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Home video
The home video business distributes films, telemovies and television series
in the form of videos in various formats to the public. These are either
bought or rented, then watched privately from the comfort of home by
consumers. Most theatrically released films are now released on DVD-Video,
replacing the largely obsolete VHS (Video Home System) medium. The VCD
format remains popular in Asia, though DVDs are gradually gaining
popularity.
Prior to the advent of home video in the late 1970s, most feature films were
inaccessible after their theatrical runs, only viewable in re-releases and
television broadcasts. Home video release usually follows five or six months
after the theatrical release, although recently more films have been
arriving on video after three or four months. A time period is often allowed
to elapse between the end of theatrical release and the DVD/VHS release, as
an effort to discourage piracy, or at least minimize the effect of piracy on
the profitability of the theatrical release.
Many TV programs are now also available in complete seasons on DVD. It has
become popular practice for defunct TV shows to be released to DVD one
season a time every few months, and active shows to be released on DVD after
the end of each season. Prior to the television DVDs, most television shows
were only viewable in syndication, or on limited 'best of' VHS releases of
selected episodes.
These copyrighted movies and programs have legal restrictions on them
preventing them from (amongst other things) being shown in public venues,
shown to other people for money, or copied for other than fair use purposes
(although even this is questionable now: see below).
There is great controversy about recent attempts to increase protections for
rights owners using technical means such as Macrovision and CSS, and by the
enactment of laws such as the DMCA, at the expense of consumers' fair use
rights.
Major United States players in the home video business include Blockbuster
Video and Netflix.
List of notable home video companies
The following companies are some of the notable organizations involved the
business of producing and marketing pre-recorded cassettes and discs of
various formats.
Viacom
* Paramount Home Entertainment (1978-)
o Nickelodeon Video (1993-)
o CBS Home Entertainment (formerly CBS Video Enterprises, Inc., MGM/CBS Home
Video and CBS/Fox Video)
News Corporation
* 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment, currently part of News Corporation
(1977-)
o Magnetic Video, the first duplicator/distributor of movies on video
cassette for home use (1977-1982)
o 20th Century Fox Video (1982-1983)
o Playhouse Video (1983-1991)
o CBS/FOX Video, joint venture between CBS Video Enterprises and 20th
Century Fox Video (1983-1998)
o Key Video
Lions Gate
* Artisan Entertainment (1984-)
o Vestron Video (1979-Mid 1990s)
o Family Home Entertainment (1982-)
o Carolco Home Video (1988-1995)
* Magnum Entertainment (Mid 1980s)
Time Warner
* HBO Video(1978-)
* Warner Home Video (1978-)
* New Line Home Entertainment (1989-)
* (Karl) Lorimar Home Video (1984-1992)
The Walt Disney Company
* Buena Vista Home Entertainment(formerly Buena Vista Home Video)
(1989-2007)
o Walt Disney Home Entertainment (formerly Walt Disney Home Video) (1978-)
o Touchstone Home Entertainment (1984-)
o Hollywood Pictures Home Entertainment (1991-)
o Miramax Home Entertainment (1989-)
Sony
* Sony Pictures Home Entertainment, formerly known as Columbia Pictures Home
Entertainment, RCA/Columbia Pictures Home Video, Columbia TriStar Home
Video, and Columbia Tristar Home Entertainment (1978-)
o MGM Home Entertainment (formerly MGM Home Video (1973-1979), MGM/CBS Home
Video (1979-1982), MGM/UA Home Video (1982-1999) and MGM/UA Home
Entertainment (1999-2000)) (1979-)
+ United Artists Home Video (1976-1982)
+ Orion Home Video (1988-1997)
* Sony Wonder (1984-2007)
NBC Universal
* Universal Home Entertainment (1980-)
o NBC Home Video (1981-)
* Goodtimes Home Video (1980-)
* PolyGram Video (1993-1996)
Heron Communications
* Media Home Entertainment (1978-1992)
* Hi-Tops Video (1985-1992)
Others
* Paragon Video Productions (1982-)
* Golden Book Video (1983-)
* Simitar Entertainment (1984-2000)
* Video Treasures (1980s-1996)
* Random House Home Video (1987-)
* Anchor Bay Entertainment (1995-)
* United American Video (1991-2006)
* Viz Video (1993-)
* Burbank Video
* Thorn EMI (1979-)
* USA Home Video
* Strand VCI Entertainment (1988-1993)
* Strand Home Video (1993-1995)
Outside of the United States
Australia
* Communications and Entertainment Limited (Early 1980s-Mid 1990s, was
originally Publishing and Broadcasting Video Distribution)
* K&C Video (Early-Mid 1980's)
* GO Video (Early-Mid 1980's)
* Starbase Video (Early-Mid 1980's)
* King of Video (Early-Mid 1980's)
* Video Classics (Early-Mid 1980's)
* Thorn/EMI Video
* Thorn/EMI HBO Video
* Platinum Video (Mid-1980s)
* Delta Home Video (Mid-1980s)
* Prestige Video (Mid-80's)
* Palace Home Video (Mid-Late 1980s)
* Roadshow Home Video (Early 1980s-?)
* Intervision (Early-Mid 1980's)
* Showcase Video (Mid-80's)
* GL Video (Early-1980's)
* Vestron (Mid-Late 1980s)
* Box Office Int. Video (Mid-1980s)
* RCA/Columbia Pictures/Hoyts Video (Mid-Late 1980s)
* Videoscope (Early 1980s)
* Syme (Mid 1980's))
Canada
* A and Y Productions (2003-now)
* HGV Video Productions (1980-Present, Canadian distributor of Goodtimes
Home Video)
* Astral Video (Mid 1980s-1996)
* Vidtex Video
* Media West, Inc. (Low-budget Canadian counterpart of Worldvision Home
Video)
* Alliance Releasing
* Video MPA
* Junior Home Video
* Imavision
* BFS Video (distributor of old BBC and ITV programs from the UK)
* La mouche et l'elephant/PR Vidéo (French-language)
* ISMAHEL DUROMOLA RECORDING STUDIO.....(Arabic- Langauage)
Finland
Magnum Video (no relation to the low-budget B-movie label now owned by Lions
Gate)
Nordic Video
Capitol Video (released several films from the former Soviet Union)
France
* StudioCanal Video
* Gaumont/Columbia Pictures-TriStar Home Video
Delta Video
UGC Video
Fil-à-Film
New Family Video
TF1 Video
Carrére Video
Sunrise
Initial Home Video
Mondial Home Video
Régie Cassette Video
Challenge Video Productions
Germany
Kiddinx Video
RTL Video
VPS Video Programm Service
Greece
AGM Home Video
Hellas Kosmos Video
Hi-Tech Video
Original Video
Video Acropolis
Video City International
Videosonic (one of the biggest Greek home video companies, started in the
mid-1980s)
Italy
Torino Video
Japan
* Bandai Visual - Emotion (1983-)
* Toei Home Video (?-Present)
* Pony Video (dates unknown)
Mexico
* Televisa Home Entertainment (dates unknown)
The Netherlands
Converge Video (1980s)
Video Classics
Video Screen
Eagle 6 Video
Bridge Entertainment DVD
South Africa
* Nu Metro Home Entertainment (1987-)
* Ster-Kinekor Home Video (1993-)
Spain
* Filmax Home Video (1988-Present)
* Video Diversion (Mid-1980s)
* Lauren Films Video (1980s-Present)
Sweden
Baroness VideoVision
International Promotions, Inc.
PRT Elektronik
Trix Videofilmer
Video Invest
Videce Videocentralen
United Kingdom
* Video Gems (Mid 1980s-1996)
* Guild Home Video (1984-?)
* Telstar Home Entertainment (2000s)
* BBC Video (1980-)
* RCA/Columbia Pictures International Video
* Acorn Media
* The Video Collection/VCI (the original UK version of Strand VCI
Entertainment/Strand Home Video)
* Abbey Home Entertainment/Tempo Video
* Screen Legends
* CIC Video
* Braveworld Video
* Virgin Video
* Channel 5 Video
* Pickwick Video Distributors
* Entertainment in Video
* Magical Video Movies (MVM)
* Vestron Video International
* First Choice Home Video
* Odyssey Home Video
Palace Video (most likely unrelated to the Australian company of the same
name)
DD Video
Pre-Certs
After the passage of the Video Recordings (Labelling) Act of 1985 in the
United Kingdom, videotapes and other video recordings without a
certification symbol from the British Board of Film Classification (BBFC) on
their covers - or on the tapes themselves - were no longer allowed to be
sold or displayed by rental shops. These tapes are called "Pre-Certs" (e.g,
Pre-certification tapes). Recently these tapes have generated a cult
following, due to their collectability.
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copyright
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