History MediaNotes / HomeVideoDistributors

In 2017, Disney began releasing their library on 4K [=UltraHD=] Blu-ray and Digital formats, and the renamed Movies Anywhere started offering other studios' works in addition to Disney's. The following year, ''WesternAnimation/WreckItRalph'' became the Animated Canon's first [=UltraHD=] title (as a tie-in with ''WesternAnimation/RalphBreaksTheInternet''), and ''WesternAnimation/TheLionKing1994'' their first traditionally-animated UHD release. The 4K upgrade of ''The Lion King'' hinted at the end of a Disney Vault for the Canon, since Disney didn't discontinue the 2017 home media releases beforehand. By the time ''WesternAnimation/TheJungleBook1967'' returned to retailers in 2022, all of the studio's hand-drawn bestsellers achieved perpetual circulation. In 2023, Disney also confirmed that the titles would no longer have a special line all to themselves, by giving the ''WesternAnimation/{{Cinderella}}'' and ''Snow White'' [=UHDs=] (timed with [[MilestoneCelebration the Walt Disney Company's 100th anniversary]]) the same Ultimate Collector's Edition banner as all of their non-Marvel [=UHDs=].

The first UsefulNotes/OpticalDisc format, Platform/LaserDisc, was also introduced during this time period. Even though its sound and picture quality exceeded [=VHS=], it didn't achieve the same widespread adoption in most of the world (in the US this was at least in part thanks to early troubles when it was being pitched as a mass medium, primarily manufacturing defects in both the discs and players; by the time most of these issues were sorted out, VHS had grabbed the lead). [=LaserDisc=] brought about many features that remain common, such as the LimitedSpecialCollectorsUltimateEdition, [[DVDCommentary commentaries]], and other [[DVDBonusContent bonus features]]. The Digital Versatile Disc (Platform/{{DVD}}) format quickly overtook [=LaserDisc=] in the UsefulNotes/TheNineties, though it competed with VCR since VHS tapes have the benefit of recording onto them.

Another format war in the early [=2000's=] saw Platform/BluRay emerge victorious as the UsefulNotes/HighDefinition home video format. In 2004, Creator/{{Disney}} became one of the first studios to announce their support of the format over Toshiba's HD DVD.[[labelnote:Blu-ray]](commissioned by the Blu-ray Disc Association, which consists of Sony (the primary maker and Disney semi-ally), Pioneer and Philips (who'd both helped developed [=LaserDisc=]), Hitachi, LG (Lucky-Goldstar) Electronics, Panasonic, Samsung Electronics, Sharp, and Thomson/Technicolor SA)[[/labelnote]]. During the brief period of 2006-2008 when HD DVD and Blu-ray both existed, Creator/{{Paramount}} was the first studio to release titles on both formats -- but only for about a year before announcing they would exclusively support HD DVD. They were one of the only supporters; other studios soon dropped HD DVD and Toshiba stopped manufacturing the players in 2008.

Creator/MetroGoldwynMayer (MGM), formerly one of the "Big Five" before the UsefulNotes/FallOfTheStudioSystem, established their home video division in 1979 as MGM Home Video, but did not release any videocassettes under this name. Instead, MGM Home Video formed a partnership with Creator/{{CBS}} Video Enterprises called MGM/CBS Home Video.

In 1981, Columbia and Creator/{{RCA|Records}}, the creator of the UsefulNotes/{{CED}} videodisc format, entered into a joint venture as RCA/Columbia Pictures Home Video, primarily so the CED format would have product to sell (the joint-venture only reached American shores in 1982). In addition to titles from RCA and Columbia, they released works from Columbia's Creator/TriStarPictures and "mini-major" Creator/NewLineCinema, as well as a variety of smaller firms.[[note]](Cinema 5, Films Incorporated, Picture Source Associates, SFM Entertainment, Cantina Blues Films, Pentagon Releasing, IFI Films, Crown International, and Cinetel Films, among others. Later, they picked up the video rights to the Epic Productions library, which they held for a few years in the early '90s, and certain early Creator/AmericanInternationalPictures releases.)[[/note]] During the 1980s, RCA/Columbia had a children's subsidiary called Magic Window.[[note]](It specialized in childrens' entertainment, including classic Creator/ColumbiaCartoons and concurrently airing AnimatedSeries, along with occasional live action programs.)[[/note]] It also had a music subsidiary, [=MusicVision=], which issued titles from Creator/RCARecords along with others like Creator/IslandRecords, Creator/{{Motown}}, and [=PolyGram=] Music Video.

As Walt Disney Home Entertainment in 1978, they first released their library into the home market through a distribution agreement with [[Creator/{{MCA}} MCA DiscoVision]]. "[=DiscoVision=]" was the name at the time for UsefulNotes/LaserDisc (LD). The deal included live-action Disney movies and animated episodes of ''Series/WaltDisneyPresents''. The agreement expired in December 1981, but Disney's films and programs were later released on the revamped version of LD by Pioneer Entertainment and Philips.

Disney previously vowed that their crown jewels (''WesternAnimation/SnowWhiteAndTheSevenDwarfs'' and ''WesternAnimation/{{Fantasia}}'') would ''never'' be released on video, but they relented with ''Fantasia'' in 1991, followed by ''Snow White'' in 1994 as the first in the ''Walt Disney Masterpiece Collection'' line. Some time after this, the term "Untouchable" was apparently abandoned at Disney.[[note]]It probably didn't help that five of the Untouchables found their revenue exceeded by the biggest hits of UsefulNotes/TheRenaissanceAgeOfAnimation.[[/note]] With VHS sales eating up revenue from theatrical reissues, Disney eventually only did the latter on special occasions. 1994 saw ''three'' new labels launched -- [[Creator/MiramaxFilms Miramax Home Entertainment]], [[Creator/DimensionFilms Dimension Home Video]], and [[Creator/DicEntertainment [=DiC=] Toon-Time Video]] (though Disney acquired Miramax and Dimension in 1993, [=DiC=] wouldn't join the Disney family until 1996 with the Capital Cities/Creator/{{ABC}} merger, though Disney eventually sold the company some time after). Miramax's releases had gone through other distributors like Paramount and IVE/Live prior to the Disney buyout.[[labelnote:Miramax]] Ironically, in the present day, Paramount currently distributes much of the Miramax library on physical and digital media as a result of then-[=ViacomCBS=]' acquisition of a 49 percent stake from Miramax owners [=beIN=] Media Group, while IVE/Live successor Lionsgate distributes the titles they coproduced with Miramax, such as ''Film/ReservoirDogs'' and ''Film/BobRoberts'', to this day.[[/labelnote]]

Towards the end of 1997, Disney began releasing their live action movies on UsefulNotes/{{DVD}}. Within the next couple of years, the studio kicked off their efforts to make the Disney Animated Canon available on the format, beginning with ''Pinocchio''. In lieu of the Untouchables, Disney compiled the 14 movies that sold the most videotapes into a collection of films that each remained available for only a limited time before going into moratorium for 7 to 10 years.[[labelnote:the 14]](''Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs'', ''Pinocchio'', ''Fantasia'', ''Bambi'', ''Cinderella'', ''Peter Pan'', ''Lady and the Tramp'', ''Sleeping Beauty'', ''101 Dalmatians'', ''The Jungle Book'', ''The Little Mermaid'', ''WesternAnimation/BeautyAndTheBeast'', ''WesternAnimation/{{Aladdin}}'', and ''WesternAnimation/TheLionKing1994'')[[/labelnote]] Disney initially referred to these films as the "Platinum" collection, but proceeded to change the name whenever the DAC's oldest entry, ''Snow White'', entered a new media format. Other movies only disappeared from stores if the studio decided to re-release them with more bonus features.

[[http://www.klstudioclassics.com Kino Lorber Studio Classics]] is a home video company that specializes in reissuing classic films on UsefulNotes/{{DVD}} and UsefulNotes/BluRay from the catalogs of major studios, including Creator/MetroGoldwynMayer, Creator/TwentiethCenturyFox, Creator/{{Paramount}}, Creator/{{Disney}}, Creator/{{Universal}} and Creator/StudioCanal. They are owned by Kino Lorber, a long-running independent art house film distributor once linked to The Criterion Collection's parent company Janus Films.

UsefulNotes/TheBlockbusterAgeOfHollywood first brought videos into viewers' homes on [[UsefulNotes/{{VCR}} videocassettes]] [[note]](yes, one word)[[/note]] containing video recordings on magnetic tape. In the videotape [[DuelingProducts format war]], Betamax first appeared in both its native Japan and in America in 1975, while Video Home System (VHS) also from Japan, debuted there in 1976 and in America in 1977, eventually defeating Betamax by 1988 because VHS needed fewer numbers of its cassettes than Betamax for containing the same amounts (running times) of recorded material and cost less and was easier than Betamax to use. At first, videocassette recorders ([=VCRs=]) weren't widely adopted by the average consumer; they were expensive in the mid/late-1970s, but that changed by the mid/late [[UsefulNotes/TheEighties 1980s]]. This was due to prices going down as improvements were made to the technology, but also after the major Hollywood studios stopped being afraid of home video when they realized how much money could be made in the burgeoning videocassette market. For instance, timed releases of thematic products often centered around holidays (early January for start-of-year promos, earlier February for romantic (or at least sex themed) movies for Valentine's Day, March or April for Passover or Resurrection themed films, school-themed films either in June for end of school years or early September for start of/back-to-school [although in real life, many

The UsefulNotes/{{CED}} videodisc format (branded as [=SelectaVision=], also used by RCA's [=VCRs=]) was launched by RCA in the early 1980s after years in DevelopmentHell, intended to be the video equivalent of a vinyl record (down to using much of the same technology) -- the idea being that RCA would be able to use their existing vinyl infrastructure for manufacturing and distribution. For a bunch of reasons this didn't work out, and CED was dead by 1986, serving as RCA's CreatorKiller in the process.

The first UsefulNotes/OpticalDisc format, UsefulNotes/LaserDisc, was also introduced during this time period. Even though its sound and picture quality exceeded [=VHS=], it didn't achieve the same widespread adoption in most of the world (in the US this was at least in part thanks to early troubles when it was being pitched as a mass medium, primarily manufacturing defects in both the discs and players; by the time most of these issues were sorted out, VHS had grabbed the lead). [=LaserDisc=] brought about many features that remain common, such as the LimitedSpecialCollectorsUltimateEdition, [[DVDCommentary commentaries]], and other [[DVDBonusContent bonus features]]. The Digital Versatile Disc (UsefulNotes/{{DVD}}) format quickly overtook [=LaserDisc=] in the UsefulNotes/TheNineties, though it competed with VCR since VHS tapes have the benefit of recording onto them.

Another format war in the early [=2000's=] saw UsefulNotes/BluRay emerge victorious as the UsefulNotes/HighDefinition home video format. In 2004, Creator/{{Disney}} became one of the first studios to announce their support of the format over Toshiba's HD DVD.[[labelnote:Blu-ray]](commissioned by the Blu-ray Disc Association, which consists of Sony (the primary maker and Disney semi-ally), Pioneer and Philips (who'd both helped developed [=LaserDisc=]), Hitachi, LG (Lucky-Goldstar) Electronics, Panasonic, Samsung Electronics, Sharp, and Thomson/Technicolor SA)[[/labelnote]]. During the brief period of 2006-2008 when HD DVD and Blu-ray both existed, Creator/{{Paramount}} was the first studio to release titles on both formats -- but only for about a year before announcing they would exclusively support HD DVD. They were one of the only supporters; other studios soon dropped HD DVD and Toshiba stopped manufacturing the players in 2008.

MCA [[labelnote:acronym]](formerly Music Corporation of America, then MCA Records)[[/labelnote]] took full ownership of Creator/{{Universal}} Pictures in 1962. Like Magnetic Video, MCA saw potential in the home video revolution; however, MCA's focus at the time was on video''discs'' rather than the video''cassettes'' that interested Magnetic Video. They branched out of music and began their videodisc division, MCA [=DiscoVision=]. They became the first company to release this format for the consumer market-- even marketing the format as "MCA [=DiscoVision=]" (or simply "[=DiscoVision=]"). After Pioneer Electronics bought out the majority stake in the format, it was renamed to "[=LaserVision=]", then again to its most recognizable name: "UsefulNotes/LaserDisc".

The first public demonstration of the "Disco-Vision" [[labelnote:hyphen]](it used to be hyphenated)[[/labelnote]] format took place at Universal Studios in Universal City, California, on December 12, 1972, with a seven-minute screening of clips from Universal motion pictures.[[labelnote:reminder]]MCA owned Universal Pictures since 1962. They'd also owned Universal Studios since 1958.)[[/labelnote]] Philips representatives who attended were impressed. They were developing their own videodisc system while RCA was developing a competing vinyl-based videodisc system, the UsefulNotes/CapacitanceElectronicDisc (CED). Philips entered a merger (of sorts) with MCA in September 1974. Two companies were assigned different tasks; MCA would remain in charge of the videodiscs themselves, and Philips would take charge of the playback systems for said videodiscs. They spent 1976 and 1977 working out various problems through test pressings. In 1977, Pioneer entered into a joint venture called Universal Pioneer to handle the potential industrial applications of Disco-Vision.

In February 2024, with sales of physical media in sharp decline and amid company-wide restructuring, Disney announced a deal with Sony Pictures Home Entertainment to handle the marketing, sales and distribution of their library on disc, starting with 20th Century Studios' ''Film/TheFirstOmen'', ending their 44-year run as a first-party distributor. This move will result in the shuttering of the Disney Movie Club, a mail-order retail club that had been established in 2001.

In February 2024, with sales of physical media in sharp decline and amid company turmoil, Disney announced a deal with Sony Pictures Home Entertainment to handle the marketing and distribution of their content on disc going forward. This move will result in the Disney Movie Club, a mail-order retail club that was established in 2001, being shuttered this coming July.

In 1981, ''WesternAnimation/{{Dumbo}}'' became the first Franchise/DisneyAnimatedCanon movie to hit home video, followed shortly after by ''WesternAnimation/AliceInWonderland'' and the anthology movies ''WesternAnimation/TheThreeCaballeros'', ''WesternAnimation/FunAndFancyFree'', and ''WesternAnimation/TheManyAdventuresOfWinnieThePooh''. The Disney management at the time were initially reluctant to release the rest of the Canon anywhere but in theaters out of concern that they would lose their value if they were to be released on tape. They marked the Canon's 15 most lucrative movies [[labelnote:the 15]]''WesternAnimation/SnowWhiteAndTheSevenDwarfs'', ''WesternAnimation/{{Pinocchio}}'', ''WesternAnimation/{{Fantasia}}'', ''WesternAnimation/{{Bambi}}'', ''WesternAnimation/{{Cinderella}}'', ''WesternAnimation/PeterPan'', ''WesternAnimation/LadyAndTheTramp'', ''WesternAnimation/SleepingBeauty'', ''WesternAnimation/OneHundredAndOneDalmatians'', ''WesternAnimation/TheSwordInTheStone'', ''WesternAnimation/TheJungleBook1967'', ''WesternAnimation/TheAristocats'', ''WesternAnimation/RobinHood1973'', ''WesternAnimation/TheRescuers'', and ''WesternAnimation/TheFoxAndTheHound''[[/labelnote]] off-limits from home video by compiling them into a list of "Untouchables". However, this was during the AudienceAlienatingEra of the studio when the Disney brand was associated with children's fluff and attempts to create DarkerAndEdgier fare failed miserably at the box office, so the idea of unleashing the Untouchables on home video eventually caught on.

The idea for Walt Disney Classics, the video line for the Disney Animated Canon, was adopted by Michael Eisner after its originator (then-studio head Ron Miller) was ousted in a boardroom takeover. The first Classics title, ''WesternAnimation/RobinHood1973'', was released in 1984, followed by ''WesternAnimation/{{Pinocchio}}'' in 1985. As a compromise to the more conservative members of the board, both titles were priced for rental; one could ''technically'' buy the tapes, but they were priced at the very steep $79.95. For comparison, a low-end VCR was about $200, and the [=LaserDisc=] versions of those titles were $34.95. 1984 also marked Disney's expansion into non-family titles, with Touchstone Home Video accompanying the launch of Creator/TouchstonePictures as Disney's new label for non-family films, with ''Film/{{Splash}}'' being their first release. Buena Vista Home Video also began usage as a label primarily for third-party product licensed to Disney for home release (''Hopalong Cassidy'', ''WesternAnimation/RockyAndBullwinkle'', compilations of episodes from ''Series/TheTonightShowStarringJohnnyCarson'', etc.), episodes of Disney and ABC's television series (mostly in the 2000s), as well as shows and movies [[ProductDisplacement Disney did not want their name associated with]] (such as the OldShame ''Film/MidnightMadness'', as well as ''Franchise/PowerRangers'' when Disney owned that franchise).

For the first few years of the Walt Disney Classics collection, Disney traditionally re-released an "Untouchable" in theaters, then shortly afterwards "opened the vault" to make it available to own on home video. Brand-new entries to the Disney Animated Canon didn't come to home video at first in hopes that their theatrical re-releases would still make money. However, after 1989's ''WesternAnimation/{{The Little Mermaid|1989}}'' became Disney's biggest success in years, it was released to home video only six months after its theatrical premiere. Canon entries following ''The Little Mermaid'' had progressively shorter gaps between their theatrical premieres and their first home video release dates. 1990 marked the debut of another new label, Creator/HollywoodPictures Home Video, with their first release being ''Film/{{Arachnophobia}}'' (though that movie and a couple other early releases under the label lacked an actual logo).

Disney previously vowed that their crown jewels (''WesternAnimation/SnowWhiteAndTheSevenDwarfs'' and ''WesternAnimation/{{Fantasia}}'') would ''never'' be released on video, but they relented with ''Fantasia'' in 1991, followed by ''Snow White'' in 1994 as the first in the Walt Disney Masterpiece Collection line. Some time after this, the term "Untouchable" was apparently abandoned at Disney.[[note]]It probably didn't help that five of the Untouchables found their revenue exceeded by the biggest hits of UsefulNotes/TheRenaissanceAgeOfAnimation.[[/note]] With VHS sales eating up revenue from theatrical reissues, Disney eventually only did the latter on special occasions. 1994 saw ''three'' new labels launched -- [[Creator/MiramaxFilms Miramax Home Entertainment]], [[Creator/DimensionFilms Dimension Home Video]], and [[Creator/DicEntertainment [=DiC=] Toon-Time Video]] (though Disney acquired Miramax and Dimension in 1993, [=DiC=] wouldn't join the Disney family until 1996 with the Capital Cities/Creator/{{ABC}} merger, though Disney eventually sold the company some time after). Miramax's releases had gone through other distributors like Paramount and IVE/Live prior to the Disney buyout.[[labelnote:Miramax]] Ironically, in the present day, Paramount currently distributes much of the Miramax library on physical and digital media as a result of then-[=ViacomCBS=]' acquisition of a 49 percent stake from Miramax owners [=beIN=] Media Group, while IVE/Live successor Lionsgate distributes the titles they coproduced with Miramax, such as ''Film/ReservoirDogs'' and ''Film/BobRoberts'', to this day.[[/labelnote]]

Towards the end of 1997, Disney began releasing their live action movies on UsefulNotes/{{DVD}}. Within the next couple of years, the studio kicked off their efforts to make the Disney Animated Canon available on the format, beginning with ''Pinocchio''. In lieu of the Untouchables, Disney compiled the 14 movies that sold the most videotapes into a collection of films that each remained available for only a limited time before going into moratorium for many years.[[labelnote:the 14]](''Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs'', ''Pinocchio'', ''Fantasia'', ''Bambi'', ''Cinderella'', ''Peter Pan'', ''Lady and the Tramp'', ''Sleeping Beauty'', ''101 Dalmatians'', ''The Jungle Book'', ''The Little Mermaid'', ''WesternAnimation/BeautyAndTheBeast'', ''WesternAnimation/{{Aladdin}}'', and ''WesternAnimation/TheLionKing1994'')[[/labelnote]] Disney initially referred to these films as the "Platinum" collection, but proceeded to change the name whenever the DAC's oldest entry, ''Snow White'', entered a new media format. Other movies only disappeared from stores if the studio decided to re-release them with more bonus features.

Also in 2006, Disney began venturing into non-physical releases. They became the first studio to make their movies available to purchase and download through Apple's [=iTunes=], which at the time was run by Creator/{{Pixar}} CEO and Disney shareholder Creator/SteveJobs. In 2014, Disney launched a website and mobile app especially for downloading and streaming their movies called Disney Movies Anywhere, which launched the same day that the Canon's highest-grossing movie, ''WesternAnimation/{{Frozen|2013}}'', hit digital platforms.

Disney also handles the home video distribution of Creator/StudioGhibli’s entire library under '''ジブリがいっぱいCOLLECTION''' (''Ghibli ga Ippai COLLECTION''; literally meaning ''A Lot of Ghibli Collection'', officially translated as ''The World of Ghibli Collection'') in Japan and Chinese-speaking territories, though they did use to have the North American and French distribution rights as well. They also handle the distribution of select Creator/TsuburayaProductions titles (under '''[[Franchise/UltraSeries Ultraman Archives]]''') in Japan. Most of Studio Ghibli’s titles, however, are distributed by Creator/{{GKIDS}} in North America, and Creator/StudioCanal outside of North America, Japan, and Chinese-speaking territories; while Tsuburaya Productions’ library is distributed by Mill Creek Entertainment in America.

In 1995, 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment was established as an umbrella division, encompassing [=FoxVideo=], CBS/Fox and other media distribution companies Fox owned (including Fox Interactive); this resulted in the TCFHE and [=FoxVideo=] labels being used almost interchangeably. The [=FoxVideo=] and CBS/Fox labels continued to be used until 1998, when Fox acquired CBS' remaining stake in the venture. Shortly after, the BBC signed a new North American video deal with Warner Bros. and ended their existing deal with Fox in the process.

Outside North America at the time, Universal did not distribute their own titles. They instead distributed through CIC Video, a joint-venture with Paramount that functioned as the home video subsidiary of their theatrical distribution venture United International Pictures. In 1998, Seagram acquired [=PolyGram=], and with the purchase came their own home video division. By May 1999, Universal opted out of the CIC Video venture (which soon rebranded under the Paramount name) and rebranded the non-North American divisions of [=PolyGram=] Video under the Universal name. The North American division however, was not folded and was instead sold to USA Networks, which previously acquired Universal's cable and television operations a year prior in 1997, and rebranded the North American division as USA Home Entertainment.

UsefulNotes/TheBlockbusterAgeOfHollywood first brought videos into viewers' homes on [[UsefulNotes/{{VCR}} videocassettes]] [[note]](yes, one word)[[/note]] containing video recordings on magnetic tape. In the videotape [[DuelingProducts format war]], Betamax first appeared in both its native Japan and here in America in 1975, while Video Home System (VHS) also from Japan, debuted there in 1976 and in America in 1977, eventually defeating Betamax by 1988 because VHS needed fewer numbers of its cassettes than Betamax for containing the same amounts (running times) of recorded material and cost less and was easier than Betamax to use. At first, videocassette recorders (VCRs) weren't widely adopted by the average consumer; they were expensive in the mid/late-1970s, but that changed by the mid/late [[UsefulNotes/TheEighties 1980s]]. This was due to prices going down as improvements were made to the technology, but also after the major Hollywood studios stopped being afraid of home video when they realized how much money could be made in the burgeoning videocassette market. For instance, timed releases of thematic products often centered around holidays (early January for start-of-year promos, earlier February for romantic (or at least sex themed) movies for Valentine's Day, March or April for Passover or Resurrection themed films, school-themed films either in June for end of school years or early September for start of/back-to-school [although in real life, many

[-You may have landed on this page looking for a specific home video distributor's page we used to have. If so, what you're looking for may still be here or may have migrated to this {{troper work|s}} wiki for [[https://homevideo.miraheze.org/wiki/Main_Page Home Video]].-]

Disney previously vowed that their crown jewels (''WesternAnimation/SnowWhiteAndTheSevenDwarfs'' and ''WesternAnimation/{{Fantasia}}'') would ''never'' be released on video, but they relented with ''Fantasia'' in 1991, followed by ''Snow White'' in 1994 as the first in the Walt Disney Masterpiece Collection line. Some time after this, the term "Untouchable" was apparently abandoned at Disney.[[note]]It probably didn't help that five of the Untouchables found their revenue exceeded by the biggest hits of UsefulNotes/TheRenaissanceAgeOfAnimation.[[/note]] With VHS sales eating up revenue from theatrical reissues, Disney eventually only did the latter on special occasions. 1994 saw ''three'' new labels launched -- [[Creator/MiramaxFilms Miramax Home Entertainment]], [[Creator/DimensionFilms Dimension Home Video]], and [[Creator/DicEntertainment [=DiC=] Toon-Time Video]] (though Disney acquired Miramax and Dimension in 1993, [=DiC=] wouldn't join the Disney family until 1996 with the Capital Cities/Creator/{{ABC}} merger, though Disney eventually sold the company some time after). Miramax's releases had gone through other distributors like Paramount and IVE/Live prior to the Disney buyout.[[labelnote:Miramax]] Ironically, in the present day, Paramount currently distributes much of the Miramax library on physical and digital media as a result of then-[=ViacomCBS=]' acquisition of a 49 percent stake from Miramax owners [=beIN=] Media Group, while IVE/Live successor Lionsgate distributes the titles they coproduced with Miramax, such as ''Film/ReservoirDogs'' and ''Film/BobRoberts'', to this day.

Disney previously vowed that their crown jewels (''WesternAnimation/SnowWhiteAndTheSevenDwarfs'' and ''WesternAnimation/{{Fantasia}}'') would ''never'' be released on video, but they relented with ''Fantasia'' in 1991, followed by ''Snow White'' in 1994 as the first in the Walt Disney Masterpiece Collection line. Some time after this, the term "Untouchable" was apparently abandoned at Disney.[[note]]It probably didn't help that five of the Untouchables found their revenue exceeded by the biggest hits of UsefulNotes/TheRenaissanceAgeOfAnimation.[[/note]] With VHS sales eating up revenue from theatrical reissues, Disney eventually only did the latter on special occasions. 1994 saw ''three'' new labels launched -- [[Creator/MiramaxFilms Miramax Home Entertainment]], [[Creator/DimensionFilms Dimension Home Video]], and [[Creator/DicEntertainment [=DiC=] Toon-Time Video]] (though Disney acquired Miramax and Dimension in 1993, [=DiC=] wouldn't join the Disney family until 1996 with the Capital Cities/Creator/{{ABC}} merger, though Disney eventually sold the company some time after). Miramax's releases had gone through other distributors like Paramount and IVE/Live prior to the Disney buyout.[[labelnote:Miramax]] Ironically, in the present day, Paramount currently distributes much of the Miramax library on physical and digital media as a result of then-[=ViacomCBS=]' acquisition of a 49 percent stake from Miramax owners [=beIN=] Media Group, while IVE/Live successor Lionsgate distributes the titles they coproduced, such as ''Film/ReservoirDogs'' and ''Film/BobRoberts'', to this day. [[/note]]

Disney previously vowed that their crown jewels (''WesternAnimation/SnowWhiteAndTheSevenDwarfs'' and ''WesternAnimation/{{Fantasia}}'') would ''never'' be released on video, but they relented with ''Fantasia'' in 1991, followed by ''Snow White'' in 1994 as the first in the Walt Disney Masterpiece Collection line. Some time after this, the term "Untouchable" was apparently abandoned at Disney.[[note]]It probably didn't help that five of the Untouchables found their revenue exceeded by the biggest hits of UsefulNotes/TheRenaissanceAgeOfAnimation.[[/note]] With VHS sales eating up revenue from theatrical reissues, Disney eventually only did the latter on special occasions. 1994 saw ''three'' new labels launched -- [[Creator/MiramaxFilms Miramax Home Entertainment]], [[Creator/DimensionFilms Dimension Home Video]], and [[Creator/DicEntertainment [=DiC=] Toon-Time Video]] (though Disney acquired Miramax and Dimension in 1993, [=DiC=] wouldn't join the Disney family until 1996 with the Capital Cities/Creator/{{ABC}} merger, though Disney eventually sold the company some time after). Miramax's releases had gone through other distributors like Paramount and IVE/Live prior to the Disney buyout.

They've partnered with American recording studio Creator/NYAVPost to dub some of their licensed titles that weren't previously dubbed elsewhere, such as ''[[Manga/Cyborg009 009 Re:Cyborg]]'', ''Mai Mai Miracle'' and ''Anime/PsychicSchoolWars''.

[[http://www.klstudioclassics.com Kino Lorber Studio Classics]] is a home video company that specializes in reissuing classic films on UsefulNotes/{{DVD}} and UsefulNotes/BluRay from the catalogs of major studios, including Creator/MetroGoldwynMayer, Creator/TwentiethCenturyFox, Creator/{{Paramount}}, Creator/{{Disney}}, Creator/{{Universal}} and Creator/StudioCanal.

UsefulNotes/TheBlockbusterAgeOfHollywood first brought videos into viewers' homes on [[UsefulNotes/{{VCR}} videocassettes]] [[note]](yes, one word)[[/note]] containing video recordings on magnetic tape. In the videotape [[DuelingProducts format war]], Betamax first appeared in both its native Japan and here in America in 1975, while Video Home System (VHS) also from Japan, debuted there in 1976 and in America in 1977, eventually defeating Betamax by 1988 because VHS needed fewer numbers of its cassettes than Betamax for containing the same amounts (running times) of recorded material and cost less and was easier than Betamax to use. At first, videocassette recorders ([VCRs]) weren't widely adopted by the average consumer; they were expensive in the mid/late-1970s, but that changed by the mid/late [[UsefulNotes/TheEighties 1980s]]. This was due to prices going down as improvements were made to the technology, but also after the major Hollywood studios stopped being afraid of home video when they realized how much money could be made in the burgeoning videocassette market. For instance, timed releases of thematic products often centered around holidays (early January for start-of-year promos, earlier February for romantic (or at least sex themed) movies for Valentine's Day, March or April for Passover or Resurrection themed films, school-themed films either in June for end of school years or early September for start of/back-to-school [although in real life, many

UsefulNotes/TheBlockbusterAgeOfHollywood first brought videos into viewers' homes on [[UsefulNotes/{{VCR}} videocassettes]] [[note]](yes, one word)[[/note]] containing video recordings on magnetic tape. In the videotape [[DuelingProducts format war]], Betamax first appeared in both its native Japan and here in America in 1975, while Video Home System (VHS) also from Japan, debuted there in 1976 and in America in 1977, eventually defeating Betamax by 1988 because VHS needed fewer numbers of its cassettes than Betamax for containing the same amounts (running times) of recorded material. At first, videocassette recorders ([=VCRs=]) weren't widely adopted by the average consumer; they were expensive in the mid/late-1970s, but that changed by the mid/late [[UsefulNotes/TheEighties 1980s]]. This was due to prices going down as improvements were made to the technology, but also after the major Hollywood studios stopped being afraid of home video when they realized how much money could be made in the burgeoning videocassette market. For instance, time releases of thematic product centered around holidays (start of year in January, romantic films in earlier February for Valentine's Day, religious films around Easter, school-themed films either in June for ending of school years or early September for start of/back-to-school, horror films in October for Halloween, and winter holiday movies and specials around Christmas), as well as lower-cost sell-through product (often older films, direct-to-video product and TV content) and various other promotional gimmicks and deals.

In 2017, Disney began releasing their library on 4K [=UltraHD=] Blu-ray and Digital formats, and the renamed Movies Anywhere started offering other studios' works in addition to Disney's. The following year, ''WesternAnimation/WreckItRalph'' became the Animated Canon's first [=UltraHD=] title (as a tie-in with ''WesternAnimation/RalphBreaksTheInternet''), and ''WesternAnimation/TheLionKing1994'' their first traditionally-animated UHD release. The 4K upgrade of ''The Lion King'' hinted at the end of a Disney Vault for the Canon, since Disney didn't discontinue the 2017 home media releases beforehand. By the time ''WesternAnimation/TheJungleBook1967'' returned to retailers in 2022, all of the studio's hand-drawn bestsellers achieved perpetual circulation. In 2023, Disney also confirmed that the titles would no longer have a special line all to themselves, by giving the ''WesternAnimation/{{Cinderella}}'' and ''Snow White'' [=UHDs=] (timed with [[MilestoneCelebration the Walt Disney Company's 100th anniversary]]) the same Ultimate Collection Edition banner as all of their non-Marvel [=UHDs=].

In 2017, Disney began releasing their library on 4K [=UltraHD=] Blu-ray and Digital formats, and the renamed Movies Anywhere started offering other studios' works in addition to Disney's. The following year, ''WesternAnimation/WreckItRalph'' became the Animated Canon's first [=UltraHD=] title (as a tie-in with ''WesternAnimation/RalphBreaksTheInternet''), and ''WesternAnimation/TheLionKing1994'' their first traditionally-animated UHD release. The 4K upgrade of ''The Lion King'' hinted at the end of a Disney Vault for the Canon, since Disney didn't discontinue the 2017 home media releases beforehand. By the time ''WesternAnimation/TheJungleBook1967'' returned to retailers in 2022, all of the studio's hand-drawn bestsellers achieved perpetual circulation. They also no longer have a special line all to themselves; the 2023 ''Snow White'' UHD (timed with [[MilestoneCelebration the Walt Disney Company's 100th anniversary]]) boasts the same "Ultimate Collector's Edition" banner as all of Disney's non-Marvel [=UHD=]s.

In 2017, Disney began releasing their library on 4K [=UltraHD=] Blu-ray and Digital formats, and the renamed Movies Anywhere started offering other studios' works in addition to Disney's. The following year, ''WesternAnimation/WreckItRalph'' became the Animated Canon's first [=UltraHD=] title (as a tie-in with ''WesternAnimation/RalphBreaksTheInternet''), and ''WesternAnimation/TheLionKing1994'' their first traditionally-animated UHD release. The 4K upgrade of ''The Lion King'' hinted at the end of a Disney Vault for the Canon, since Disney didn't discontinue the 2017 home media releases beforehand. By the time ''WesternAnimation/TheJungleBook1967'' returned to retailers in 2022, all of the studio's hand-drawn bestsellers achieved perpetual circulation.

UsefulNotes/TheBlockbusterAgeOfHollywood first brought videos into viewers' homes on [[UsefulNotes/{{VCR}} videocassettes]] [[note]](yes, one word)[[/note]] containing video recordings on magnetic tape. In the videotape [[DuelingProducts format war]], Betamax first appeared in both its native Japan and here in America in 1975, while Video Home System (VHS) also from Japan, debuted there in 1976 and in America in 1977, eventually defeating Betamax by 1988 because VHS needed fewer numbers of its cassettes than Betamax for containing the same amounts (running times) of recorded material. At first, videocassette recorders ([VCRs]) weren't widely adopted by the average consumer; they were expensive in the mid/late-1970s, but that changed by the mid/late [[UsefulNotes/TheEighties 1980s]]. This was due to prices going down as improvements were made to the technology, but also after the major Hollywood studios stopped being afraid of home video when they realized how much money could be made in the burgeoning videocassette market. For instance, time releases of thematic product centered around holidays (start of year in January, romantic films in earlier February for Valentine's Day, religious films around Easter, school-themed films either in June for ending of school years or early September for start of/back-to-school, horror films in October for Halloween, and winter holiday movies and specials around Christmas), as well as lower-cost sell-through product (often older films, direct-to-video product and TV content) and various other promotional gimmicks and deals.

UsefulNotes/TheBlockbusterAgeOfHollywood first brought videos into viewers' homes on [[UsefulNotes/{{VCR}} videocassettes]] [[note]](yes, one word)[[/note]] containing video recordings on magnetic tape. In the videotape [[DuelingProducts format war]], Betamax first appeared in both its native Japan and here in America in 1975, while Video Home System (VHS) also from Japan, debuted there in 1976 and in America in 1977, eventually defeating Betamax by 1988 because VHS needed fewer numbers of its cassettes than Betamax for containing the same amounts (running times) of recorded material. At first, videocassette recorders ([VCRs]) weren't widely adopted by the average consumer; they were expensive in the mid/late-1970s, but that changed by the mid/late [[UsefulNotes/TheEighties 1980s]]. This was due to prices going down as improvements were made to the technology, but also after the major Hollywood studios stopped being afraid of home video when they realized how much money could be made in the burgeoning videocassette market. For instance, time releases of thematic product centered around holidays (romantic films in earlier February for Valentine's Day, religious films around Easter, school-themed films either in Junes for ending of school years or early September for start of/back-to-school, horror films in Octobers for Halloween, and winter holiday movies and specials around Christmas), as well as lower-cost sell-through product (often older films, direct-to-video product and TV content) and various other promotional gimmicks and deals.

UsefulNotes/TheBlockbusterAgeOfHollywood first brought videos into viewers' homes on [[UsefulNotes/{{VCR}} videocassettes]] [[note]](yes, one word)[[/note]] containing video recordings on magnetic tape. In the videotape [[DuelingProducts format war]], Betamax first appeared in both its native Japan and here in America in 1975, while Video Home System (VHS) also from Japan, debuted there in 1976 and in America in 1977, eventually defeating Betamax by 1988 because VHS needed fewer numbers of its cassettes than Betamax for the same lengths of recorded material. At first, videocassette recorders ([=VCRs=]) weren't widely adopted by the average consumer; they were expensive in the mid/late-1970s, but that changed by the mid/late [[UsefulNotes/TheEighties 1980s]]. This was due to prices going down as improvements were made to the technology, but also after the major Hollywood studios stopped being afraid of home video when they realized how much money could be made in the burgeoning video rental market. For instance, time releases of thematic product centered around holidays (romantic films on Valentine's Day, religious films around Easter, and holiday movies and specials around Christmas), as well as lower-cost sell-through product (often older films, direct-to-video product and TV content) and various other promotional gimmicks and deals.

In 2017, Disney began releasing their library on 4K [=UltraHD=] Blu-ray and Digital formats, and the renamed Movies Anywhere started offering other studios' works in addition to Disney's. The following year, ''WesternAnimation/WreckItRalph'' became the Animated Canon's first [=UltraHD=] title (as a tie-in with ''WesternAnimation/RalphBreaksTheInternet''), and ''WesternAnimation/TheLionKing1994'' their first traditionally-animated UHD release. The 4K upgrade of ''The Lion King'' hinted at the end of a Disney Vault for theatrical movies, since Disney didn't discontinue the 2017 home media releases beforehand. By the time ''WesternAnimation/TheJungleBook1967'' returned to retailers in 2022, all of the studio's hand-drawn bestsellers achieved perpetual circulation.

A home video may begin with a [[PublicServiceAnnouncement copyright and anti-piracy notice]], and this warning may be [[UsefulNotes/UserOperationProhibitFlag unskippable]]. Nevertheless, some works only exist today thanks to consumers who [[KeepCirculatingTheTapes recorded, copied, and circulated the tapes]]. Unlike [=VHS's=] weak copy protection, UsefulNotes/RegionCoding on optical discs can thwart copying or even ''playing'' them, and they may utilize UsefulNotes/DigitalRightsManagement because DigitalPiracyIsEvil (... or [[DigitalPiracyIsOkay is it?]]).

In 2017, Disney began releasing their library on 4K [=UltraHD=] Blu-ray and Digital formats, and the renamed Movies Anywhere started offering other studios' works in addition to Disney's. The following year, ''WesternAnimation/WreckItRalph'' became the Animated Canon's first [=UltraHD=] title (as a tie-in with ''WesternAnimation/RalphBreaksTheInternet''), and ''WesternAnimation/TheLionKing1994'' their first traditionally-animated UHD release. The 4K upgrade of ''The Lion King'' hinted at the end of the Disney Vault, since Disney didn't discontinue the 2017 home media releases beforehand. By the time ''WesternAnimation/TheJungleBook1967'' returned to retailers in 2022, all of the studio's hand-drawn bestsellers achieved perpetual circulation.

->''"Recently, any movie - no matter how big or small, successful or not - will, after a very short life on the big screen, have a much longer life on an electronic screen."''

Not wanting to restrict his mainstream programming to children's entertainment, Bloom entered into a joint venture with Scott Mansfield to form Monterey Home Video. In 1983, FHE started a third mainstream division, U.S.A. Home Video, with three releases: ''Fiona'', a biography of adult star Fiona Richmond; ''Film/{{Ms 45}}'', Creator/AbelFerrara's second feature-length film; and ''Thin Thighs in Thirty Days'', an exercise video. U.S.A. Home Video expanded vigorously the next year by acquiring films from Creator/ITCEntertainment, Creator/{{Viacom}}, Alan Landsburg Productions, Lorimar, and Tomorrow Entertainment, among others. Its biggest hits were ''Film/Supergirl1984'' and ''Film/NineteenEightyFour'', the former a theatrical flop which ended up doing better business on home video, and the latter a faithful adaptation of Creator/GeorgeOrwell's dystopian novel which happened to be filmed in the exact timeframe in which the story takes place.

In late summer 1984, Bloom began a series of consolidations of his labels, leading to International Video Entertainment (IVE) in 1985. The IVE name was used for non-family releases, and the FHE name for family releases. Around the same time, they signed a deal with Creator/ElviraMistressOfTheDark to host a series of horror titles under the [=ThrillerVideo=] label.[[note]](Elvira stayed away from the more adult titles, as well as those that included scenes of animal cruelty, out of concern for her own image.)[[/note]] The next year, they entered into a similar pact with Creator/SybilDanning for a series of cult action titles under the Adventure Video label and additionally started releasing sports titles.

Family Home Entertainment was founded in 1981 by [[UsefulNotes/{{Pornography}} adult filmmaker]] ([[SincerityMode seriously]]) Noel Christopher Bloom Sr., a year after his adult film company entered the home video market as Caballero Control Corporation. FHE's initial lineup [[note]](which included ''Theatre/{{Pippin}}'', ''Music/TomJones Live in Las Vegas'', a trio of early Creator/ToeiAnimation features, and several Western and Japanese animated programs, including ''WesternAnimation/{{Gumby}}'', ''[[Anime/HanaNoKoLunlun Angel]]'', ''Manga/CandyCandy'', ''Anime/CaptainHarlock'', ''[[Anime/RockyChuckTheMountainRat Fables of the Green Forest]]'', and ''[[Anime/LittleLulu Little Lulu and Tubby]]'')[[/note]] was introduced at that summer's Consumer Electronics Show in Chicago. Most of the initial offerings were licensed from ZIV International, which would later be absorbed by [[Creator/{{Lorimar}} Lorimar-Telepictures]]. From there, FHE had nowhere to go but up, acquiring such lucrative properties as ''Franchise/CareBears'', ''WesternAnimation/GIJoe'', ''WesternAnimation/InspectorGadget'', ''WesternAnimation/StrawberryShortcake'', ''WesternAnimation/TheTransformers'', and several others from Creator/{{Filmation}}. On some tapes, various ''WesternAnimation/LooneyTunes'' shorts were included as padding if the content fell short of an hour.

In 2017, Disney began releasing their library on 4K [=UltraHD=] Blu-ray and Digital formats, and the renamed Movies Anywhere started offering other studios' works in addition to Disney's. The following year, ''WesternAnimation/WreckItRalph'' became the Animated Canon's first [=UltraHD=] title (as a tie-in with ''WesternAnimation/RalphBreaksTheInternet''), and ''WesternAnimation/TheLionKing1994'' their first traditionally-animated UHD release. In hindsight, the 4K upgrade of ''The Lion King'' suggested the beginning of the end of the Disney Vault, since Disney didn't discontinue the 2017 home media releases beforehand. Even though some of the hand-drawn bestsellers remained out of print in 2018, they would all achieve perpetual circulation by the time ''WesternAnimation/TheJungleBook1967'' returned to retailers in 2022.

In 2017, Disney began releasing their library on 4K [=UltraHD=] Blu-ray and Digital formats, and the renamed Movies Anywhere started offering other studios' works in addition to Disney's. The following year, ''WesternAnimation/WreckItRalph'' became the Animated Canon's first [=UltraHD=] title (as a tie-in with ''WesternAnimation/RalphBreaksTheInternet''), and ''WesternAnimation/TheLionKing1994'' their first traditionally-animated UHD release. In hindsight, the 4K upgrade of ''The Lion King'' suggested the beginning of the end of the Disney Vault, since Disney didn't discontinue the 2017 home media releases beforehand. Even though some of the hand-drawn bestsellers remained out of print in 2018, they would all resume circulation by the time ''WesternAnimation/TheJungleBook1967'' returned to retailers in 2022.