How to Find Out-of-Print Movies

Have you ever tried to find an old movie from your childhood, only to discover that it's out of print? Well, don't let that stop you. There are plenty of ways to track down that elusive title, given some patience and a little luck.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Internet access
• Patience

1. Look in your local phone book for collectible movie memorabilia stores.

2. Search on Amazon.com or Half.com for used copies. Even if the movie is out of print, these sites might have it listed, and individuals and companies specializing in hard-to-find films can sell their copies on the sites.

3. Search eBay. The selection of items is wider than either Amazon.com or Half.com. Be aware, though, that many of the rare DVDs on the site are bootleg copies recorded on DVD-R discs.

4. Find websites that sell rare and out-of-print movies. Again, many of these films will be recorded on DVD-Rs, although these sites usually disclose this fact clearly.

5. Try an online trading site like Peerflix, which specializes in DVDs. It might have more hard-to-find titles, since the inventory comes from users' personal collections.

6. Try a video-on-demand website. Some movies might be out of print on DVD or VHS but might be available in digital format online. Sites like EZTakes feature more obscure films.

7. Search a peer-to-peer file-sharing network for a video file of the movie.

8. If all else fails, post a classified ad on Craigslist in the "Wanted" section or post a message on either a horror movie website's message board or on an online group specializing in films on sites like Yahoo Groups or Google Groups.

9. If you can't buy a copy of the movie, you might at least be able to rent it through an online DVD rental company. A site like ILetYou, as with Peerflix, might have more hard-to-find titles, since the inventory comes from users' personal stashes.

Tips & Warnings

• Search online at a site like dvdpricesearch.com to see if the movie was ever released on DVD. If not, any DVD copies you find are either foreign or are bootlegs recorded on a DVD-R. If you are OK with either option, make sure your DVD player is compatible with these types of DVDs.
• Be wary of peer-to-peer networks. Many files infringe on copyrighted material, which is illegal, and many other files contain spyware or viruses that can harm your computer.

Resources

• EZTakes
• Peerflix
• Amazon.com
• Craigslist

[dchin203]

on 11/2/2008 Digital rights management (DRM) is a generic term that refers to access control technologies used by hardware manufacturers, publishers and copyright holders to limit usage of digital media or devices. DRM is controversial and rightfully so, as consumers avoid it wherever and whenever it crops up.


Ez-takes and its constant insistance on DRM, is more of a hindrance for any filmmaker and producer. The people who would use download features are realistically not there: they download from p2p sites anyways. DRM does not actually exist, because any content can be downgraded to analog and then digitzed again; thus ez-takes' claims of DRM are misleading, if mot false.


For independent producers other and better options such as filmbay ,brosmedia and xing are available. Their networking and distribution features are well beyond the standard fare, suggesting a web 3.0 notion. Indy produ

[dchin203]

on 11/2/2008 Digital rights management (DRM) is a generic term that refers to access control technologies used by hardware manufacturers, publishers and copyright holders to limit usage of digital media or devices. DRM is controversial and rightfully so, as consumers avoid it wherever and whenever it crops up.


Ez-takes and its constant insistance on DRM, is more of a hindrance for any filmmaker and producer. The people who would use download features are realistically not there: they download from p2p sites anyways. DRM does not actually exist, because any content can be downgraded to analog and then digitzed again; thus ez-takes' claims of DRM are misleading, if mot false.


For independent producers other and better options such as filmbay ,brosmedia and xing are available. Their networking and distribution features are well beyond the standard fare, suggesting a web 3.0 notion. Indy produ

[dchin203]

on 11/2/2008 Digital rights management (DRM) is a generic term that refers to access control technologies used by hardware manufacturers, publishers and copyright holders to limit usage of digital media or devices. DRM is controversial and rightfully so, as consumers avoid it wherever and whenever it crops up.


Ez-takes and its constant insistance on DRM, is more of a hindrance for any filmmaker and producer. The people who would use download features are realistically not there: they download from p2p sites anyways. DRM does not actually exist, because any content can be downgraded to analog and then digitzed again; thus ez-takes' claims of DRM are misleading, if mot false.


For independent producers other and better options such as filmbay ,brosmedia and xing are available. Their networking and distribution features are well beyond the standard fare, suggesting a web 3.0 notion. Indy produ

[dmxchick81]

on 10/7/2008 My store specializes in out of print movies. Check it out at www.shopofaltfilms.com.