[Pickle-El]

Wonder how long it will be before someone simply 'edits' the mandarin audio with the other video already floating around out there......

 

[3 Dev Adam]

Wonder how long it will be before someone simply 'edits' the mandarin audio with the other video already floating around out there......

Real time?

 

[dark_b]

Wonder how long it will be before someone simply 'edits' the mandarin audio with the other video already floating around out there......

this is the first thing i was thinking when i read tha tthere is no english language. its not about the sound. only the video quality counts.

 

[Gaurav Sharma]

Yes, we have done those sorts of things in the past(I mean the replacing one language audio with other, to get a Hindi dubbed version). My brother converted Batman Begins into Hindi by ripping the audio from the hindi version available in VCD format and adding it on the DVD track. It wasn't piracy as I had bought the original DVD and rented the VCD. Just did it for experiment sake.

 

[Gaurav Sharma]

Double post.

 

[AgentPat]

Wonder how long it will be before someone simply 'edits' the mandarin audio with the other video already floating around out there......

I give it less than a week before the discs start showing up in other countries. It might have been a real pain in the tush to sync at one time, but not anymore. And as far as the encryption goes? Hee! Don't make me laugh.

Hey Pickle, will we "see" you tonight after el show? Stop by if ya get a chance, kay?

 

[Super Kal]

i think it's a waste of time... people are still gonna copy it, no matter what they do, so why even try...

 

[BULLITT]

Technology is the most fleeting of things.
There's no such thing as being unable to copy anything perfectly.
The problem is in recognizing, getting lucky, in finding the quality stuff.

 

[Super Kal]

has there ever been a case to where a movie has been encryptd so much that it wont be recognized on a DVD player?

 

[BooST eD]

Hey, people: the chinese DVD is in MANDARIN LANGUAGE ONLY.

No english language. No english subtitles. Just the good old Mandarin.

its in english and the subs can be turned off.... FYI..... i wont download it... but ive read plenty on this int he past 24 hours