Honestly, why do you download videos? :)

[masterdragon7]

I will be honest that I do download videos, but the primary purpose is to check them out before I buy them. I have downloaded and checked out quite a few videos that just truly are not worth buying. I see too many effects that have flooded the magic market that are not even worth the cost of a blank disc because of poor quality, bad effect, or almost a rip off of another, better, effect. If, however, the effect is worth it and produced in good quality, I will actually buy it and support the magician who made it. Those others can just disappear and not make any more videos until they make something worth buying.

Some videos that I previously downloaded, then bought, "Torn" by Daniel Garcia (Best torn and restored card effect ever.), "Asher Twist" by Lee Asher, "The System" by Dan And Dave Buck, a bit of De'vo's work, and quite a few others. These videos were so wonderful that I just had to buy them and add them to my collection. However, I have also come across many bad effects that should never have been made. I will not list these, in case someone might get upset that I called a particular effect bad.

So, I was wondering what your reasons for downloading were? Save money, just to learn the secrets, or similar to mine? I'd love to hear from you all. Take care.

[MagicianDM]

Hey, that is what I do, if I see a video or effect that I like I buy it even when I have the explanations etc. Holy Moly, Masuda's tricks, Born To Perform Card Magic etc. It is good to support to the creator. When you buy the trick from the creator, you are kind of paying the rights to perform the creator's stuff, you support him, you get the actual gimmicks if there are any, you also learn the effect correctly.

But in my opinion you don't have to BUY every single effect from one creator. Most stuff I download - I probably bought from that company before, so I supported them and nothing wrong with getting a free trick as long as you paid the compay by buying one of their effects.

[BOMBATA]

I agree with you 100%. I have wasted to much on stuff that looked cool but ended up being garbage. I personaly like to look before I buy. If i actually am going to use somthing I don't mind paying for it.

[mini magician]

i know what you mean their are too many tricks that are just crap so it is great to check them out to make sure

[alekzk]

Sometimes My reason to dl videos is for try before buym but other times i do it because i'm just curious

[bonedaddy]

No kidding. I agree with masterdragon 100%! And that goes for videos outside of the magic realm, too. I WISH there were some way to see hard numbers on how many Bloo'y Pie Rates are really downloading stuff with no intention of ever buying it. Pretty much everyone I know that pirates stuff also has an extensive of movies that they've bought. Download it to see if it's any good, then buy it if it is. What other industry gets away with a satisfaction-not-guaranteed-or-even-implied business model?

When I find a video I like, I don't want some stripped out AVI, I want the full DVD with menus, scene selections, nice jacket, etc. But at the same time, I don't want to fly blind and end up paying $15 for something like the Miami Vice movie or Infusion.

I just can't see where downloading videos is costing the makers the baskets of money they say it is. The folks downloading the video with no intention of buying it were never going to buy it to begin with, and those that do buy are buying because they liked and want to use the effect, not because they got sucked into some hype.

I could go on, but I won't.

[tenchu]

Ok, I'm from Europe and the DVDs here are quite expensive. There are few online shops where I can buy for example some *********** stuff and the prices are really high. Plus the range of the products isn't really wide.
I'm trying to be creative when it comes to magic so I like to know the secrets and try to evolve the ideas, create something new etc. I hate exposure, I never exposed stuff to laymen people, everything I downloaded is for my eyes only.
Plus of course I like to see the performances, so that's basically it.

[hanhcom]

the reason that download video is i want to learn and add to my collection. why?

because in Vietnam, those price is very very expensive for me to buy. i am a barman, i can not afford it. even though i can save enough money to buy, but another reason that selling/buying online, Vietnam is banned from most site because of bad reputation of cheating credit card.

i am a magician for 2 years, and most of video i got is that i buy from an Magic Club in my hometown, they're really expensive tho.

[nlz]

- I've been disappointed too often. The quality of magic videos has decreased imo!

I still buy what I think is brilliant and deserves to be bought. I've got loads of Stuff by Malone e.g. just bought indecent and witness (huge combination) and most of the tricks I actually have in my repertoire I do also own.

- At the moment I have a complete programme of about 3/4 of an hour. Its a routine with only 4 deckchanges and combinations of say 25 single effects. Anyway I have no more Space in the stacked Decks or problems to fit tricks properly in the context of others. And noticing especially cardtricks demand more and more setup I'm getting to a point where I don't want to do an other deckswitch or palm/cop-in. I also don't think it would increase the fun of my show for my specs since the stuff I do is extremely strong.
So nowadays when I watch magic vids I give about 5% of the effects a try and actually test them on my own. The rest doesn't fit, needs too much prep or is simply not as strong. It'd be a waste of money.
Anyway if something wicked crosses my way that fits my needs and gets in my standard repertoire I'll always buy it.

- Did I say, I simply collect as well?

[jackSparrow]

I download.......cuz I`m a PIRATE !!!!!!!!!!!!

[cameraboirzu]

I download for the same reasons everyone else does, I want to learn how great things are done, first I try and guess though, which makes it fun.

You'll surprise yourself how close you come each time to getting the actual method down. It actually helps you figure out more effects each time if you think about it!

~Ryan

[ReaperGrimm]

Honestly I just don't have the money. I will invest in EXTREMELY high quality products though,
Like Wayne Houchin's Control, or Aaron Fisher's The Paper Engine, and David Stone's Real Secrets of Magic volumes.

They have to be really amazing products though.

[f1stzero]

My parents don't really support me doing magic so a Magic DVD doesn't come very easy that is why i loved this site. And i got support when i needed it.

[lllusionist]

I download videos because I'm broke haha. Not as romantic as some of you guys reasons... but lol you know... gotta start working or something haha