Warner Home Video
Encyclopedia
Warner Home Video is the home video
unit of Warner Bros. Entertainment, Inc., itself part of Time Warner
. It was founded in 1978 as WCI Home Video (for Warner Communications, Inc.
). The company launched in the United States with twenty films on VHS
and Betamax
videocassettes in late 1979. The company later expanded its line to include additional titles throughout 1979 and 1980.
It was re-named Warner Home Video in 1980. Though some other Hollywood movie studios changed their "Home Video" units' names to "Home Entertainment" with the advent of DVD
in the late 1990s, Warner Home Video's name has not changed as of 2011. This may cause major confusion, as VHS
is no longer in existence.
companies. Currently, they also serve distributor for television and/or movie product released by BBC, Lifetime
, HBO, Cartoon Network
, Turner Entertainment
Co., truTV (known as Court TV until 2008), Adult Swim
, TNT
, American Girl
, King Features, Peanuts
, Sesame Workshop
, National Geographic Society
in the U.S., and product from the NBA, NFL, and NHL.
The company was noted in its early days for releases in big cardboard boxes, that opened like a book, colored in Black, with cast credits on the inside. Some early releases under the Warner Home Video name also used this design. In early 1981, the company switched to plastic clamshell cases, with a multicolor design, with a few releases using the cardboard boxes and the multicolor designs, and to cardboard sleeves in 1985 for packaging, eliminating plastic cases by 1986. In the late 1990s, the studio revived the use of plastic cases for a handful of releases from Warner Bros. Family Entertainment
.
Warner Bros. began to branch out into the videodisc market, licensing titles to MCA DiscoVision
and RCA's SelectaVision
videodisc
formats, allowing both companies to market and distribute the films under their labels. By 1985, Warner was releasing material under their own label in both formats. Titles from Warner Home Video were and continue to be distributed and manufactured by Roadshow Entertainment
in Australia and New Zealand because of its film counterpart's films released by Village Roadshow.
for their first release of Star Wars
in 1982. Two known films released in this manner were Superman II
and Excalibur
.
's Turner Broadcasting System
merged with Time Warner in 1996, Warner Home Video began distributing the pre-1986 MGM
library from MGM/UA Home Video
, and the Turner Home Entertainment label was folded into WHV, and has since expanded to distribute PBS Home Video
releases.
In 1997, Warner Home Video was one of the first major American distributors for the new DVD
format, by releasing Twister on DVD. Warner executive Warren Lieberfarb
is often seen as "the father of DVD". Lieberfarb's successor, Warner Executive James Cardwell
was recognized in paving the way for WHV’s strategic positioning in next generation technologies such as High Definition DVD, electronic sell-though and portable video.
In 2000, Warner Home Video was given the North America
distribution rights for BBC Video titles, whereas previously they were distributed by CBS/Fox Video
from 1984 to 1999. Many CBS/Fox releases of BBC Video titles were reissued under the WHV label, first on VHS
and now DVD
. This partnership between Warner Home Video and BBC Video continues to this day.
In 2003, Warner Home Video became the first home video releasing company ever to release movies only on DVD and have its movies have no VHS releases.
In 2006, Warner Home Video announced they would enter the market of releasing original direct-to-video
films, a market that has proven lucrative for studios over the past few years, and which has for the most part been dominated by Sony Pictures Home Entertainment
. They announced much of their output would be followups to films that had done well at the box office theatrically, but wouldn't be expected to do well if a sequel were to be made. The first release under the Warner Premiere
banner is the prequel
The Dukes of Hazzard: The Beginning
.
On September 26, 2006, Warner Home Video became the first company to release a title in three formats on the same day and date with the home release of The Lake House
on DVD
, Blu-ray and HD DVD
. With Paramount Home Entertainment switching from neutral in the high definition video camp to solely to HD DVD in September 2007, Warner Home Video was now at the time the only major distributor to support both high definition formats
, though this changed at the end of May 2008. From June 2008, Warner Home Video released new high definition content on Blu-ray only, because of Toshiba
discontinuing the HD DVD format, becoming the last major Hollywood studio to drop HD DVD
.
Also, in early 2008, WHV purchased the rights to the Peanuts
DVDs from Paramount
beginning with Be My Valentine, Charlie Brown
.
On December 17, 2008, the anime company Viz Media
announced that on April 1, 2009 Warner Home Video will handle the distribution of both its new and existing catalog releases. Viz would still be the licensor and will do all production on their anime. Viz President and CEO Hidemi Fukuhara stated that he believes the partnership will help the company grow its anime holdings more effectively.
Also, they were the distributor for PBS until they sold the rights to Paramount
's home video division.
Since New Line Cinema
became the division of Warner Bros. in 2008, Warner Home Video will distribute its films on DVD and Blu-ray via its home video arm
. Previously, Alliance Films
was the distributor for New Line films in Canada
.
Also, for a number of years from the 1980s to the late 1990s, Warner Home Video was the distributor for Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
(especially its pre-1986 film and TV library) video titles.
In 2009, Warner Home Video introduced the Warner Archive Collection
, which allows the public to order custom-made DVDs of rarely-seen films and TV series from the Warner and Turner libraries. The films are also available as digital downloads. Warner Archive DVDs and downloads can be ordered online on Warner's website, on Amazon.com
or Turner Classic Movies
-affiliated DVD website Movies Unlimited (Although Movies Unlimited sells these archive titles, it usually takes 2–3 months before the DVD is available for order after Warners releases it on their website.)
In 2010, after former distributer Genius Products
was folded into Vivendi Entertainment
, Warner Home Video became the new distributor of the Sesame Workshop
library, including Sesame Street
.
Recently, Warner acquired the home video rights to select catalog titles from 20th Century Fox
and Largo Home Entertainment, including Point Break
.
Warner Home Video also served as the distributor for Pathé
titles on video in the early 1990s.
Warner Home Video also released United Artists
titles on video in the UK until the early 1990s.
Warner Home Video is first to release titles from a major studio for digital download-to-own in Italy (2006).
In Poland, Warner Home Video served as distributor of most Warner Bros. and Turner Entertainment movies on VHS and DVD in the years 1993-2007, before being closed. Since 2007, Time Warner's home video distribution in Poland is being continued by Galapagos Films, Inc.
Home video
Home video is a blanket term used for pre-recorded media that is either sold or rented/hired for home cinema entertainment. The term originates from the VHS/Betamax era but has carried over into current optical disc formats like DVD and Blu-ray Disc and, to a lesser extent, into methods of digital...
unit of Warner Bros. Entertainment, Inc., itself part of Time Warner
Time Warner
Time Warner is one of the world's largest media companies, headquartered in the Time Warner Center in New York City. Formerly two separate companies, Warner Communications, Inc...
. It was founded in 1978 as WCI Home Video (for Warner Communications, Inc.
Warner Communications
Warner Communications or Warner Communications, Inc. was established in 1971 when Kinney National Company spun off its non-entertainment assets, due to a financial scandal over its parking operations and changed its name....
). The company launched in the United States with twenty films on VHS
VHS
The Video Home System is a consumer-level analog recording videocassette standard developed by Victor Company of Japan ....
and Betamax
Betamax
Betamax was a consumer-level analog videocassette magnetic tape recording format developed by Sony, released on May 10, 1975. The cassettes contain -wide videotape in a design similar to the earlier, professional wide, U-matic format...
videocassettes in late 1979. The company later expanded its line to include additional titles throughout 1979 and 1980.
It was re-named Warner Home Video in 1980. Though some other Hollywood movie studios changed their "Home Video" units' names to "Home Entertainment" with the advent of DVD
DVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
in the late 1990s, Warner Home Video's name has not changed as of 2011. This may cause major confusion, as VHS
VHS
The Video Home System is a consumer-level analog recording videocassette standard developed by Victor Company of Japan ....
is no longer in existence.
Catalog
The company releases titles from the film and television library of Warner Bros. Studios, as well as programs from other Time WarnerTime Warner
Time Warner is one of the world's largest media companies, headquartered in the Time Warner Center in New York City. Formerly two separate companies, Warner Communications, Inc...
companies. Currently, they also serve distributor for television and/or movie product released by BBC, Lifetime
Lifetime Television
Lifetime Television, often referred to as Lifetime TV, or most commonly, Lifetime, is an American cable television specialty channel devoted to movies, sitcoms and dramas, all of which are either geared toward women or feature women in lead roles. The cable network is owned by A&E Television Networks...
, HBO, Cartoon Network
Cartoon Network (United States)
Cartoon Network is an American cable television network owned by Turner Broadcasting which primarily airs animated programming. The channel was launched on October 1, 1992 after Turner purchased the animation studio Hanna-Barbera Productions in 1991...
, Turner Entertainment
Turner Entertainment
Turner Entertainment Company, Inc. is an American media company founded by Ted Turner. Now owned by Time Warner, the company is largely responsible for overseeing its library for worldwide distribution Turner Entertainment Company, Inc. (commonly known as Turner Entertainment Co.) is an American...
Co., truTV (known as Court TV until 2008), Adult Swim
Adult Swim
Adult Swim is an adult-oriented Cable network that shares channel space with Cartoon Network from 9:00 pm until 6:00 am ET/PT in the United States, and broadcasts in countries such as Australia and New Zealand...
, TNT
Turner Network Television
Turner Network Television is an American cable television channel created by media mogul Ted Turner and currently owned by the Turner Broadcasting System division of Time Warner...
, American Girl
American Girl
American Girl is a line of dolls, books, and accessories.American Girl may also refer to:* American Girl , a magazine published by the American Girl company* American Girl , a 2002 American film...
, King Features, Peanuts
Peanuts
Peanuts is a syndicated daily and Sunday American comic strip written and illustrated by Charles M. Schulz, which ran from October 2, 1950, to February 13, 2000, continuing in reruns afterward...
, Sesame Workshop
Sesame Workshop
Sesame Workshop, formerly known as the Children's Television Workshop , is a Worldwide American non-profit organization behind the production of several educational children's programs that have run on public broadcasting around the world...
, National Geographic Society
National Geographic Society
The National Geographic Society , headquartered in Washington, D.C. in the United States, is one of the largest non-profit scientific and educational institutions in the world. Its interests include geography, archaeology and natural science, the promotion of environmental and historical...
in the U.S., and product from the NBA, NFL, and NHL.
History
Some early releases were time-compressed in order to save tape time and money and to compensate for long-playing cassettes being unavailable in the early days of home video. One example was 1978's Superman in which the film was released in a 127-minute format, compared to its 143-minute theatrical release. In addition, early film-to-video transfers of films from WCI were noted for being in poor quality, compared to modern day video releases. By the end of 1980, the quality of transfers had improved.The company was noted in its early days for releases in big cardboard boxes, that opened like a book, colored in Black, with cast credits on the inside. Some early releases under the Warner Home Video name also used this design. In early 1981, the company switched to plastic clamshell cases, with a multicolor design, with a few releases using the cardboard boxes and the multicolor designs, and to cardboard sleeves in 1985 for packaging, eliminating plastic cases by 1986. In the late 1990s, the studio revived the use of plastic cases for a handful of releases from Warner Bros. Family Entertainment
Warner Bros. Family Entertainment
Warner Bros. Family Entertainment is the family film label of Warner Bros., established in 1992. It is best-known for producing numerous family films and television series in either live-action or animation .-History:The division was founded in 1992 to produce more family-friendly films.The first...
.
Warner Bros. began to branch out into the videodisc market, licensing titles to MCA DiscoVision
DiscoVision
DiscoVision is the name of several things related to the video laserdisc format. It was the original name of the "Reflective Optical Videodisc System" format later known as LaserVision or LaserDisc....
and RCA's SelectaVision
SelectaVision
The Capacitance Electronic Disc was an analog video video disc playback system developed by RCA, in which video and audio could be played back on a TV set using a special needle and high-density groove system similar to phonograph records....
videodisc
Videodisc
Videodisc is a general term for a laser- or stylus-readable random-access circular disc that contains both audio and analog video signals recorded in an analog form...
formats, allowing both companies to market and distribute the films under their labels. By 1985, Warner was releasing material under their own label in both formats. Titles from Warner Home Video were and continue to be distributed and manufactured by Roadshow Entertainment
Roadshow Home Video
Roadshow Entertainment is a division of the Australian media company Village Roadshow . Notable releases include First Blood, Mad Max, Gallipoli, and The Terminator. Their first release was Scanners...
in Australia and New Zealand because of its film counterpart's films released by Village Roadshow.
Rentals
Warner also experimented with the "rental-only" market for videos, a method also used by 20th Century Fox20th Century Fox
Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation — also known as 20th Century Fox, or simply 20th or Fox — is one of the six major American film studios...
for their first release of Star Wars
Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope
Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope, originally released as Star Wars, is a 1977 American epic space opera film, written and directed by George Lucas. It is the first of six films released in the Star Wars saga: two subsequent films complete the original trilogy, while a prequel trilogy completes the...
in 1982. Two known films released in this manner were Superman II
Superman II
Superman II is the 1980 sequel to the 1978 superhero film Superman and stars Gene Hackman, Christopher Reeve, Terence Stamp, Ned Beatty, Sarah Douglas, Margot Kidder, and Jack O'Halloran. It was the only Superman film to be filmed by two directors...
and Excalibur
Excalibur (film)
Excalibur is a 1981 dramatic fantasy film directed, produced and co-written by John Boorman that retells the legend of King Arthur and the knights of the Round Table. Adapted from the 15th century Arthurian romance, Le Morte d'Arthur by Thomas Malory, Excalibur features the music of Richard Wagner...
.
Notable firsts, Warner Archive Collection and Distribution
After Ted TurnerTed Turner
Robert Edward "Ted" Turner III is an American media mogul and philanthropist. As a businessman, he is known as founder of the cable news network CNN, the first dedicated 24-hour cable news channel. In addition, he founded WTBS, which pioneered the superstation concept in cable television...
's Turner Broadcasting System
Turner Broadcasting System
Turner Broadcasting System, Inc. is the Time Warner subsidiary managing the collection of cable networks and properties started and acquired by Robert Edward "Ted" Turner starting in the mid-1970s. The company has its headquarters in the CNN Center in Atlanta, Georgia. TBS, Inc...
merged with Time Warner in 1996, Warner Home Video began distributing the pre-1986 MGM
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Inc. is an American media company, involved primarily in the production and distribution of films and television programs. MGM was founded in 1924 when the entertainment entrepreneur Marcus Loew gained control of Metro Pictures, Goldwyn Pictures Corporation and Louis B. Mayer...
library from MGM/UA Home Video
MGM Home Entertainment
MGM Home Entertainment is the home video and DVD arm of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer.-History:The home video division of MGM started in 1979 as MGM Home Video, releasing all the movies and TV shows by MGM. In 1980, MGM joined forces with CBS Video Enterprises, the home video division of the CBS television...
, and the Turner Home Entertainment label was folded into WHV, and has since expanded to distribute PBS Home Video
PBS Home Video
-Logos:Their first distinctive logo was a "Public Broadcasting Service" on the center of the screen, a sky. It was originally released in October 5, 1970...
releases.
In 1997, Warner Home Video was one of the first major American distributors for the new DVD
DVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
format, by releasing Twister on DVD. Warner executive Warren Lieberfarb
Warren Lieberfarb
Warren N. Lieberfarb is Chairman of Warren N. Lieberfarb & Associates, LLC , a boutique consulting and investment firm based in Los Angeles focused on digital media technology and distribution....
is often seen as "the father of DVD". Lieberfarb's successor, Warner Executive James Cardwell
James Cardwell
Jim Cardwell served as the President, from 2002–2005, of Warner Home Video , the world's largest home video distribution company ....
was recognized in paving the way for WHV’s strategic positioning in next generation technologies such as High Definition DVD, electronic sell-though and portable video.
In 2000, Warner Home Video was given the North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
distribution rights for BBC Video titles, whereas previously they were distributed by CBS/Fox Video
CBS/Fox Video
CBS/Fox Video was a home video company formed and established in 1982, as a merger between 20th Century Fox Video, formerly Magnetic Video Corporation, and CBS Video Enterprises....
from 1984 to 1999. Many CBS/Fox releases of BBC Video titles were reissued under the WHV label, first on VHS
VHS
The Video Home System is a consumer-level analog recording videocassette standard developed by Victor Company of Japan ....
and now DVD
DVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
. This partnership between Warner Home Video and BBC Video continues to this day.
In 2003, Warner Home Video became the first home video releasing company ever to release movies only on DVD and have its movies have no VHS releases.
In 2006, Warner Home Video announced they would enter the market of releasing original direct-to-video
Direct-to-video
Direct-to-video is a term used to describe a film that has been released to the public on home video formats without being released in film theaters or broadcast on television...
films, a market that has proven lucrative for studios over the past few years, and which has for the most part been dominated by Sony Pictures Home Entertainment
Sony Pictures Home Entertainment
Sony Pictures Home Entertainment is the home video distribution arm of Sony Pictures Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Corporation. It was established in November 1979 as Columbia Pictures Home Entertainment, releasing 20 titles: The Anderson Tapes, Bell, Book and Candle, Born Free, Breakout,...
. They announced much of their output would be followups to films that had done well at the box office theatrically, but wouldn't be expected to do well if a sequel were to be made. The first release under the Warner Premiere
Warner Premiere
Warner Premiere is the direct-to-video label of Warner Home Video, itself the home video unit of Warner Bros.In 2006, Warner Home Video announced they would enter the market of releasing original direct-to-video films, a market that has proven lucrative for studios over the past few years...
banner is the prequel
Prequel
A prequel is a work that supplements a previously completed one, and has an earlier time setting.The widely recognized term was a 20th-century neologism, and a portmanteau from pre- and sequel...
The Dukes of Hazzard: The Beginning
The Dukes of Hazzard: The Beginning
The Dukes of Hazzard: The Beginning is a prequel to the 2005 theatrical-release film The Dukes of Hazzard. An edited version of the film debuted on the ABC Family cable television channel on March 4, 2007. 'R'-rated and unrated versions were released on DVD March 13.- Plot :Bo Duke is arrested for...
.
On September 26, 2006, Warner Home Video became the first company to release a title in three formats on the same day and date with the home release of The Lake House
The Lake House (film)
The Lake House: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack was released in 2006.# "This Never Happened Before" - Paul McCartney# " Make You Mine" - The Clientele# "Time Has Told Me" - Nick Drake# "Ant Farm" - Eels...
on DVD
DVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
, Blu-ray and HD DVD
HD DVD
HD DVD is a discontinued high-density optical disc format for storing data and high-definition video.Supported principally by Toshiba, HD DVD was envisioned to be the successor to the standard DVD format...
. With Paramount Home Entertainment switching from neutral in the high definition video camp to solely to HD DVD in September 2007, Warner Home Video was now at the time the only major distributor to support both high definition formats
Comparison of high definition optical disc formats
This article compares the technical specifications of multiple high definition formats, including HD DVD and Blu-ray Disc; two mutually incompatible, high definition optical disc formats that, beginning in 2006, attempted to improve upon and eventually replace the DVD standard...
, though this changed at the end of May 2008. From June 2008, Warner Home Video released new high definition content on Blu-ray only, because of Toshiba
Toshiba
is a multinational electronics and electrical equipment corporation headquartered in Tokyo, Japan. It is a diversified manufacturer and marketer of electrical products, spanning information & communications equipment and systems, Internet-based solutions and services, electronic components and...
discontinuing the HD DVD format, becoming the last major Hollywood studio to drop HD DVD
HD DVD
HD DVD is a discontinued high-density optical disc format for storing data and high-definition video.Supported principally by Toshiba, HD DVD was envisioned to be the successor to the standard DVD format...
.
Also, in early 2008, WHV purchased the rights to the Peanuts
Peanuts
Peanuts is a syndicated daily and Sunday American comic strip written and illustrated by Charles M. Schulz, which ran from October 2, 1950, to February 13, 2000, continuing in reruns afterward...
DVDs from Paramount
Paramount Pictures
Paramount Pictures Corporation is an American film production and distribution company, located at 5555 Melrose Avenue in Hollywood. Founded in 1912 and currently owned by media conglomerate Viacom, it is America's oldest existing film studio; it is also the last major film studio still...
beginning with Be My Valentine, Charlie Brown
Be My Valentine, Charlie Brown
Be My Valentine, Charlie Brown is the 13th prime-time animated TV specials based upon the popular comic strip Peanuts, by Charles M. Schulz. It was originally aired on the CBS network on January 28, 1975. ABC will next air it on February 11, 2011....
.
On December 17, 2008, the anime company Viz Media
VIZ Media
VIZ Media, LLC, headquartered in San Francisco, is an anime, manga, and Japanese entertainment company. It was founded in 1986 as VIZ LLC. In 2005, VIZ LLC and ShoPro Entertainment merged to form the current VIZ Media LLC, which is jointly owned by Japanese publishers Shogakukan and Shueisha, and...
announced that on April 1, 2009 Warner Home Video will handle the distribution of both its new and existing catalog releases. Viz would still be the licensor and will do all production on their anime. Viz President and CEO Hidemi Fukuhara stated that he believes the partnership will help the company grow its anime holdings more effectively.
Also, they were the distributor for PBS until they sold the rights to Paramount
Paramount Pictures
Paramount Pictures Corporation is an American film production and distribution company, located at 5555 Melrose Avenue in Hollywood. Founded in 1912 and currently owned by media conglomerate Viacom, it is America's oldest existing film studio; it is also the last major film studio still...
's home video division.
Since New Line Cinema
New Line Cinema
New Line Cinema, often simply referred to as New Line, is an American film studio. It was founded in 1967 by Robert Shaye and Michael Lynne as a film distributor, later becoming an independent film studio. It became a subsidiary of Time Warner in 1996 and was merged with larger sister studio Warner...
became the division of Warner Bros. in 2008, Warner Home Video will distribute its films on DVD and Blu-ray via its home video arm
New Line Home Entertainment
New Line Home Entertainment is the home entertainment distribution arm of New Line Cinema, founded in 1990. According to New Line's website, Misery was the first New Line Home Video release....
. Previously, Alliance Films
Alliance Films
Alliance Films is a major Canadian motion picture distribution/production company, which serves Canada, the United Kingdom, and Spain.-History:It was formed in 1984 by Stephen Roth, Denis Heroux, John Kemeny, Robert Lantos and Jay...
was the distributor for New Line films in Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
.
Also, for a number of years from the 1980s to the late 1990s, Warner Home Video was the distributor for Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Inc. is an American media company, involved primarily in the production and distribution of films and television programs. MGM was founded in 1924 when the entertainment entrepreneur Marcus Loew gained control of Metro Pictures, Goldwyn Pictures Corporation and Louis B. Mayer...
(especially its pre-1986 film and TV library) video titles.
In 2009, Warner Home Video introduced the Warner Archive Collection
Warner Archive Collection
The Warner Archive Collection is a manufactured-on-demand DVD series. It was started by Warner Home Video on March 23, 2009 with the intention of putting previously unreleased back catalog films on DVD for the first time ever. Using recordable DVDs, they custom burn discs for each order rather than...
, which allows the public to order custom-made DVDs of rarely-seen films and TV series from the Warner and Turner libraries. The films are also available as digital downloads. Warner Archive DVDs and downloads can be ordered online on Warner's website, on Amazon.com
Amazon.com
Amazon.com, Inc. is a multinational electronic commerce company headquartered in Seattle, Washington, United States. It is the world's largest online retailer. Amazon has separate websites for the following countries: United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Japan, and...
or Turner Classic Movies
Turner Classic Movies
Turner Classic Movies is a movie-oriented cable television channel, owned by the Turner Broadcasting System subsidiary of Time Warner, featuring commercial-free classic movies, mostly from the Turner Entertainment and MGM, United Artists, RKO and Warner Bros. film libraries...
-affiliated DVD website Movies Unlimited (Although Movies Unlimited sells these archive titles, it usually takes 2–3 months before the DVD is available for order after Warners releases it on their website.)
In 2010, after former distributer Genius Products
Genius Products
Genius Products was an entertainment company based in Santa Monica, California, United States.On December 5, 2005, Genius Products, Inc. announced a distribution joint venture with The Weinstein Company called Genius Products, LLC, with Weinstein holding a 70% stake...
was folded into Vivendi Entertainment
Vivendi Entertainment
Vivendi Entertainment is an independent film, television, DVD and digital distribution company operating in the United States and Canada. It is also a distribution partner for independent content providers....
, Warner Home Video became the new distributor of the Sesame Workshop
Sesame Workshop
Sesame Workshop, formerly known as the Children's Television Workshop , is a Worldwide American non-profit organization behind the production of several educational children's programs that have run on public broadcasting around the world...
library, including Sesame Street
Sesame Street
Sesame Street has undergone significant changes in its history. According to writer Michael Davis, by the mid-1970s the show had become "an American institution". The cast and crew expanded during this time, including the hiring of women in the crew and additional minorities in the cast. The...
.
Recently, Warner acquired the home video rights to select catalog titles from 20th Century Fox
20th Century Fox
Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation — also known as 20th Century Fox, or simply 20th or Fox — is one of the six major American film studios...
and Largo Home Entertainment, including Point Break
Point Break
Point Break is a 1991 action film directed by Kathryn Bigelow and starring Patrick Swayze, Keanu Reeves, Lori Petty and Gary Busey. The title refers to the surfing term point break, where a wave breaks as it hits a point of land jutting out from the coastline.The film was a box office success upon...
.
International
In the UK, Warner Home Video distributes most of the DVD releases of Icon Entertainment International, and also distributes Icon releases in Australia as well as Seville Pictures and Equinox Films releases in Canada. In the Netherlands and M6 Video, SND Groupe M6 In the France, Warner Home Video is also the new distributor for most new releases from Independent Films.Warner Home Video also served as the distributor for Pathé
Pathé
Pathé or Pathé Frères is the name of various French businesses founded and originally run by the Pathé Brothers of France.-History:...
titles on video in the early 1990s.
Warner Home Video also released United Artists
United Artists
United Artists Corporation is an American film studio. The original studio of that name was founded in 1919 by D. W. Griffith, Charles Chaplin, Mary Pickford and Douglas Fairbanks....
titles on video in the UK until the early 1990s.
Warner Home Video is first to release titles from a major studio for digital download-to-own in Italy (2006).
In Poland, Warner Home Video served as distributor of most Warner Bros. and Turner Entertainment movies on VHS and DVD in the years 1993-2007, before being closed. Since 2007, Time Warner's home video distribution in Poland is being continued by Galapagos Films, Inc.
External links
- 1. http://www.tvshowsondvd.com/news/Sesame-Street-Warner-Home-Video-Distribution-Deal/12830
- 2. http://www.videobusiness.com/article/CA6702103.html?desc=topstory
- 3. http://www.worldscreen.com/articles/display/22938
- 4. http://www.reuters.com/article/industryNews/idUSTRE59F0LN20091016
- 5. http://www.homemediamagazine.com/warner/warner-distribute-sesame-street-videos-starting-2010-17332
- Official website