Pirated disks in Medellin

Man Tequila says on Mar 9, 2008, 09:09:

The possibility exists that I have listened to pirated discs as you describe.

Digital stuff is easy to copy, but sometimes discs are scratched.

I'd say 80-90% of them are good, although occasionally you get a clunker. If all three were bad, I'd blame the guy who sold them to you. When the quality is bad, you might need to clean the disc using one of those CD sanding machines that takes away the bottom layer of the disc -- these work well but I have never looked for the in Colombia. If the original recording is bad, you are SOL.

Many of these places do have (or have access to) a CD player.

pues se me antoja que sus cantares son de una tierra desconocida, y yo le dije si a usted le inspira, saber la tierra de donde soy... con mucho gusto y a mucho honor...

robi666 says on Mar 9, 2008, 09:16:

mranderson, they will take back the bad cds and change them.

"I am a citizen of the most beautiful nation on earth. A nation whose laws are harsh yet simple, a nation that never cheats, which is immense and without borders, where life is lived in the present."

nueva york bombero says on Mar 9, 2008, 09:17:

I bought a few sets of (3 CD's) music off the street in Cartagena for $5 each set.
Great copies and I'd buy again when I'm there!
It does sound like the guy ripped you off. Not for much though....
I'd say it was a small gamble. I gambled buying multiple sets from CTG, but it was worth it.

Man Tequila says on Mar 9, 2008, 09:23:

It's a small gamble. I've had very few problems and would buy again without hesitation.

Most places will switch bad CDs, if you can remember where you got it and they are still there. The "better" places stamp them. I met a tourist in CTG who paid $25 for a 3 CD set, but the price should be the same.

Guanajuato is better than Cali for music, and I found Cali better than Medellin.

pues se me antoja que sus cantares son de una tierra desconocida, y yo le dije si a usted le inspira, saber la tierra de donde soy... con mucho gusto y a mucho honor...

nueva york bombero says on Mar 9, 2008, 09:35:

Man T -- you are definitely biased towards Mexico!!!
Kidding! I always kid with my Colombian friends that the food and music in Mex
is better than Col!! I just like to stir the pot! They're different and unique in their own way.

mranderson says on Mar 9, 2008, 09:50:

Man t- 80-90% is good?? Wow, I guess I'm always in the 10-20%. I've never bought a pirated movie or music cd with even decent quality. The disks look brand new without a single mark or smudge. It sounds like they copied it with the volumne all the way up which made it distorted. I blame it on the person who copied it. In my experience nobody knows how to copy even a single music disk. Simply amazing. Is technology here really that bad?

robi, they take them back? Is it a hasstle trying to return something that I say is bad quality? I mean, I'm assuming I'll have to prove it's bad quality right? The disk works fine and I'm sure if they have a cheapy radio it would play ok. But in my stereo (which is good and modern) it sounds like crap when I try to turn up the volumn. (way too much bass and the high notes along with the singing is completely distorted) And this was bought on the street...the sidewalk, not in a store.

After listening to a couple songs on the cd I switched back to the radio and the quality is night and day.

Oh well...if anything I can still listen to them at low volumn just to learn the song and practice some spanish.

ColombianoGringo says on Mar 9, 2008, 10:26:

Boo Hoo. I can't believe that you are complaining about pirated DVDs that cost you two bucks. If you are so worried about quality, try buying legitimate DVDs and CDs. When it comes to DVDs, you can always rent them at Blockbuster which has branches in many Colombian cities.

I don't blame people in Colombia for buying pirated DVDs since a legitimate one can cost 20% of a monthly minimum wage, but don't expect to get a high quality product. I personally can't stand poor quality audio or video, so I stay away from them.

mranderson says on Mar 9, 2008, 10:34:

Of course I'm going to complain. How hard is it to copy a music cd?

island girl says on Mar 9, 2008, 10:38:

When I was in Mexico (and at home in the Caribbean) the dvd/cd sellers with more permanent locations always had a tv/dvd player cd player to let you try things out.
It was hit or miss when Ive bought from the vendors that move around with a backpack or something...
Maybe you can find a guy that has decent quality and isnt afraid to demonstrate it and stick with him ....

robi666 says on Mar 9, 2008, 11:01:

mranderson, no big deal... you go there and say that is bad. They'll take it back.

"I am a citizen of the most beautiful nation on earth. A nation whose laws are harsh yet simple, a nation that never cheats, which is immense and without borders, where life is lived in the present."

manINred says on Mar 9, 2008, 12:16:

you get what you pay for.

nueva york bombero says on Mar 9, 2008, 12:33:

Not in my case! 3 CD's of various artists I heard every night while in Cartagena
for $5?! Remembering the great trip I had every day on the way to work?
Mine are worth a lot more...... sorry to rub salt in the wounds Senor Anderson...

Man Tequila says on Mar 9, 2008, 12:40:

I'm not biased towards Mexico. They just have better food and pirated stuff. I had a good experience learning Spanish there.

In terms of fun, weather, women, people... I do prefer Colombia. In terms of safety, well, I felt safer in Guanajuato.

Occasionally when buying a CD I have seen an unhappy customer claim a disc is bad. Sometimes it is a hassle for them to switch it and sometimes it is not.

I have not had problems with bad quality, in the sense that things usually either work well or do not work. If people are trying to copy a movie still in the theatres holding a video camera, this will be reflected in the quality of the product. If the radio is better, your discs are scratched (despite advanced Ziploc protection) or you are getting ripped off. Even if 50% did not work, not my experience, I'm still with NYB on this one.

pues se me antoja que sus cantares son de una tierra desconocida, y yo le dije si a usted le inspira, saber la tierra de donde soy... con mucho gusto y a mucho honor...

Robert Jorge says on Mar 9, 2008, 12:43:

I never went looking for legitimate CDs and DVDs, but I sure don't recall EVER seeing non-bootlegged disks. Many of the CDs even had little stickers on the cover saying "pirated". At least in the few places I have visited in Colombia, it would be quite a challenge to find a real, from the manufacturer, CD or DVD. Hell, even the Xbox and Playstation games are pirated.

nueva york bombero says on Mar 9, 2008, 12:50:

Here in NY, pirated movies are everywhere and cheap.
The Chinese are huge with this.
The quality varies tremendously as we watched the new Will Farrell movie in the firehouse
last night. It sucked!!! People walking in front of the camera, shaky picture, and sound like
it was recorded in that tunnel from Medellin to Santa Fe!!!

mranderson says on Mar 9, 2008, 12:54:

I don't know if I'm going to bother taking it back. This was from some lady who had them displayed on a towel on the sidewalk. I'll have to find her again and explain to her how bad her stuff is.

I think I'll just deal with the more permanent locations and make them play it before I buy it. Besides I think it's the same price in "el hueco" as it is from the sidewalk. I think.

DodgerDogs says on Mar 9, 2008, 13:23:

Pirate DVD's in Colombia sell for 1,500 and the disc with 6 movies 2,000 pesos.
Make sure they are DVD and not VCD disc. If you pay more than 1,500 for
a single movie disc you have paid too much. Also never pay more than 3,000 pesos
for the 3 cd music sets they sell.

Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.Martin Luther King:

ColombianoGringo says on Mar 9, 2008, 13:39:

RJ,

Legitimate CDs and DVDs can be found at lots of places. Exito, Tower, etc. They are not selling them in the streets like the pirated versions, but they can easily be found.

mranderson says on Mar 9, 2008, 13:40:

Good advice. I told my wife last night that I should have only paid 3.000 pesos for the cd music set.

Robert Jorge says on Mar 9, 2008, 13:44:

CG, I didn't see a music section at the Exito I went to Villavo. I don't remember seeing music or videos for sale at Vivero either. I never went to the big retailers in Bogota though.

Man Tequila says on Mar 9, 2008, 16:47:

They have usually asked for 5,000 for the 3 CD sets. Walking away, I have had them go down to 3,000. I don't want to be ripped off, of course, but I have no objection to the guy on the street making a little profit. I usually don't argue as hard as I could.

Maybe that's why the ones I buy work?

pues se me antoja que sus cantares son de una tierra desconocida, y yo le dije si a usted le inspira, saber la tierra de donde soy... con mucho gusto y a mucho honor...