A lot of people think that the studio gets the money you pay when you rent a movie, but they actually don't. I worked in a video store for 5 years, i never really realized how it's actually done until I found out first hand. The video stores purchase the films for retail price, if not slightly lower (except most VHS, which are up in the area of 80-100 dollars each, thats pre-public sale though) and then they video store rents them and keeps the profit. This is why a lot of small video stores go out of business (like mine). They order too many movies and don't rent enough of the copies and end up losing money. But the studio's only see the money from the original purchase, nothing more... So basically, your only stealing from the video store (which is a victimless crime) and not so much the studios (which is a victimless crime also, in perspective). It's funny how the government and corporations put so much time and money into piracy issues and drug seaches when they could be spending that money on crimes that actually hurt people...violent ones...

Well I am not going to rent the same movie twice so I am not preventing future rentals. The rental market is a multi billion dollar industry and I am sure that the movie studio gets a cut otherwise they would be suing video rental stores. I don't think I am stealing anything I am just doing some things that the media conglomerates would not smile on.

Attack The Gas Station has been made fun of by Mike Fireball. ( http://www.progressiveboink.com/archive/attackthegasstation.html )

The video store down the road from where I live has been open for nearly a decade and since shifting back into town, I've started using them again. They do sweet deals with coupons and calenders and I tend to use them whenever I can. If I don't like what they have, then I can visit 3 other stores.

The cut that the studios see is the massive amounts of copies stores like blockbuster purchase without seeing the movie half the time. And I don't really see it as stealing either, but if you did, that's who it would be from. Heck, I used to take the actual copies! Bastards paid minimum wage!

I don't have a superdrive in my mac, are they dual layer burnable? Or does Mac the Ripper compress them to single layer size?

I use DVD Shrink, since I don't have a superdrive on this.

hmmm, over here in good ol' Europe the video stores have to pay a lot of money for DVD/VHS copies which are marked "for rental only".

and I can't believe that the movie studies don't get money from rentals ;-)

Copying the DVD is fair use, but keeping it isn't. Once you cease to have possession of the DVD, you should, technically, destroy the copy. I'm not even sure renting counts as any kind of ownership. So legally, its wrong. But ethically you're right. You won't go to hell for it :). Knock yourself out!

And why should the movie studios get a cut of rental fees? Anyone can lend movies out to whoever they like. Its not a reservable right. The movie studios don't provide any of extra expenses required to rent the movies. Its ridiculous how people think Hollywood should get money for work it doesn't do.

Well, ultimately what you're saying here is that you're committing piracy, and because no-one is directly affected that makes it okay.

In exactly the same manner, if I rented a PS2 game and copied it, by your logic that would also be 'justifiable', providing I had not intended to purchase the game and keep it anyway.

Dress it up however you want, at the end of the day, it's still piracy (not that I'm saying I wouldn't do such a thing, but just making the point really).

D'harr! Walk the plank ye scallywag! Shiver me timbers!

"Well, ultimately what you're saying here is that you're committing piracy, and because no-one is directly affected that makes it okay."

That is exactly what I am saying. Not just directly affected but affected at all. The movie exectutives are not going to starve nor are they going to loose money because I duped a DVD before returning it.

I just recently got a DVD-R drive as well, and I've been using it quite a bit. I have the Blockbuster deal where you rent 2 flicks at a time with no late fees and unlimited rentals per month for 25.00. If I rent a flick and really like it, then I'll burn a copy of it.

This really helps when they're trying to sell you something as well. I rented Sideways yesterday, and while I was at the coutner the clerk tried to talk me into buying pre-viewed DVDs. I looked him and said, "That's ok. I have a DVD burner." and smiled.

He shut up.

well my wide took her dumbass pills today...and returned the copied movie to the rental store(some mom and pop shop). Well the chic called up all pissed....she went on and on about how its "screwing up" her DVD's...which we all know is silly... But you're right..how can she be mad....i paid my 4 bucks....and she got the movie back in one day....instead of 3....now i just made her more $.

wtf the reason i never di this before was i thought they put something in the dvd which would not let you copy it and tell them if your tried so they could like arest you?!?! *runs to hollywood video*

500+ dvd's that i have rented and copied over the years. Someone should invent a jukebox for dvd's, it's a real bitch going through them to pick out the one you want to view.

I am considering buying a dvd burner. I am worried that after I spend the money for a burner, than something will be done so that the dvd can't be duplicated. Anyone have any thoughts on this? Has anyone come accross a movie that couldn't be burnt?

Call it piracy all you want, but I've been burning movies left and right, for the past couple of months, and I'm loving it. Man, you should see my neato collection. What's also cool is I can order all the movies I want from my local library. They will look for movies in a database that is statewide, and in a few days it's "free movies galore". Granted, some of them have been vcr tapes, but I would say 3/4 of them have all been dvd's.

dvasil - I've been using DVD X Copy software and have yet to come across a movie that has defeated it...over 200 movies burnt. It bypasses all the copyright crap. I've burnt a few 2005 movies lately and not a one has been a problem.

thanks for the info. I was thinking of buying an external burner rather that an internal one. Anyone have a thought to which is better? Also, what is the best burning software?

I like Roxio burning software
http://www.roxio.com/

and I would get a Lacie External drive.
http://www.lacie.com/products/range.htm?id=10014

dvasil...if you are using Windows, there are several good burning programs on the market. I mainly use DVD X Copy, CloneDVD2 with AnyDVD, and DVD Shrink. I've also had good success with 1click DVD and DVD FAB (gold series). At least with Shrink, it's totally free and a very good program. You'll have to use a program to bypass the copyright gabage, but there is a free one called DVD4:3. As for a burner, I haven't heard if external is any better than internal..and vice versa. Just do some review searches before you get one...something I always do.

I just bought an external burner which came with nero. I am trying to burn a movie and it says it can be copied as it is copyrighted. What can I do so that I can burn this movie?

how do i get around the Drive Letter Accessis i can't burn my movie any help please???

guys i need help getting around the copy write .... i have the roxio dvd burn anyone care to help ????

burning dvd is great fun it not theft its cloneing they get the original back no harm done its like drugs for personal use only

burning dvd is great fun it not theft its cloneing they get the original back no harm done its like drugs for personal use only

Hey i rented a DVD and i am kinda worried about copying it cause i dont know if the video shops do checks to see if the movie has been copied-could someone tell me if this is true or not??

olli.. there's no way they can tell.

I tried to copy a movie last nite but was unsuccessful...when i returned it to blockbuster the clerk took a look at the readable side of the returned dvd and told me that "it looks as though someone tried to copy it"...he said there was a "ring" around part of the readable side of it that proved someone tried to copy it...is that really true??

No way. The clerk was totally bullshitting you. the effect of having a DVD-rom drive read a DVD is physically exactly the same and playing one. However it is what is done with the dycrypted data is different but it does not physically change the disk.

thats what i thought too...i use dvd shrink v.3.1 to copy most of my movies but sometimes i get those ones that just want to be a huge pain in the ass...i used to use anyDVD to get passed the ones that gave me problems but lately anyDVD hasnt been working right...any suggestions to another good ripping program???

Well it is a shame that MacTheRipper is a Mac OSX only program because it completly rocks.

any other ideas?

I just got a copy of 1click dvd copy pro but that oo is a P.O.S cause it wont copy encrypted movies...dvd shrink will but not all the time....what im looking for is a dvd ripper with a decrypter included in it...let me know if any suggestions come to mind...I have a PC so mactheripper is def out of the question...

I really want to burn some movies but have never been successful. Do you need to rip it to your harddrive first and then copy it or can you use a program like dvd x or dvd shrink that will handle everything?

Use AnyDVD & cloneDVD from slysoft wrks great. Just make sure you have anydvd running b4 you try to run clonedvd. Enjoy.

if you use anydvd wont they know you took the copywrite off?