On the wrong path

Economic Times recently told that the prices of movie VCDs and DVDs were going to be increased again. Companies that had brought down the prices to Rs 145-160 a CD, will be back to Rs 200 again.

In one sentence, if the prices go up, so will the piracy.

Yes. I have seen Jodhaa Akbar on my laptop on a pirated print and I was thinking who would be buying CDs if the pirated versions become so good.

Companies that are relying on the fact that the general Indian public is not aware of e-piracy (movies available on Internet for downloads) cannot do this for long as people are getting more educated day by day and getting what can be the options in the flat world.

The article written by K Muthukumar and Sonali Krishna tells that companies are thinking selling VCDs and DVDs for the same prices won't be able to bring them enough profits and so they should increase the prices. But the fact is that, seeing the low cost of manufacturing, if the prices are brought down, the sale can be increased a lot to get profits the way they want. In fact well designed DVDs can be sold at higher rates to those who want more. Thus there can be profits both ways.

In fact, as far as the article is concerned, there seems to be a lack of homework as the rates of some VCDs and DVDs are wrong as the article quotes the price of Moserbaer DVDs as Rs 49 whereas it starts at Rs 34 itself. Even T-Series is told to be selling discs at Rs 45 that is the price of DVDs only, where the market sells more of VCDs, that are actually priced at Rs 38 only.