Why I Don’t Buy Bootleg Blu-rays (And Why You Shouldn’t Either)

I’ve been seeing so many bootleg Blu-ray and DVD releases lately for popular TV shows and movies not on HD physical formats yet, and I just can’t support it. Here are my thoughts and what I hope we can all do to make sure the filmmakers and physical media studio teams are being supported.

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[gsmooth]

the people who would buy a bootleg, will gladly upgrade if there is an official release. We are a niche group. The common man isnt buying bootlegs. The collector is buying bootlegs and we all have purchased multiple copies of the same movie. I would bet that if they saw their movie peaking in the bootlegs that would show them there is a market for physical media.

[hollisrutledge]

I showed my support for films like Barbarian by going to the theatre and seeing it a few times with different friends. I also purchased the VUDU license for it but honestly, I’m a physical media guy and if the studio neglects films by not putting out a physical release after a reasonable amount of time, I’m going to get my physical copy either by importing an official foreign copy if available or by other unofficial means.

As far as I’m concerned, I’ve done my part to support the filmmakers and then some so, the only people hurting the filmmakers at that point in my view isn’t me, it’s the studios who have been negligent.

If I gave all I could, that’s all you can ask of someone and if they don’t offer an official physical media option, that’s all on them.

[matthewsylvia]

Jeff. Couldn’t your reasoning of buying bootlegs not supporting creators, directors, etc… also apply to buying used copies of official releases on eBay, Mercari, Whatnot, yard sales, etc…? Those same people don’t get a dime when you buy or sell a used copy of a Blu Ray disc. I’m sure the argument can be made that at least they got compensated for the first sale when it was bought from a business brand new, but a used purchase stops them from being compensated for another brand new sale they would have got had the buyer not bought it used.

[wolfhawk]

If there isn't an option for ownership, that's the studio's fault. If I pay for Hulu, watch Prey, then decide I want to own it and they won't give me a legal means, maybe I buy a bootleg (I haven't for this movie, but the point stands). These companies can literally pull their content whenever they feel like it. Then it's just gone. If no one else is going to preserve it, then yeah, bootleggers will. With that said, I prefer to pay for ownership from the companies directly. But again, if I pay for Hulu already and watch something on their service but decide I want to own it and they don't offer ownership, I can go elsewhere.

[CinemaManne]

If they want the money they should make a physical copy simple

[jmorales]

I feel like most people who actively buy bootlegs are also the type to buy and support the official releases. Like, no one who likes a movie enough to buy it physically is gonna willingly choose to own the inferior version. A true Blu Ray release of Barbarian is gonna be 10x better than the bootleg that's just a 1080p screen recording. I collect bootlegs of obscure films that mostly aren't available anywhere else, but i always make the choice to upgrade to the official if/when I can.

[scorzamania]

This has got to be the hottest topic in physical media. I don't think there are many that wouldn't buy an official release to replace the bootleg that they have. I think most bootlegs on the market right now are off of subscription services that most of us already subscribe to. Folks just want a physical copy as well. I would also argue for those that didn't watch the Mandalorian and bought the bootleg probably subscribed to Disney+ when the second or third season came out. Movies like Prey, that came out on hulu which anyone that saw it subscribes to. I guess what I'm saying is, the artists/creators are getting their money. People buying a copy are not taking bread off of anyone's table. IMO

[skylark]

He's saying this because a lot of the movie studios send him free stuff this shit sounds crazy oh keep supporting billion dollar studios they need our help 😂 GTOH

[ibuymanymovies]

I see your side but I have to kindly disagree. The 7 hour Godfather cut has been impossible to find anywhere streaming. Seeing it on a site for $13 on bluray made me so happy since it's literally the only way to watch it. If they ever have an official relase I'll buy it day one

[YellowfinGrouper]

If you find a person who owns a few bootlegs then they are likely to be people who have already paid for the the movie in other platforms. If you find a house that has no bootlegs then that will be a house that has a few DVDs of Hugh Grant movies and a couple of videocassettes that haven’t been watched for 20 years. People who own bootlegs probably have vast collections and will probably buy the official release when it comes out.

[systemmonitor]

Alright, so I watched the whole video and here's my take on this.
It feels like a lot of your points fall apart under basic scrutiny.
If bootlegs sell gangbusters, that doesn't mean official releases won't sell. It means that fans WANT the official versions. They will likely convert the VAST majority of bootleg buyers to official.
As for things that are only on streaming? Yeah, your point doesn't make sense there at all. I can rewatch something a dozen times over on streaming but they DECIDED to put it there only. Look at Hellraiser 2022. Hellraiser got a DVD release here in the UK. That's ALL. I want it on Blu Ray, so I bought the DVD first then transferred a high quality Hulu rip (with some Topaz Video AI cleanup) to Blu Ray. I've proven there that I want the physical release (and have paid to support it) but looked after myself as a film fan, as the studios AREN'T looking after me.

[jbainbridge]

I'd rather have a physical bootleg than support anything digital, if studious are too oblivious to realize there's a market for everything it's their own fault. I'll take an official release but I won't be gatekeeped from a film cause an exec is dumb and wont put it out.

[Chris-rppc]

As someone who regularly goes to the theater, streams on various platforms, and buys physical, I don't have any issues buying a bootleg for something that isn't being officially made available. There's some stuff that won't get released because of legal issues. Ken Russell's The Devil's for one.

[DangerousDevilOfficial]

As a major home entertainment buyer as you know (15K plus discs in my collection), I have to disagree on this one…. Because many releases are never gonna be released on disc, no matter how much you believe it, I believe it, or we beg and plead with the studios...

And even if they are, as someone who wants an official copy, I will nearly always buy the official copy anyway, in addition to the bootleg. And the majority of those who buy bootlegs will STILL buy an official copy like me. Many of these streaming movies will never get a release on physical media, now or in the future. And as physical media continues to shrink, they are even less likely to ever be released on physical media. So I am gonna buy them, while I can, on disc. So in the future, when the streamer, decides to pull down my digital purchases (which has already happened to me on about a DOZEN digital purchases), I have it. Sorry, but that is just the way is.

I also disagree because we all know that the studio people see these bootlegs pop up. And if they see it selling well, even on bootleg, I fully believe it has to have impacted at least some studios to release movies on disc (because they see how popular the bootlegs are) that would have never been released on disc, without that bootleg.

By you buying digital streaming releases, you only further push studios to believe we only want digital streaming and digital ownership. When the only people that model had EVER benefitted is the studios. It costs them zero dollars beyond the first digital copy to sell that to everyone else. Whereas physical media costs for each piece. So the studios have pushed this down our throats, because they are greedy. They want not just a majority share of the sale. BUT ALL of a digital sale of a film!

So I profoundly disagree on this topic with you. And actually think you are hurting the physical media by buying digital copies. Sorry…

And I say that as a music artist who has literally had some of my music bootlegged. And certainly some of the films I have appeared in have been bootlegged many times… 🤷‍♂️

[michaeldietz]

I completely disagree with you, Perfect example is VHS 99% of people just recorded movies and never purchased them!!! The movie industry did just fine. We are the customers if they do not want to cater to us then they don’t deserve our money (they don’t want to sell us the product that’s their loss) I don’t ever buy a movie digitally and I don’t suggest anybody does don’t give them money for nothing. Not to mention when the streaming services lose the licenses to those movies are gone either buy it physical or don’t buy it at all.

[omarabraham]

Not sure if I agree with your take here Jeff. I watched Barbarian in the theaters. That’s all the support that truly matters at the end of the day.

If I want a bootleg and stupid corporations don’t want to release an official version, I’m buying the bootleg.

[kevinselzer]

I'll buy bootleg if they refuse to release them on physical media. Also Disney won't get another dime from me so I don't feel bad there lol

[JSC]

Sometimes the bootleg blu-rays have better quality picture and sound than the official version that eventually gets released. GO FIGURE!

[crashfellow]

I don’t buy them but end of the day, if you don’t release something people will buy find a way to get it.

[mrnickels]

This is saying alot coming from a guy who gets free screener copies of new movies... All I gotta say is you better not have any 2nd hand movies in your collection cuz buying it didn't support the filmmaker 😂😂