| 1 | ->''"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."'' |
| 2 | -->-- '''Vittorio Storaro''' |
| 3 | |
| 4 | [-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.wikitide.org/wiki/Main_Page Home Video]].-] |
| 5 | |
| 6 | !!Home video |
| 7 | Home video, as a medium, encompasses pre-recorded videos owned or rented by consumers for viewing in their homes on their own schedule-- to put it laconically, video at home. Thanks to home video, viewers no longer have to visit the cinema during a film's theatrical run or stay by the television during a broadcast controlled by the network or local or regional station. |
| 8 | |
| 9 | MediaNotes/TheBlockbusterAgeOfHollywood first brought videos into viewers' homes on [[Platform/{{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 |
| 10 | schools' academic years start in mid/late August], horror films in October for Halloween, and winter holiday movies and television specials around December), as well as lower-cost sell-through products (often older films, direct-to-video product and TV content) and various other promotional gimmicks and deals. |
| 11 | |
| 12 | The Platform/{{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. |
| 13 | |
| 14 | The first Platform/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. |
| 15 | |
| 16 | Another format war in the early [=2000's=] saw Platform/BluRay emerge victorious as the MediaNotes/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. |
| 17 | |
| 18 | In the [=2010s=], non-physical home video releases emerged, including digital purchases, video-on-demand services, and video streaming. |
| 19 | |
| 20 | The last VCR manufacturer ended production in 2016. |
| 21 | |
| 22 | !!Home video distribution |
| 23 | Home video distribution basically involves securing the rights to distribute a work in a particular home video format, converting that work into that format, and getting the resulting product into viewers' homes. This process is carried out by home video distributors. Distributors can be standalone companies that license works created by others, or they may be a distribution arm for the studio that makes those works. For instance, [[Creator/{{Disney}} The Walt Disney Company]] distributes home videos of films created by its [[Creator/WaltDisneyAnimationUnits animation studios]] through Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment. |
| 24 | |
| 25 | In the early days of home video, a motion picture could only be released on home video after it had been broadcast on television. Interestingly, the home video revolution had roots as an anti-analog piracy system. Why would consumers pay triple digits for a shoddy-quality pirated film recorded from the TV broadcast, maybe full of commercial breaks and network edits, when they could rent or own a legal copy for double digits? |
| 26 | |
| 27 | Home video distributors have sometimes distinguished titles for sale from titles for rental through their packaging. For instance, 20th Century Fox Video rental tapes were packaged in black, boxy Amaray clamshells; titles for sale used a unique packaging which became colloquially known as the "Fox Box". In the early 1980s, Disney used blue cases (rentals) and white cases (sales) in part to make it easy to determine if dealers were renting out titles meant for consumer sales or making duplicates on standard black VHS tapes. |
| 28 | |
| 29 | A home video may begin with a [[PublicServiceAnnouncement copyright and anti-piracy notice]], and this warning may be [[MediaNotes/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,(unless you include NTSC, PAL and SECAM, which are a physical 'region lock'.) MediaNotes/RegionCoding on optical discs can thwart copying or even ''playing'' them, and they may utilize MediaNotes/DigitalRightsManagement because DigitalPiracyIsEvil (... or [[DigitalPiracyIsOkay is it?]]). |
| 30 | |
| 31 | For films originally released in cinemas, the "release window" between the theatrical release and the home video release varies with the intent of making profit through multiple venues. Some works are created specifically for home video release, or may get a change of plan during production. These are usually referred to as DirectToVideo or straight-to-DVD/straight-to-Blu-ray. |
| 32 | |
| 33 | Some of the SugarWiki/NamesToKnowInAnime act as home video distributors for anime films and series in addition to licensing, translating, and producing dubs. |
| 34 | |
| 35 | !Names to know in home video |
| 36 | The "Big Five" major film studios -- Creator/{{Disney}}, Creator/{{Paramount}} Pictures, Creator/SonyPictures, Creator/{{Universal}} Studios, and Creator/WarnerBros -- all have their own home video distribution arms, but home video didn't start with just studio-owned distributors. |
| 37 | |
| 38 | !!Magnetic Video and 20th Century Fox |
| 39 | [[quoteright:250:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/mvc.PNG]] |
| 40 | |
| 41 | Despite them having long since bit the acquisition-and-subsequent-absorption bullet, without the efforts of one '''Magnetic Video Corporation''', home video as a form of media distribution likely wouldn't have gotten off the ground. Magnetic Video was the first home video distributor for theatrical motion pictures that consumers could purchase, not just rent, on Betamax or VHS. |
| 42 | |
| 43 | The company was established in 1968 as an [[NonIndicativeName audio duplication facility]] in the Detroit suburb of Farmington Hills, Michigan by one Andre Blay. Blay wanted to duplicate movies on videocassette, but not only was the technology not advanced enough yet, the major studios were skeptical because of possible analog piracy. However, one fateful day in August 1977, Blay reached a contractual agreement with the financially-dire Creator/TwentiethCenturyFox to license and distribute fifty of their films. In November 1977, Magnetic Video began their Fox VHS and Betamax releases, with aspirant salesman George Atkinson being among Blay's first clientele, purchasing two copies of every film -- one on Betamax, one on VHS -- to sell at his recently-erected video store in Los Angeles. |
| 44 | |
| 45 | Fox wasn't the only company Magnetic Video made deals with. As their success grew, they began distributing films from other studios. In the United States alone, Magnetic Video produced over 400 different releases from 1977 to 1982.[[labelnote:some of the deals included]](In 1978: Avco-Embassy Pictures Corporation, RBC Films (specifically their Creator/CharlieChaplin library), and Creator/{{Viacom}} International, including films featuring Music/ElvisPresley, Creator/JerryLewis, Creator/{{Terrytoons}} cartoon compilations and sports tapes. In 1979: Brut Productions, Pathé News, and Bill Burrud Productions, specifically six documentary films syndicated by Gold Key Entertainment. In 1980: Creator/{{ABC}} Video Enterprises, the American Film Theatre, and Creator/ITCEntertainment.)[[/labelnote]] They launched Magnetic Video Sports and a [=LaserDisc=] division in 1981, and began distributing films by Creator/UnitedArtists Corporation (some of which were originally distributed by Creator/WarnerBros). They had international branches too -- Magnetic Video UK, Magnetic Video Australia, and a South Pacific division. Magnetic Video was also a tape duplicator for early releases by Creator/{{Paramount}} Home Video and MCA Videocassette Inc. |
| 46 | |
| 47 | Magnetic Video Corporation was purchased by Creator/TwentiethCenturyFox in 1979. After Andre Blay left the company in late 1981 to form Blay Video, Magnetic Video adopted the name of its parent company and became 20th Century-Fox Video. Around the same time, it began a rental program called the Video Rental Library which grew to include titles in the ''Franchise/StarWars'', ''Franchise/{{Rocky}}'', ''Franchise/JamesBond'', and ''Dollars Trilogy'' franchises; this didn't last long, however, in the wake of Warner Home Video's disastrous rental-only program forcing Fox and several other companies to scrap theirs. |
| 48 | |
| 49 | 20th Century-Fox Video merged with CBS Video Enterprises in 1982-1991 to become CBS/Fox Video. |
| 50 | |
| 51 | !!CBS/Fox Video |
| 52 | [[quoteright:250:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/cbs_fox.jpg]] |
| 53 | |
| 54 | The CBS/Fox Company, better known as simply CBS/Fox Video, was the successor to Magnetic Video (as 20th Century-Fox Video) and CBS Video Enterprises. |
| 55 | |
| 56 | In the summer of 1982, CBS Video Enterprises had recently split from Creator/MetroGoldwynMayer[[labelnote:MGM]](causing their former joint venture, MGM/CBS Home Video, to be renamed MGM/UA Home Video)[[/labelnote]] when CBS and Fox merged their home video distribution to form CBS/Fox Video. |
| 57 | |
| 58 | In addition to many of Magnetic Video's earlier clients, CBS/Fox Video made a deal with Creator/TriStarPictures, a joint venture between CBS, Creator/ColumbiaPictures, and Creator/{{HBO}}.[[note]](until CBS and HBO dropped out of the partnership in 1985 and 1987, respectively)[[/note]] In the mid-'80s, CBS/Fox Video was fairly aggressive with markdowns, beginning with their "Five Star Collection" promotions in 1986. For a brief period in 1987, they were the official duplicator for future parent company [[Creator/{{Disney}} Walt Disney's home videos]] before VCA/Technicolor acquired their duplication facilities that July. |
| 59 | |
| 60 | CBS/Fox Video established two sub-labels, both discontinued by 1991: [[labelnote:after 1991]](Key Video was briefly relaunched as Key DVD in the early-2000's, and many Playhouse titles from Fox and CBS were released again in the mid-to-late 90s under the Creator/FoxKids Video label)[[/labelnote]] |
| 61 | * Key Video handled drive-in/B-movie fare, classic and made-for-TV movies, and "low-profile" films from Fox, UA, Tri-Star and Creator/{{Lorimar}}. |
| 62 | * Playhouse Video handled children's/family titles, including: CBS-owned Creator/DrSeuss projects, ''Franchise/TheMuppets'' titles, ''Franchise/PlanetOfTheApes'' films, and the first ''Franchise/DoctorWho'' tapes released in America. |
| 63 | |
| 64 | In March 1991, a major reorganization gave Fox greater control over the company's operations, and [=FoxVideo=] was launched to handle the distribution of the company's library. Meanwhile, CBS began releasing their own products under the CBS Video label, with [=FoxVideo=] handling distribution. CBS/Fox was relegated to third-party content, such as [[Creator/TheBBC BBC Video]] releases and [[UsefulNotes/NationalBasketballAssociation NBA]] tapes. |
| 65 | |
| 66 | 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. Fox continued to distribute CBS Video releases until 2000, when Paramount Home Entertainment took over distribution following CBS's merger with Viacom that same year. Shortly after, the BBC signed a new North American video deal with Warner Bros. and ended their existing deal with Fox in the process. |
| 67 | |
| 68 | With Creator/{{Disney}}'s acquisition of 21st Century Fox in March 2019, 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment was absorbed into Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment. |
| 69 | |
| 70 | !!MGM/CBS and MGM/UA Home Video |
| 71 | [[quoteright:250:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/mgm_cbs.PNG]] |
| 72 | |
| 73 | Creator/MetroGoldwynMayer (MGM), formerly one of the "Big Five" before the MediaNotes/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. |
| 74 | |
| 75 | Back in 1973, MGM had sold its film distribution division to Creator/UnitedArtists (UA). In 1981, MGM merged with the then-bankrupt United Artists and formed MGM/UA Entertainment Co., the biggest major movie studio combination at the time. At the end of the year, MGM/CBS introduced its rental program, "First Run Home Video Theater"; its first title was ''Tarzan, the Ape Man''. |
| 76 | |
| 77 | In 1982, MGM and CBS parted ways; CBS partnered with 20th Century-Fox Video to form CBS/Fox Video, and the former MGM/CBS company was renamed MGM/UA Home Video. The split caused a problem with MGM's rental-only program as one of the titles, ''S.O.B.'', was a CBS release that was yet to become a sale title at the time of the split. However, pre-1981 United Artists releases, and some after, were licensed to CBS/Fox Video for the rest of the decade due to a previous agreement between United Artists and Fox from back when the company was known as Magnetic Video. |
| 78 | |
| 79 | In 1986, UsefulNotes/TedTurner acquired the pre-1986 MGM library, and MGM/UA signed a deal with Turner Entertainment to continue releasing the library on video. Following MGM's purchase in 1990 by corrupt Italian financier Giancarlo Paretti's Pathé Communications [[note]](the former [[Creator/TheCannonGroup Cannon Films]]; he had renamed it in anticipation of acquiring famed French movie studio Pathé, which didn't happen after the French government essentially determined he was too shady, a foreshadowing for his [[TyrantTakesTheHelm disastrous reign]] over MGM)[[/note]], MGM/UA Home Video struck a deal for Warner Home Video to distribute their titles on home video. Turner's holdings were purchased by Time Warner in 1996, and the MGM library moved to Warner Home Video in 1999. The company was renamed MGM Home Entertainment in 1998. The deal between Warner Bros. and MGM was originally set to end in 2003, but MGM bought themselves out of it in 2000 (primarily so they could begin releasing titles inherited from their acquisition of Creator/OrionPictures; they'd already begun to do so via Orion's still-extant video arm, which caused WB to file a lawsuit) and gave up home video rights to Warner Home Video for the Turner-owned MGM/UA films. |
| 80 | |
| 81 | After MGM's purchase by Sony and other investors in 2005, the MGM library was released through Sony Pictures Home Entertainment. In 2006, MGM struck a new deal with 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment, and twice renewed it -- until Disney acquired Fox's parent company, though they did continue to honor the deal until it expired in June 2020. MGM elected not to make a new deal with Disney, and MGM's home media distribution moved to Warner Bros. Home Entertainment, who had formed a joint-venture with Universal for physical media distribution (Universal had been releasing certain new MGM titles on home media since 2018). |
| 82 | |
| 83 | !!MCA/Universal Home Video |
| 84 | [[quoteright:250:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/mca_discovision1.gif]] |
| 85 | [[quoteright:250:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/mca_videocassette.jpg]] |
| 86 | [[quoteright:250:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/mca_videodisc.jpg]] |
| 87 | |
| 88 | 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: "Platform/LaserDisc". |
| 89 | |
| 90 | MCA, which had purchased the patents for the "Reflective Optical Videodisc System" in 1968, spun off MCA Laboratories to develop this revolutionary new system. They purchased a defunct furniture factory and converted it to a full-scale mastering and replication facility which became the largest manufacturer of laser videodiscs in the United States. |
| 91 | |
| 92 | 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 Platform/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. |
| 93 | |
| 94 | In 1978, the year of its official launch, Disco-Vision dropped the hyphen and simply became [=DiscoVision=]. Creator/{{Disney}}, Creator/{{Paramount}}, and Creator/WarnerBros, among other entities, signed distribution deals with MCA [=DiscoVision=]. |
| 95 | |
| 96 | In May 1980, MCA entered the videocassette business as MCA Videocassette, Inc. to distribute both VHS and Betamax releases. They launched with just over two dozen titles from Universal Studios. |
| 97 | |
| 98 | [=DiscoVision=] was quickly riddled with problems on many fronts. MCA and Philips scrambled trying to solve them, but this ultimately failed; [=DiscoVision=] went bust by the end of 1981. It's considered an OldShame by MCA and its successors, but a CultClassic among collectors. |
| 99 | |
| 100 | In 1982, MCA decided to take a second stab at the videodisc business and launched a more successful division called MCA Videodisc. This label was used for both [=LaserVision=] and CED releases. In 1983, MCA Videodisc and MCA Videocassette merged to become MCA Home Video. By the 1990s, the company became [=MCA/Universal=] Home Video, and following the Seagram purchase in 1997 and the retirement of the MCA brand, the company became simply Universal Studios Home Video. |
| 101 | |
| 102 | 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 (which would finally be folded into Universal in 2002, following the reacquisition of USA's assets by Creator/{{Vivendi}}). |
| 103 | |
| 104 | By 2005, the company would rename again as Universal Studios Home Entertainment, before settling on Universal Pictures Home Entertainment in 2016. |
| 105 | |
| 106 | In 2020, Universal announced a joint-venture with Warner Home Video for the North American market, which would be known as Studio Distribution Services. Outside North America, Warner Home Video and Universal Pictures Home Entertainment have entered into vice-versa partnerships, where in some regions Universal would distribute Warner titles, and Warner would distribute Universal titles in others. |
| 107 | |
| 108 | !!Fotomat Video |
| 109 | [[quoteright:250:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/fotomat_video_1745.jpg]] |
| 110 | |
| 111 | Fotomat was a photography pioneer, video rental innovator, and originator of the "manufacture-on-demand" concept. |
| 112 | |
| 113 | In mid-1979, Fotomat entered into an agreement with Creator/{{Paramount}} to rent and sell 43 feature films on videocassette. Among the first offered through Fotomat were ''Film/SaturdayNightFever'', ''Film/TheGodfather'', and ''The Godfather Part II''. Fotomat partnered with Chicago-based Bell & Howell Video Systems on a new manufacture-on-demand rental venture, "Fotomat Drive-Thru Movies"; Bell & Howell was the tape duplicator for the entire run of this service. It was initially tested in Los Angeles before spreading nationwide in December 1979. Customers browsed through a small catalog, called a toll-free number to order the movie or movies of their choice, then the video(s) would arrive the next day for pickup at a Fotomat drive-thru kiosk.[[labelnote:catalog]](a sample list can be found [[https://c1.staticflickr.com/1/688/23591504961_64744a939e_b.jpg here]])[[/labelnote]] Renting a title on videocassette was relatively cheap compared to purchasing; rentals were $12 for five days (later reduced to $9.95) compared to purchasing a tape between $40 and $70.[[labelnote:inflation]](For perspective, run those through [[https://www.bls.gov/data/inflation_calculator.htm an inflation calculator]]. Brace yourself for sticker shock.)[[/labelnote]] |
| 114 | |
| 115 | In 1980, Fotomat entered into a rental arrangement with Creator/{{Disney}} for ten feature films and three episodes of Disney's anthology series, kicking off the distribution of Walt Disney Home Video. |
| 116 | |
| 117 | Since Fotomat's problems were quickly apparent to Paramount, Paramount started their own distributor instead of continuing with Fotomat. Those problems included tapes getting lost in transit and resold by less innocuous interests, and competition from local video rental stores that offered cheaper prices without the overnight wait. Fotomat ended the rental service in 1982. |
| 118 | |
| 119 | !!Paramount Home Video |
| 120 | [[quoteright:250:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/paramount.jpg]] |
| 121 | Paramount Home Video is one of the earliest players in the home video industry. |
| 122 | |
| 123 | Creator/{{Paramount}} Pictures first attempted to enter the industry in 1976 [[labelnote:failure]](through a pact with S/T Videocassette Duplicating Corporation to release certain films on videocassette, but nothing came of that deal)[[/labelnote]], but their movies remained unavailable on videocassette until they joined forces with Fotomat in 1979. Fotomat offered video rental from a catalog with next-day pickup at Fotomat kiosks. |
| 124 | |
| 125 | Recognizing early on that Fotomat's program had problems, Paramount decided to self-release its formerly rental-only titles for consumer purchase. Paramount previewed several dozen titles at the 1980 Consumer Electronics Show. They later began releasing their titles on laser videodisc. |
| 126 | |
| 127 | In 1982, Paramount Home Video released two titles that changed the home video world forever: the ''Series/StarTrekTheOriginalSeries'' episode "[[Recap/StarTrekS1E22SpaceSeed Space Seed]]" and its follow-up movie, ''Film/StarTrekIITheWrathOfKhan''. The videotapes were priced directly for the consumer at the relatively-affordable prices of $29.95 for the episode and $39.95 for the movie (compared to $79.95 ''or more'' for other titles). This move created the home video "sell-through" market, where consumers make a one-time purchase to own a video forever instead of repeatedly paying to rent it. Distributors gained another revenue stream by selling to consumers in addition to rental companies. |
| 128 | |
| 129 | In 1999, Paramount Home Video was renamed Paramount Home Entertainment. 2000 saw the former CIC Video, an international joint-venture of Paramount and Universal, become Paramount's international video arm; Universal had just purchased [=PolyGram=] Films and their international home video arm, rendering CIC pointless. |
| 130 | |
| 131 | !!RCA/Columbia Pictures, [=TriStar=], and Sony |
| 132 | [[quoteright:250:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/edf072c95683bb814cd0a1326cbc18a8.jpg]] |
| 133 | [[caption-width-right:250:Former logo during the 1980s]] |
| 134 | |
| 135 | [[quoteright:250:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/sonyhome.jpg]] |
| 136 | [[caption-width-right:250:Logo as Sony Pictures Home Entertainment]] |
| 137 | |
| 138 | RCA/Columbia Pictures Home Video is the former name of a home video division currently known as Sony Pictures Home Entertainment. |
| 139 | |
| 140 | Creator/ColumbiaPictures had been previously releasing its own films and those of fellow Hollywood studio Creator/WarnerBros on Super 8. In November 1979, they launched Columbia Pictures Home Entertainment with 20 titles on VHS and Betamax and several others on Super 8. This entry into the videocassette market is generally regarded as the beginning of the company. Columbia was also a pioneer in closed captioning for home video on its early releases. |
| 141 | |
| 142 | In 1981, Columbia and Creator/{{RCA|Records}}, the creator of the Platform/{{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. |
| 143 | |
| 144 | Creator/SonyPictures acquired and merged Columbia Pictures and [=TriStar=] Pictures together in 1989, but around the same time, RCA/Columbia Pictures Home Video got into a legal spat with Creator/{{NBC}}. NBC's parent company, General Electric (GE), had acquired RCA in 1986. In 1990, NBC accused Columbia and Sony of attempting to subvert the joint home video venture by picking up international video rights to Creator/OrionPictures films. Ultimately, GE opted to sell its share of RCA/Columbia (50%) to Sony, ending the litigation. |
| 145 | |
| 146 | Sony renamed the company Columbia [=TriStar=] Home Video in 1991. Another Sony video division, Sony Video Services, was merged into the former RCA/Columbia and became SVS-Triumph. The name was used for "low-profile" New Line, Columbia, and [=TriStar=] releases, as well as Epic Productions releases that went through Triumph theatrically (these had previously went under the RCA-Columbia name) during the transition from RCA/Columbia to Columbia [=TriStar=], likely as a method of getting around the litigation between them and GE if it dragged on long enough (and since it didn't, that meant the label was quickly phased out). |
| 147 | |
| 148 | [[labelnote:New Line]]New Line eventually established its home video division from the remnants of Nelson Entertainment in 1991, but distribution continued to go through RCA-Columbia/Columbia [=TriStar=] until 1994, when NLC was bought by [[UsefulNotes/TedTurner Turner Broadcasting]] and switched to their in-house label Turner Home Entertainment. In 1996, Turner merged with Time Warner, resulting in Turner Home Entertainment being absorbed into Warner Home Video and New Line Home Video going solo {albeit with Warner Home Video handling marketing, sales and distribution} until NLC was merged directly into Creator/WarnerBros in 2009.)[[/labelnote]] |
| 149 | |
| 150 | Columbia [=TriStar=] continued to evolve, though the divisions still produced and distributed films with those separate names. The overall company eventually took on the Sony name in 2004 as Sony Pictures Home Entertainment. They also acquired the name and brand of Sony Wonder from their sister [[Creator/SonyMusic music division]] in 2007, and currently use it on select family friendly releases. |
| 151 | |
| 152 | !!Warner Home Video |
| 153 | [[quoteright:250:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/warner_home_video.jpg]] |
| 154 | [[caption-width-right:250:The logo from 1985-1996.]] |
| 155 | |
| 156 | [[quoteright:250:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/currentlogo.jpg]] |
| 157 | [[caption-width-right:250:The modern logo.]] |
| 158 | |
| 159 | Warner Home Video was founded in 1978 under the name WCI Home Video [[labelnote:WCI]](as in '''W'''arner '''C'''ommunications, '''I'''nc.)[[/labelnote]], but soon renamed to its familiar form before the company was a year old. They began as the video-releasing division of Warner-Elektra-Atlantic, dedicated to releasing the Creator/WarnerBros library on videocassette, and they released their first VHS and Betamax tapes in late 1979. |
| 160 | |
| 161 | Warner Home Video attracted controversy in 1981 when they became the leading company behind rental-only programs. Starting on October 15, Warner would stop selling tapes to video dealers and instead they only rent them out to dealers in selected markets.[[note]](Texas was the first to sign on to the program, followed by San Francisco and Denver, then Oklahoma and Louisiana, among other territories)[[/note]] Many video dealers opposed the plan, and the band Music/{{Queen}} was also a vocal opponent.[[labelnote:Queen]](The rental program caused Queen to gradually switch its American label affiliation from Warner-Elektra-Atlantic (WEA) to Creator/{{EMI}} (who had already been their British distributors from the outset), starting with the contested product, ''Queen: Greatest Flix''. It was the first Queen product EMI released in America, and the band wouldn't return to WEA in the US until 1991. Even that wouldn't last for long, with Creator/HollywoodRecords shifting distributors from Creator/ElektraRecords to [=PolyGram=] in 1995.)[[/labelnote]] Thanks to this opposition, Warner's rental program didn't last more than a year, and the damage had largely been done to rental-only for the foreseeable future. All other rental-only programs (by Disney, MGM/UA, and 20th Century-Fox) were terminated by 1983. |
| 162 | |
| 163 | In another controversial move, Warner's early videotape releases were sometimes sped up to fit films on tapes of a certain length. ''Film/SupermanTheMovie'' is the poster child of this time compression practice (though with all dialogue scenes presented at the correct speed, it was lucky compared to most of the other affected titles). Fortunately, the music was seldom presented at a higher pitch despite the speed-up, making Warner an early innovator in the art of efficient time compression; the same could not be said of its contemporaries. |
| 164 | |
| 165 | In addition to Warner Bros. and Warner-Elektra-Atlantic titles, Warner Home Video distributed works from other companies [[labelnote:others]](Creator/{{NBC}}, Creator/OrionPictures, Filmways Pictures, New World Pictures, and The Ladd Company, plus Creator/NewLineCinema over a decade before Warner's corporate parent Time Warner purchased the company, and just under three decades before it was merged into Warner Bros. itself)[[/labelnote]]. They would also release [=DVDs=] and Blu-rays for outside companies [[labelnote:outside]](including Creator/TheBBC in North America only, [[Series/SesameStreet Sesame Workshop]], wrestling content from Wrestling/{{WWE}}, Creator/VizMedia, Creator/{{Mattel}} (most notably their ''Literature/AmericanGirl'' made-for-TV and theatrical movies along with their ''Franchise/MastersOfTheUniverse'' theatrical movie), and select Creator/{{Paramount}} backlog titles)[[/labelnote]], as well as sister [=WarnerMedia=] companies.[[labelnote:sisters]](Creator/{{HBO}}, Creator/{{TNT}}, Creator/{{TBS}}, and Creator/CartoonNetwork (including Creator/AdultSwim). The latter three had their videos distributed under the in-house video arm Turner Home Entertainment, along with New Line releases, beginning in 1994. As stated elsewhere on this page, New Line has previously gone through RCA/Columbia Pictures Home Video and its successors until the merger, at which point New Line's video arm became separate until New Line Cinema was merged with WB itself. Cartoon Network, TBS, and TNT-related titles were immediately merged into Warner Home Video.)[[/labelnote]] |
| 166 | |
| 167 | In 1997, Warner became the first major studio to release motion pictures on DVD, with an initial batch of 33 titles. Warner Home Video changed its name to Warner Bros. Home Entertainment in 2017. |
| 168 | |
| 169 | In 2020, Warner Bros. entered into a physical media joint venture with Creator/{{Universal}} Pictures Home Entertainment, which would take effect in 2021 under the name Studio Distribution Services. The first known release from said merger was season one of ''WesternAnimation/Animaniacs2020''. |
| 170 | |
| 171 | !!Walt Disney Home Video |
| 172 | [[quoteright:250:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/disney_home_entertainment.png]] |
| 173 | |
| 174 | [[Creator/{{Disney}} The Walt Disney Company]]'s home video branch has used ''many'' names for its company name -- incorporated names, trade names and primary label names, ''plus'' distributing many other labels it owns (or owned). That history is documented elsewhere. For simplicity, we'll go with the long-runner name Walt Disney Home Video (1980–2001), which currently trades as Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment. |
| 175 | |
| 176 | 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 Platform/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. |
| 177 | |
| 178 | In March 1980, Disney formed its own home video arm. Walt Disney Home Video began with thirteen titles on VHS and Betamax, a mix of live action productions and ''Walt Disney Presents'' episodes.[[labelnote:the 13]](''Film/TwentyThousandLeaguesUnderTheSea'', ''Series/DavyCrockett: King of the Wild Frontier'', ''Film/TheLoveBug'', ''Film/BedknobsAndBroomsticks'', ''Film/EscapeToWitchMountain'', ''Film/TheAppleDumplingGang'', ''Film/PetesDragon1977'', ''Film/HotLeadAndColdFeet'', ''The North Avenue Irregulars'', ''Film/TheBlackHole'', and the ''Walt Disney Presents'' episodes "On Vacation With WesternAnimation/MickeyMouse and Friends", "Kids is Kids, Starring WesternAnimation/DonaldDuck", and "The Adventures of WesternAnimation/ChipAndDale")[[/labelnote]] These releases were licensed to Fotomat for rental, with a four-city test (in UsefulNotes/{{Chicago}}, UsefulNotes/{{Houston}}, UsefulNotes/{{Philadelphia}} and UsefulNotes/SanFrancisco) before a nationwide expansion by the end of the year. During 1981-1984, Disney expanded its reach by having video stores sign up to be "authorized rental dealers". |
| 179 | |
| 180 | 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. |
| 181 | |
| 182 | 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). |
| 183 | |
| 184 | In August 1985, Bill Mechanic moved to Disney Home Video. He was the former head of Paramount Home Video, and the move reunited him with his former Paramount bosses, Eisner and Jeffrey Katzenberg. While he was with Paramount, Mechanic had given birth to the "sell-through" market with affordable pricing. Sensing an opportunity for Disney, Mechanic lowered the price for ''Pinocchio'' to $29.95, eventually breaking sales records in the video market, and Disney subsequently debuted new releases in the collection in a similar price range. Other video distributors embraced sell-through for children's and family titles. Mechanic also created the so-called "The Disney Vault," making most Disney Classics only available for a limited time before going "back into the vault". Disney's ''Robin Hood'' was the first Classics title reissued on home video in 1991, followed by ''Pinocchio'' in 1993.[[note]]There were talks about never releasing ''Pinocchio'' on video again after its initial release, but the box-office failure of its 1992 theatrical re-release scuttled those plans.[[/note]] |
| 185 | |
| 186 | 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 onscreen logo). |
| 187 | |
| 188 | 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 MediaNotes/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]] |
| 189 | |
| 190 | Towards the end of 1997, Disney began releasing their live action movies on Platform/{{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. |
| 191 | |
| 192 | Around the same time, Disney also began to license some of their more obscure live-action backlog, including ''Film/TheBlackHole'', ''Midnight Madness'', ''Film/{{Condorman}}'' and ''Film/TheDevilAndMaxDevlin'', as well as stuff from the ABC Pictures International/ABC Motion Pictures library (inherited when Disney bought ABC in 1996) to Anchor Bay Entertainment for release on both VHS and DVD, since at the time Anchor Bay specialized in releases of this nature. |
| 193 | |
| 194 | An early supporter of the Blu-ray format, Disney officially started releasing new films on these discs in 2006. In 2008, Disney began releasing their traditionally-animated movies on Blu-ray, starting with ''WesternAnimation/SleepingBeauty''. |
| 195 | |
| 196 | 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 to date, ''WesternAnimation/{{Frozen|2013}}'', hit digital platforms. |
| 197 | |
| 198 | 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=]. Some of the Canon's lesser-known movies have gone out of print physically, but remain available through digital retailers. |
| 199 | |
| 200 | Meanwhile, Disney VHS tapes (particularly the animated ones) have become collectibles and part of a niche market. They ceased [=LaserDisc=] releases in 1999, and VHS in 2009[[note]]The last Disney VHS releases in the US were ''WesternAnimation/Cars1'' and ''WesternAnimation/{{The Little Mermaid|1989}}: Platinum Edition'' in 2006, but the very last VHS release distributed by Disney (and the last wide retail VHS film release in general) was the [[NoExportForYou Japan-only]] VHS release of ''Anime/PonyoOnTheCliffByTheSea'' in 2009. |
| 201 | |
| 202 | Disney owns and distributes home videos for Creator/{{ABC}} Signature (since 2007), Creator/{{Lucasfilm}} (since 2014), Creator/{{Marvel Studios}} (since 2012), and [[Franchise/TheMuppets The Muppets Studio]] (since 2005; they had earlier licensed product from Jim Henson Productions for the ''Jim Henson Video'' label in the 1990s). After Disney's buyout of [[Creator/TwentiethCenturyFox 21st Century Fox]] in 2019, they assumed distribution rights for legacy titles in addition to new releases. |
| 203 | |
| 204 | If you haven't been keeping track, that means Disney owns what was once Magnetic Video, the one that started it all. |
| 205 | |
| 206 | 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 Studio 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 Wild Bunch and Creator/StudioCanal outside of North America, Japan, and Chinese-speaking territories; while Tsuburaya Productions’ library is mostly distributed by Mill Creek Entertainment in America. |
| 207 | |
| 208 | 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 in which they'll 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. |
| 209 | |
| 210 | ---- |
| 211 | !Other home video distributors |
| 212 | |
| 213 | !!Independent home video distributors |
| 214 | |
| 215 | !!!'''FHE, IVE, and Artisan Entertainment''' |
| 216 | The company that began as Family Home Entertainment (FHE) was one of the most important independent distributors of the 1980s and 1990s home video scene. |
| 217 | |
| 218 | 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 (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]]'') 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. |
| 219 | |
| 220 | 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 ''Literature/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. |
| 221 | |
| 222 | [[quoteright:250:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/ive_7.png]] |
| 223 | 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. (Elvira stayed away from the more adult titles, as well as those that included scenes of animal cruelty, [[EveryoneHasStandards out of concern for her own image]].) 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. |
| 224 | |
| 225 | In 1986, IVE was nearing bankruptcy when Creator/CarolcoPictures bought a majority stake in IVE, a deal that was finalized in 1987. Carolco brought in former RCA executive Jose Menendez to help stem IVE's massive losses. Bloom did not get along with Menendez and soon left to start another video firm (Celebrity Home Entertainment). IVE quickly began making money again, and expanded into distribution of video titles for pay-TV. |
| 226 | |
| 227 | In 1988, IVE and FHE were part of a merger with Lieberman Enterprises, a wholesale distribution firm based in Minneapolis that handled videos, records, and computer software. This resulted in another renaming to LIVE Entertainment. They also established more sub-labels, including Carolco Home Video and the budget label Avid Home Entertainment (which distributed cheaper EP/SLP versions of tapes from LIVE and the other labels). |
| 228 | |
| 229 | On a darker note, Jose Menendez and his wife were murdered in 1989 by their own sons, Lyle and Erik, in one of America's most infamous criminal cases. |
| 230 | |
| 231 | The next few years were rough as the company struggled with a large debt load, a revolving door of executives, and buying all sorts of stuff, including the remains of rival Vestron Video and several regional record and video store chains. By 1994, the company began to sell or spin-off its unprofitable parts (including the retail operations and Lieberman assets). The changing video market led LIVE to invest in film production. They also nearly merged with old partner Carolco Pictures, itself nearly at death's door due to several box-office flops -- but fortunately for LIVE, this plan was averted and they escaped Carolco's fate. They continued to distribute Carolco titles on video after striking a deal with the owner of Carolco's remnants, the French firm Creator/StudioCanal. |
| 232 | |
| 233 | Bain Capital took the company private in 1997 and it was renamed ''again'' to Artisan Entertainment. By 2000, they were distributing the Creator/RepublicPictures back catalog (under license from Creator/{{Paramount}}), ''Series/HallmarkHallOfFame'' and other Hallmark Entertainment titles, and Creator/DiscoveryChannel Video. They'd had a major theatrical success with the FoundFootage horror film ''Film/TheBlairWitchProject''. They also struck a deal with Creator/MarvelComics to develop films based on their characters, although this deal ultimately bore little fruit. |
| 234 | |
| 235 | After a string of flops, Artisan was put up for sale in 2003 and various consortiums began to bid, among them the aforementioned Marvel Comics (which had the backing of Creator/MiramaxFilms, somewhat ironically). Ultimately, Canadian film house Lions' Gate Films (now known as Creator/{{Lionsgate}}) won and merged with Artisan in 2004. Since then, Lionsgate has become a major Hollywood player-- but it hasn't forgotten about the Artisan side of things. Lionsgate tapped the Artisan library for their Roku channel (Vidmark) and the ''Vestron Video Collector's Series'' on Blu-ray. |
| 236 | |
| 237 | !!!'''Media Home Entertainment''' |
| 238 | Media Home Entertainment, Inc. was one of the earliest independent home video distributors. It was founded by Charles Band, his colleague Irwin Yablans, and a few others in 1978. Band himself would leave the company in 1980 to establish his own home video label, Wizard Video. Until 1981, Media Home Entertainment was styled as "MEDA", named after Charles Band's wife, Meda. |
| 239 | |
| 240 | As a leader in the new home video boom of the early 1980s, Media Home Entertainment became known for distributing several B-movies, including ''Film/{{Halloween 1978}}'' (and other Creator/JohnCarpenter films), ''Film/TheTexasChainSawMassacre1974'', and ''Film/NightOfTheLivingDead1968''. In an agreement with Creator/NewLineCinema, they distributed the original VHS releases of the first five ''Franchise/ANightmareOnElmStreet'' films in the U.S. and Canada. They also signed deals with Creator/TheCannonGroup and Creator/{{Troma}}. |
| 241 | |
| 242 | In 1984, Media Home Entertainment was purchased by Gerald Ronson and his company, the British property developer Heron International. Media Home Entertainment was organized into a newly formed division, Heron Communications, Inc. After the acquisition, Media Home Entertainment had six sublabels: |
| 243 | |
| 244 | * Hi-Tops Video (childrens' videos, including handling the first VHS releases of the majority of the ''ComicStrip/{{Peanuts}}'' specials and of ''Series/PeeWeesPlayhouse'', along with ''Literature/{{Babar}}'', ''Franchise/{{Barbie}}'', ''WesternAnimation/{{Inhumanoids}}'', ''WesternAnimation/LadyLovelyLocks'', and ''WesternAnimation/{{Madeline}}'') |
| 245 | * Fox Hills Video (special interest videos and some obscure B-movies) |
| 246 | * The Nostalgia Merchant (releases of very rare old films, including several made by Creator/RKOPictures) |
| 247 | * Cinematheque Collection (foreign language films) |
| 248 | * Condor Video (Spanish language dubs of films) |
| 249 | * Music Media (music videos) |
| 250 | |
| 251 | The good times didn't last as long. In the early 1990s, Media Home Entertainment began folding its operations after Gerald Ronson was convicted of securities fraud. By 1994, Media Home Entertainment fully ceased to exist. Many of its last releases were co-distributed by 20th Century Fox (through the [=FoxVideo=] and CBS/Fox Video labels) or by Video Treasures. The rights to the majority of the Media Home Entertainment library were later held by Anchor Bay Entertainment (successor to Video Treasures, and owned by the Creator/{{Starz}} premium cable network). A few years later, Creator/{{Lionsgate}} bought Starz, including the Anchor Bay Entertainment and Media Home Entertainment libraries. |
| 252 | |
| 253 | !!!'''Vestron Video''' |
| 254 | From humble beginnings, Vestron Video became one of the biggest independent home video companies on the planet. Vestron was founded in 1981 by former Creator/{{HBO}} executive Austin Owen Furst Jr.,[[labelnote:fun fact]](the name "Vestron" was invented by Austin Furst's daughter by combining the name of the Roman goddess "Vesta" (goddess of the home), with the Greek word "Tron" (which means "instrument")[[/labelnote]] who was hired to dismantle the assets of Time-Life's film division. With public appetite for home video increasing, Vestron struck deals with a number of independent producers and minor film companies to distribute their works on video. Thanks to their origins as a semi-spinoff of HBO/Time-Life, they released some HBO specials on home media. By 1985, Vestron debuted on the stock market, with an IPO worth $440 million; the company was making $350 million in sales a year, with an expansive international operation (present in over 30 countries), rivaling only Creator/WarnerBros in size. They offered specialty titles including ''Magazine/NationalGeographic'' wildlife specials and the Creator/{{PBS}} science series ''Series/{{Nova}}''. |
| 255 | |
| 256 | Vestron Video had a few sublabels, including: Children's Video Library (which handled family/children's titles), Lightning Video (which handled extreme B and made-for-TV movies), and Wonderlust Video (which handled adult titles). |
| 257 | |
| 258 | However, the home video boom that fueled the company's meteoric rise also proved to be their undoing. Soon, many of the companies they had deals with started their own video companies or went to bigger labels; producers also began increasing prices. Vestron shifted gears into movie production to try and keep their video products going. One of these productions was ''Film/DirtyDancing'', a low budget film that Vestron planned to release in theaters for a weekend before sending it straight to video. Instead, the film became a phenomenon and was the 16th highest grossing film of 1987 and provided an unexpected windfall to Vestron. But their success did not last. Vestron found themselves essentially backed into a corner content-wise; much of their in-house productions were B-movies, and the viewers were looking for more than just cheap horror or comedy films. While some of these films did modestly or became cult hits, as was the case with ''Film/EarthGirlsAreEasy'' and ''Film/TheLairOfTheWhiteWorm'', many were duds. All of this combined into an untenable financial situation. The company's financing fell through and forced Vestron to file for bankruptcy in 1991. |
| 259 | |
| 260 | Shortly thereafter, the company was acquired by rival LIVE Entertainment and was folded into said company the following year. Some of Vestron's international branches split off and became separate firms; the UK division became known as ''First Independent'' under the ownership of HTV (the Creator/{{ITV}} company serving Wales and the West of England), but eventually was sold to the UK arm of Columbia [=TriStar=] Home Video. |
| 261 | |
| 262 | Creator/{{Lionsgate}} eventually got their hands on the Live/Vestron assets in the mid-2000s. In 2016, began offering the ''Vestron Video Collector's Series'' on DVD and Blu-ray, a lineup composed of horror tiles from Vestron's heyday and other B-movies owned by Lionsgate, beginning with ''Film/ChoppingMall''. Lionsgate has offered Vestron content through their Vidmark service on Roku. |
| 263 | |
| 264 | !!!'''Wizard Video''' |
| 265 | Wizard Video was started by Charles Band in 1980 after leaving Media Home Entertainment. He took one of his own blue movies, ''Auditions'', with him when he left. ''Auditions'' became the second tape his new company offered, after a French drama called ''Don Juan (or, If Don Juan Were a Woman)'', which was released under the name ''Ms. Don Juan''. By 1982, they had started two subsidiaries, Cult Video and Force Video. |
| 266 | |
| 267 | Wizard Video's first blockbuster home video release was in 1982, ''Film/{{The Texas Chain Saw Massacre|1974}}'', which made them an independent sensation in the realm of home video. In late 1982, Wizard released three films in the book box packaging style that Warner Home Video and MGM/UA Home Video had earlier popularized, and they also briefly dabbled in 3D. Wizard Video released a 3D Music/WillieNelson concert film (in 2D) called ''Willie Nelson's 4th of July Picnic'', which was pulled after a complaint was filed by the rights-holders in 1983; an Australian avant-garde surfing film called ''Crystal Voyager'' (featuring a climactic voyage through the eye of the wave set to the music of Music/PinkFloyd); ''Film/PinkFlamingos'', the biggest gross-out of its time; a [[BruceLeeClone Brucesploitation]] film; and a few VideoNasties. |
| 268 | |
| 269 | The second phase of Wizard Video began in 1984 with four films released in the now-infamous big box style that contemporaries USA Home Video and Magnum Entertainment, among other companies, used at the time. Later that year, they released a Video Nasty by the name of ''S.S. Experiment'', which turned out to not be as [[{{Pun}} "nasty"]] as it seemed (to the point where the UK unbanned it nearly two decades later, with the BBFC admitting to having overreacted to the content). The company turned out some more exploitation and action titles in 1985 and 1986, and released their first direct-to-video film, ''Breeders''. Around the Halloween season, they released two films that would've been rated X in theaters for their gory horror content: the DTV film ''Dreamaniac'', about a succubus who crashes a metalhead's party and kills the guests one by one, and the 1970s slasher film ''The Headless Eyes'', about a burglar who loses an eye to one of his victims and starts stealing eyes from women in a killing spree that baffles the police. The two films were promoted in an ad that invites the viewer to take the absolutely-not-for-the-squeamish Total Terror Test. Wizard's last releases in the classic era were DTV films. |
| 270 | |
| 271 | Later, Wizard Video was relaunched three times: once in 1998 (which went nowhere), once in 2005 (as a label for Full Moon's catalog releases), and again in 2014 (as Wizard Studios). In 2013, Band attempted to cash in on the popularity of the classic era by re-releasing several mid-'80s Wizard and Force titles with variations on the original packaging. |
| 272 | |
| 273 | ---- |
| 274 | !!Non-USA home video distributors |
| 275 | !!!'''Anime Limited''' |
| 276 | [[quoteright:250:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/anime_ltd.png]] |
| 277 | |
| 278 | [[http://www.alltheanime.com/ Anime Limited]], also known as All the Anime, is a UK anime distributor established in 2012. They have sub-licensed from several companies, including Creator/AniplexUSA, Creator/{{Funimation}}, and Creator/VizMedia. They are known for their collector's and ultimate editions of many of their releases. |
| 279 | |
| 280 | 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''. They have also partnered with other licensors abroad, notably GKIDS and Shout Factory, for distribution and even collaboration on some of those collector's editions (''Anime/{{Promare}}'' and ''Manga/{{Bartender}}'', for example). |
| 281 | |
| 282 | In 2017, their licensed shows began airing in late-night on Viceland UK. |
| 283 | |
| 284 | In 2022, they were purchased by European film distributor Plaion, owned by European media conglomerate Embracer Group, the current owners of Creator/THQNordic, Limited Run Games, Creator/GearboxSoftware, Creator/ThreeDRealms, and Creator/EidosInteractive. |
| 285 | |
| 286 | !!!'''Cineplex Odeon Video''' |
| 287 | Cineplex Odeon Video was the home video division of Canadian theatre chain Cineplex Odeon Corporation and one of the major video distributors in Canada. |
| 288 | |
| 289 | Cineplex Odeon's video division began operations in the early 1980's as Pan-Canadian Video Presentations, changing to the familiar name in 1986. They continued well into the late 1990's until Alliance Atlantis purchased the assets of Cineplex Odeon's film distribution unit along with its home video division. |
| 290 | |
| 291 | !!!'''Modern Times''' |
| 292 | Modern Times was formerly a major entertainment company, founded in 1996 by Kostas Giannikos as a comic book company. In 2000, they expanded into VHS tapes and [=DVDs=] under the brand name "Nextworks S.A.", and later audiotapes, books, and [=CDs=], The company closed in late 2011 when Kostas Giannikos was arrested for financial crimes that involved Modern Times; he was convicted in 2018. |
| 293 | |
| 294 | !!!'''MVM Entertainment''' |
| 295 | [[quoteright:250:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/7ebf6669c27a545106d04145fe7bf614.jpg]] |
| 296 | |
| 297 | [[http://www.mvm-films.com/ MVM Entertainment]], a British {{anime}} distributor, is the UK licensee for select titles from Creator/AnimEigo, Creator/CentralParkMedia, Creator/{{Geneon}} USA, {{Creator/GONZO}}, Creator/MediaBlasters, [[Creator/NipponIchi NIS America]], Creator/NozomiEntertainment, Creator/SentaiFilmworks, Urban Vision and Creator/VizMedia. They have distributed som Creator/{{Funimation}} titles depending on license status. MVM also releases one British animated series, ''WesternAnimation/AaaghItsTheMrHellShow'', as well as Asian cinema and live action horror films from both Asia and the English-speaking world. |
| 298 | |
| 299 | !!!'''Roadshow Home Video''' |
| 300 | [[quoteright:250:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/roadshow_home_video.png]] |
| 301 | |
| 302 | Roadshow Home Video is the former name of Roadshow Entertainment, an Australian home video company which is a subsidiary of Village Roadshow Corporation. Based in New South Wales, they launched in 1982 and became the largest independent home video releasing company in Australasia. Their first offerings were a blend of 20 Australian and international titles, including homegrown science fiction action film ''Film/MadMax'', X-rated ''Insatiable'', graphically scary horror film ''Film/{{Phantasm}}'' (aka ''The Never Dead''), driving film ''Film/KingOfTheMountain'', and the king of BodyHorror and [[YourHeadAsplode asploding heads]] itself, ''Film/{{Scanners}}''. They released titles from Roadshow and sister studio Greater Union, along with Creator/CarolcoPictures, Creator/OrionPictures, and Creator/PolyGramFilmedEntertainment, among others. It was formerly the Australian distributor of titles from Walt Disney Home Video. |
| 303 | |
| 304 | Crisis struck in the mid-'80s when the Australian Classification Board (ACB) decided to implement the method used by the British Board of Film Classification (BBFC) to deal with VideoNasties-- the ACB started requiring home video releases to be certified separately from cinematic releases. As this was a lot of work to implement, even higher-profile independents like Roadshow were severely affected, and numerous titles like ''The Never Dead'' went out of print overnight. It's no coincidence that Roadshow released fewer titles at a time afterwards. |
| 305 | |
| 306 | Towards the end of 1985, Village Roadshow adopted a new visual identity in the form of several letter V's stacked together. This carried over to their cinematic distribution and home video units, as well as its new television (Roadshow Television) and film production (Village Roadshow Pictures) units. In 1988, Roadshow celebrated Australia's bicentennial by releasing the Aussie Six-Pack, a commemorative re-release of six classic Australian movies (''Mad Max'', ''Film/{{Gallipoli}}'', ''Film/FarEast'', ''Film/PicnicAtHangingRock'', ''Film/{{Rebel}}'', and ''Film/{{Stone}}''). |
| 307 | |
| 308 | They have distributed titles from other companies like Creator/TheBBC, Creator/FremantleMedia, Creator/{{Lionsgate}}, Creator/WarnerBros (mainly co-productions with Village Roadshow), and others. |
| 309 | |
| 310 | !!!'''Thorn EMI Video''' |
| 311 | [[quoteright:125:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/cbb4ca0a38cd2407d97f4b522ae34381.png]] |
| 312 | |
| 313 | Thorn EMI Video, owned by the music/electronics conglomerate Creator/{{EMI}}, was a British-based home video company that also released its product in North America and Australia. It started life in 1979 as EMI Videogram before taking on its more well-known name in 1981, the same year it expanded to the United States with 14 titles that included one of two licensed videos of the Royal Wedding of Prince Charles and Princess Diana.[[note]](the other was released by Creator/TheBBC)[[/note]] Thorn EMI Video later evolved into a mini-major in the North American video business, with such titles as ''Film/TheBurning'', ''Film/TheBushidoBlade'', and ''Film/FirstBlood''. They distributed early Creator/NewLineCinema titles and product from Creator/ThamesTelevision and Universal Pictures. |
| 314 | |
| 315 | In November 1984, Thorn EMI Video entered into a joint venture with Creator/{{HBO}} to distribute independent films and HBO productions, giving their North American arm the name Thorn EMI/HBO Video. They became the exclusive distributor for many unreleased Creator/OrionPictures films prior to Orion creating their own video division[[note]](before Thorn EMI/HBO, Orion was distributed by Vestron Video and Embassy Home Entertainment)[[/note]]. |
| 316 | |
| 317 | Following Creator/TheCannonGroup's purchase of the Thorn EMI library in 1986, the company became Cannon Video in the UK and HBO/Cannon Video in North America. However, Cannon was soon forced to sell Thorn EMI's library to producer Jerry Weintraub thanks to financial issues, and the company became simply HBO Video in 1987. Orion dropped out soon after that to set up their own video label. HBO Video distributed Weintraub's Thorn EMI product in North America for the time he owned it, while Warner Home Video distributed it in the UK. HBO Video continued releasing product from a variety of firms [[note]](including Creator/MiramaxFilms, Thames, De Laurentiis, Hemdale, and Samuel Goldwyn, among others)[[/note]] through the late 80s and into the 90s, but gradually began concentrating on HBO-produced material as these companies shut down or found other distributors. It was renamed as HBO Home Video in 1993, and HBO Home Entertainment in 2009 when its operations were streamlined with sister firm Warner Home Entertainment. |
| 318 | |
| 319 | Former Thorn EMI titles have been handled by Creator/StudioCanal, Creator/MetroGoldwynMayer, and Creator/WarnerBros, among others. |
| 320 | |
| 321 | ---- |
| 322 | !!Miscellaneous home video companies |
| 323 | !!!'''Allied Artists Video''' |
| 324 | One of the most short-lived early home video companies, Allied Artists Video was set up in 1978 as a joint venture between ailing Hollywood veteran Creator/AlliedArtists and Bell & Howell Video Systems. The company had some successes from its launch in October, including ''Papillon'', ''The Man Who Would Be King'', ''The Betsy'', ''The Story of O'', and ''The Wild Geese'', but its parent company's financial troubles would soon catch up to them, eventually resulting in its 1979 bankruptcy and purchase by Creator/{{Lorimar}}. Lorimar shut down the company the next year, knocking the entire library out of print overnight. [[KeepCirculatingTheTapes Some titles that had been released on video by Allied Artists are still hard to find decades later.]] The last videocassette release by Allied Artists Video was the complete Rathbone-Bruce series of ''Franchise/SherlockHolmes'' films. |
| 325 | |
| 326 | !!!'''The Criterion Collection''' |
| 327 | The Criterion Collection, a home video company distributing, in its own words, "important classic and contemporary films", has [[Creator/TheCriterionCollection its own page on this wiki]] owing to its historical and ongoing legacy and influence on the home video market. |
| 328 | |
| 329 | !!!'''Kino Lorber Studio Classics''' |
| 330 | [[http://www.klstudioclassics.com Kino Lorber Studio Classics]] is a home video company that specializes in reissuing classic films on Platform/{{DVD}} and Platform/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. |
| 331 | |
| 332 | !!!'''Lyrick Studios''' |
| 333 | Lyrick Studios was a production and distribution company that oversaw the release of children's TV shows, home videos, audio albums, books, games and toys based on various franchises, most famously ''Series/BarneyAndFriends'' and ''Series/{{Wishbone}}''. The company was created in 1994 as an umbrella for their two main production companies: ''The Lyons Group'' (Barney) and ''Big Feats Entertainment'' (Wishbone). Lyrick was acquired by Creator/HITEntertainment in 2001 and was folded into the company later that year.[[note]]All properties released by Lyrick are owned by [=HiT=] except for ''Groundling Marsh'', owned by Portfolio Entertainment, ''Joe Scruggs'', owned by Shadow Play, ''Shelley Duvall'', owned by KOCH, ''WesternAnimation/VeggieTales'', which is owned by [=NBCUniversal=] through Creator/BigIdea and Creator/DreamWorksAnimation.[[/note]] |
| 334 | |
| 335 | !!!'''Mill Creek Entertainment''' |
| 336 | [[http://www.millcreekent.com/ Mill Creek Entertainment]] is a low-budget independent home video company that specializes in reissuing films and TV series from major studios' catalogs, mostly Creator/{{Disney}}, Creator/{{Sony}}, Creator/TsuburayaProductions and Creator/{{Universal}}. They have also released some original content. |
| 337 | |
| 338 | %%!!!'''MPI Home Video''' |
| 339 | %%MPI Home Video is the home video subsidiary of MPI Media Group. It has released classic television shows on VHS, Betamax, [=LaserDisc=], DVD, and Blu-ray. |
| 340 | |
| 341 | !!!'''PBS Home Video''' |
| 342 | After years of selling cassettes to the educational market, Creator/{{PBS}} decided it needed to break into the realm of commercial home video. They joined forces with [[Music/TheMonkees Michael Nesmith]]'s Pacific Arts in 1990 to form PBS Home Video. Their first releases that fall included ''The Frugal Gourmet'', ''Nature'', ''This Old House'', ''Wall Street Week'', and ''American Playhouse''. Over the next few years, PBS Home Video became an emerging independent and released programs such as ''Series/ReadingRainbow'', ''Frontline'', ''Nova'', ''The Dinosaurs'', ''The Civil War'', ''The Astronomers'', and ''Masterpiece Theater'', as well as a few pledge drive specials. However, tensions grew between PBS and Pacific Arts, culminating in an acrimonious split and a lawsuit that lasted several years. In the meantime, PBS moved to Turner Home Entertainment for distribution. After Turner was acquired by Warner Home Video, PBS distributed some tapes independently before joining up with Warner once more for a few years. Later, they went independent again for a time before joining up with Paramount Home Video, with whom they'd stay for several years, until they merged with WGBH's own home video unit to form PBS Distribution. |
| 343 | |
| 344 | !!!'''Random House Home Video''' |
| 345 | ''Random House Home Video'' was, well, [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin the home video division of Random House]], an American book publisher. They focused on children's programs, specifically those based off of popular book series. They also released ''Series/SesameStreet'' DirectToVideo titles, and were the first company to bring that series to home video. In 1995, Sony Wonder entered a partnership with Random House to take over distribution of their videos. Consequently, Creator/SesameWorkshop signed an exclusive deal with Sony Wonder for future ''Sesame Street'' releases to make matters less complicated. Random House Home Video went dormant around 2001, though Sony Wonder still used their logos on releases as late as 2006. |
| 346 | |
| 347 | !!!'''Twilight Time''' |
| 348 | [[http://twilighttimemovies.com Twilight Time]] is a home video company that specializes in releasing limited edition classic films on DVD and Blu-ray from major studios' catalogs, mostly from Creator/{{Sony}} (including Creator/ColumbiaPictures and Creator/TriStarPictures), Creator/TwentiethCenturyFox, Creator/MetroGoldwynMayer (including Creator/UnitedArtists, Creator/OrionPictures and Creator/PolyGramFilmedEntertainment) and Creator/{{Universal}}. |
| 349 | |
| 350 | %%!!!'''VCI Home Video''' |
| 351 | %%''Video Communications, Inc.'' (also known as VCI Home Video) is one of the oldest American video distributors to exist, alongside Magnetic Video and Fotomat Video. |
http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/context.php
FollowingContext MediaNotes / HomeVideoDistributors
Go To
- Show Spoilers
- Night Vision
- Sticky Header
- Wide Load
