Difference between Original and Pirated DVD

Key Difference: Original DVD’s are genuine and authorized DVDs. On the other hand, pirated DVDs refer to the DVDs that have been produced illegally without authorization or rights for reproduction. Pirated DVDs are cheaper than the original DVDs. However, the quality of an original DVD is much better than the pirated one. Original DVDs are digital copies, whereas pirated copies are simulative copies.

Original DVDs are DVDs that are authorized to be used. These disks can be purchased from an authorized dealer or vendor. Original DVDs are known for the quality provided by them. Buying of original DVDs is just like buying any other item in the market. On the other hand, pirated DVDs refer to those copies of DVD’s which are not authorized copies. These copies are generated illegally. People prefer to use pirated DVDs as they are cheaper than the original DVDs.

One must be aware of the fact that buying of these pirated disks is considered unlawful and illegal. These pirated DVDs are generally inferior in quality than the original DVDs. The pirated DVDs can be created by numerous ways. For example – one can simply make a copy of a movie by using a camcorder or a mobile phone. One can further distribute these copies. A copy of the original DVD can also be formed from an unfinished version produced by the studio.

An original DVD can be recognized by checking it on various criteria. For example – an original DVD generally contains indicators like –

Licensing details
Record label clearly indicated
High quality inlay and graphics

These features are generally absent in pirated DVDs. A Pirated DVD has incomplete, incorrect or no licensing details. One may also spot wrong spellings in the pirated DVDs. The quality is also poor in comparison to the original DVDs. Unlike original DVDs, security features like a hologram seal is usually not present in a pirated DVD. Unlike the pirated version, the original DVD is usually presented in a quality plastic case or card box.

In the technical aspect, original and pirated DVDs can also be differentiated on the basis of their signal sources. Thus, the genuine DVDs reach nearly 520 lines of resolution. On the other hand, the pirated DVDs reach far below the standard 520 lines of resolution.

Comparison between Original DVD and Pirated DVD:

	Original DVD	Pirated DVD
Definition	Original DVD’s are genuine and authorized DVDs.	Pirated DVDs are cheaper than the original DVDs. However, the quality of an original DVD is much better than the pirated one. Original DVDs are digital copies, whereas pirated copies are simulative copies.
Cost	Generally expensive	Cheaper than the original DVD
Quality of the disk	Good standard quality	Poor quality. Disk material is often substandard.
Availability in the market	Takes some time to be released in stores.	Within one week of the release.
Cover Design	Authentic artwork	Generally made from the poster artwork
Lines of Resolution	Nearly 520	Far below 520
Type of copy	Digital	Simulative
No. of films	Mostly one film in one DVD	Mostly multiple