Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Yaya]

I'm looking at prices for Blu Ray discs in Korea, which are usually around 24,200 to 31,900 won for single discs, and then seeing prices like 9 dollars in the U.S.

No wonder the home theater market in Korea sucks.

[giraffe]

most people I come across in korea have no clue what bluray is....
And I have a feeling that the general population isn't into watching/rewatching movies at home for some reason.
Even though alot of them have all the latest expensive gadgets ( minus bluray players) not to mention koreans partially developing the technology =). Seems like entertainment in korea is only done outide the home for the most part. look at all the teenagers / uni students going to PC bangs to play games....


Anyways You're better off just ordering the bluray off amazon.com and having them sent over. Probably will be cheaper that way. I've done it for a few bluray.

[Mr. Peabody]

cough-torrents-cough

[furtakk]

i think it's much more of a niche market over here. to be honest, i don't know any koreans who buy any sort of physical format (cds, dvds, games, etc). they may pay, but it's always through the korean downloading services.

anyhow, internet is fast here. a 1080p rip takes less than 30 minutes to grab. probably faster than walking to and from the store. i used to be a huge dvd collector back home, but it's such a waste. i have a few 100 sitting in boxes in my parents basement collecting dust.

save the money, build an htpc and install xbmc.

[Swampfox10mm]

Yep.

Best place to buy them is USED from the shop at Gangbyeon station Techno-Mart. It's on one of the top 2 floors, kind of next to the back corner. It's called Video Paradise (Video Nara). You can get them used for not a whole lot more than some new prices in the USA. Stock can vary. Lots of newer ones, too.

But yeah... everyone just downloads and the downloads have Korean subs. It doesn't help that Samsung controls the government, and therefore import fees, and keeps prices jacked-up so high on the better TV's.

[uklathemock]

[Yaya]

The audio format SACD is said to be surviving thanks to Japanese collectors. I'm hoping the DVD doesn't completely die just as vinyl has not.

[uklathemock]

[Swampfox10mm]

I own many SACD's, and a few Bluray's of concerts and whatnot.

I think SACD is great, provided it was RECORDED with the intention of being played back SACD. The Bluray audio sounds awesome, as well. I will say, I have gotten a kick out of starting two of my SACD's at small parties without notifying anyone and they cause everyone to turn around looking to see who is singing! I have a few tracks by different artists that start entirely vocal, and literally sound like someone is singing in the room. It freaks everyone out, because the music not only sounds, but feels like it's next to you. Really a great way to start a conversation about audio. Both are from full surround SACD's recorded with mic placements intending to make the best of the format.

You really need a decent system to enjoy the difference, though.

I will also say that the Sony PS3 with its upscaling ability and HDMI audio out, allowing my Marantz head unit to interpret, actually rivals any $1,000+ CD player I've heard. It's that good, and brought new life to my CD's and mp3's. Stupidly, I sold it. Might actually buy a new one to replace my LG Bluray player (which isn't as functional as a PS3).

[ssuprnova]

1. Acquire MKV a WiFi MKV player and a 2TB hard drive.
2. Torrent 1080p rips from Korean sites (30mi-1hr/movie).
???
4. Profit!

[Pa Jan Jo A Hamnida]