List of years in home video
Encyclopedia
This page indexes the individual year in home video
pages. Each year is annotated with a significant event as a reference point.
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...
pages. Each year is annotated with a significant event as a reference point.
1970s
- 1970 -
- 19711971 in home video-Date unknown:* Sony launches the three-quarter-inch videotape format known as U-matic....
- Year U-maticU-maticU-matic is an analog recording videocassette format first shown by Sony in prototype in October 1969, and introduced to the market in September 1971. It was among the first video formats to contain the videotape inside a cassette, as opposed to the various Reel-to-Reel or open-reel formats of the...
launched - 19721972 in home video-June:*June - The first home videocassette format, Cartrivision, is introduced to the American public....
- Year CartrivisionCartrivisionCartrivision was an analog video videocassette format introduced in 1972, and the first format to offer feature films for consumer rental. It was produced by Frank Stanton's Cartridge Television, Inc. , a subsidiary of Avco, who also owned Embassy Pictures at the time. Cartrivision was available in...
launched - 1973 -
- 1974 -
- 19751975 in home video-November:*November - Sony introduces the first home video system sold in the U.S., using its Betamax technology. The LV-1901 comes in a massive teakwood console with a 19” color TV set and retails for $2,495....
- Year BetaBetamaxBetamax 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...
launched - 1976 - Year VHSVHSThe Video Home System is a consumer-level analog recording videocassette standard developed by Victor Company of Japan ....
launched - 19771977 in home video-Date unknown:* Magnetic Video licenses fifty films from 20th Century Fox to be released on home video in VHS and Betamax formats, the first such agreement....
- Magnetic VideoMagnetic VideoMagnetic Video was a home video/audio duplication service established by Andre Blay in 1968 and based in Farmington Hills, Michigan. In 1977 it became the first corporation to release theatrical motion pictures onto Betamax and VHS videocassette for consumer use. Magnetic Video was a home...
, the first home video company to release theatrical films to tape, licenses 50 films from 20th Century Fox for VHS and Betamax release. - 19781978 in home video-March:* March - Movies Unlimited, the first video rental shop in the USA, opens in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA.-December:*December 15 - The laserdisc format is brought to market by Philips/MCA as "DiscoVision". -Movie releases:...
- Year laserdiscLaserdiscLaserDisc was a home video format and the first commercial optical disc storage medium. Initially licensed, sold, and marketed as MCA DiscoVision in North America in 1978, the technology was previously referred to interally as Optical Videodisc System, Reflective Optical Videodisc, Laser Optical...
launched. MCA issues Universal Studios film library onto laserdisc, and later adds Warner Bros. and Disney product as well. - 19791979 in home video-February:*February - The Disco Vision format is introduced in Seattle, Washington, USA. -Date unknown:* 20th Century Fox purchases Magnetic Video, which in 1977 had become the first company to release pre-recorded films on videotape for consumer use....
- Paramount and Columbia Pictures form Home Entertainment Divisions; Video Store Magazine (now Home Media Magazine) established as the industry's first trade.
1980s
- 19801980 in home video-December:*December - By the end of the year, the Disco Vision format is available all across the USA. * December 2 - The Swedish TV show Studio S discusses about videovåld, violent movies, on video .-Date unknown:...
- Walt Disney Productions enters home video market. MCA establishes MCA Videocassette, Inc. for VHS and Betamax releases of the Universal Studios product. - 19811981 in home video-March:* 22 March - The analog format called SelectaVision is introduced by RCA. -June:* 9 June - The parliament of Sweden adopts a law to ban the spreading violent video movies to children under the age of 15, and even hinder, but not ban by law, adults from watching video movies with "brutal...
- Year CEDCEDCED may stand for:*The UC Berkeley College of Environmental Design*Capacitance Electronic Disc, a playback-only video medium*Classical electrodynamics*Community economic development*Collective Earth Defense from the video game Descent³...
and Wizard VideoWizard VideoWizard Video was a motion picture distribution company created by B movie veteran Charles Band, who would later go on to found Full Moon Features. They were best known for their VHS releases of Zombie 2, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, and I Spit on Your Grave...
launched. Magnetic Video reorganized into Twentieth Century Fox Video. - 19821982 in home video-January:* January - VHD appear during the CES.-June:* June 12 - Sweden makes it forbidden to rent out video cassettes with violent movies to children who are forbidden by the rating system to see such movies.-Date unknown:...
- PBV Distribution (Publishing & Broadcasting Video) becomes one of the biggest selling Australian video companies. In the mid-80s, it would later become Communications and Entertainment LimitedCommunications and Entertainment LimitedCommunications and Entertainment Limited was an Australian home video cassette distributor in the 1980s. They were originally known as Publishing and Broadcasting Video .-History:...
. Star WarsStar WarsStar Wars is an American epic space opera film series created by George Lucas. The first film in the series was originally released on May 25, 1977, under the title Star Wars, by 20th Century Fox, and became a worldwide pop culture phenomenon, followed by two sequels, released at three-year...
is released on home videocassette, becoming one of the most demanded videos of all time. - 19831983 in home video-February:* February 18 - The local courthouse in Åhus, Sweden fines the owner of a video rental shop for renting out a violent movie rated 15 to a 14 year old boy .-May:*4 May - RCA introduceras the J-Line for CED players. -October:...
- JVCJVC, usually referred to as JVC, is a Japanese international consumer and professional electronics corporation based in Yokohama, Japan which was founded in 1927...
launches VHD format in Japan. Following a merger in 1982 between Twentieth Century Fox Video and CBS Video Enterprises, CBS/Fox VideoCBS/Fox VideoCBS/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....
is launched to the home video market, with divisions Key Video and Playhouse Video. In Japan, the Bandai-Emotion label is launched on VHS, and becomes one of the biggest selling Japanese home video labels of all time. - 19841984 in home video-January:* January - JVC introduceras the VHD in the UK.-Date unknown:* In Sony Corp. of America v. Universal City Studios, Inc., popularly known as the "Betamax case", the Supreme Court of the United States rules that the practice of "time shifting" constitutes fair use and that the manufacturers...
- The Sony Corp. of America v. Universal City Studios, Inc.Sony Corp. of America v. Universal City Studios, Inc.Sony Corp. of America v. Universal City Studios, Inc., 464 U.S. 417 , also known as the "Betamax case", is a decision by the Supreme Court of the United States which ruled that the making of individual copies of complete television shows for purposes of time-shifting does not constitute copyright...
decision (aka Betamax case). Following the so-called 'video nastyVideo nasty"Video nasty" was a colloquial term coined in the United Kingdom by 1982 which originally applied to a number of films distributed on video cassette that were criticized for their violent content by the press, commentators such as Mary Whitehouse and various religious organizations.While violence...
' British tabloid furore, the Video Recordings Act 1984Video Recordings Act 1984The Video Recordings Act 1984 is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom that was passed in 1984. It states that commercial video recordings offered for sale or for hire within the UK must carry a classification that has been agreed upon by an authority designated by the Home Office...
is introduced resulting in all feature films having to be certified by the British Board of Film ClassificationBritish Board of Film ClassificationThe British Board of Film Classification , originally British Board of Film Censors, is a non-governmental organisation, funded by the film industry and responsible for the national classification of films within the United Kingdom... - 19851985 in home video-September:* September 1 - The Video Recordings Act 1984 in the UK comes into effect.-Movie releases:The following movies were released on video on the following dates:*2010 - June 1985...
- Heron Communications launches the Hi-Tops VideoHi-Tops VideoHi-Tops Video was a children's home video sublabel of Media Home Entertainment and Kartes Video Communications , active from 1985 until 1992...
label. - 19861986 in home video-July:*15 July - RCA/Columbia Pictures' Home Video music division, MusicVision, releases 2 volumes containing 2 episodes each of The Monkees TV series, taking advantage of the group's 20th anniversary.-Movie releases:...
- Video Gems is launched, and becomes a top seller in the UK home video market. - 19871987 in home video-Date unknown:* S-VHS introduced in Japan.*The Pioneer CLD-1010, one of the first laserdisc players that also can play CD Video discs, is introduced.-Movie releases:The following movies were released on video on the following dates:...
- - 19881988 in home video-Movie releases:The following movies were released on video on the following dates:*Dirty Dancing - January 6*Dragnet - January 14*La Bamba - January 21*Platoon - January 22*RoboCop - January 28*Predator - January...
- - 19891989 in home video-August:* August 15 - MGM/UA Home Video announces that The Wizard of Oz is celebrating its 50th Anniversary in a Special Collector's Edition. The video cassette features a $5.00 mail-in rebate with purchases of Downy Fabric Softeners. The best-loved motion picture is backed by an $8.5 million...
-
1990s
- 19901990 in home video-Date unknown:* Fox Video is formed.* CBS/Fox Video continues to sell products such as BBC programs.* Thomas the Tank Engine and Friends home videos are launched.-Movie releases:The following films were released on video on the following dates:...
- CBS/FOX reorganized. Fox Video is formed to release mainstream Fox product in the U.S., while CBS/Fox VideoCBS/Fox VideoCBS/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....
remains for other products such as BBC VideoBBCThe British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
and other non-Fox projects. - 19911991 in home video-Movie releases:The following movies were released on video on the following dates:*The Adventures of Ford Fairlane - January 3, 1991; although still uses 1990 CBS/Fox copyright*After Dark, My Sweet - March 7, 1991*Air America - February 21, 1991...
- - 19921992 in home video-Movie releases:The following movies were released on video on the following dates:*The Addams Family*An American Tail: Fievel Goes West - March 19, 1992*Another You - January 8, 1992; although still uses 1991 Columbia TriStar copyright...
- - 19931993 in home video-Date unknown:*Two high density optical storage formats have been developed, the MultiMedia Compact Disc from by Philips and Sony, and the Super Density disc from Toshiba, Time Warner, Matsushita Electric, Hitachi, Mitsubishi Electric, Pioneer, Thomson, and JVC...
- - 19941994 in home video-May:*May - Sony and Philips announce they will work together developing a new kind of high density medium, commonly known as Digital Versatile Disk...
- MUSE Hi-Vision LaserDiscLaserdiscLaserDisc was a home video format and the first commercial optical disc storage medium. Initially licensed, sold, and marketed as MCA DiscoVision in North America in 1978, the technology was previously referred to interally as Optical Videodisc System, Reflective Optical Videodisc, Laser Optical...
is launched on May 20, 1994 in Japan. The first consumer high definition video disc. - 19951995 in home video-Movie releases:The following movies were released on video on the following dates:-TV show releases:The following television shows were released on video on the following dates:...
- Fox Video assumes the 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment20th Century Fox Home Entertainment20th Century Fox Home Entertainment is the home video distribution arm of the 20th Century Fox film studio. It was established in 1976 as Magnetic Video Corporation, and later as 20th Century Fox Video, CBS/Fox Video and FoxVideo, Inc....
name for the first time, with the release of the Star WarsStar WarsStar Wars is an American epic space opera film series created by George Lucas. The first film in the series was originally released on May 25, 1977, under the title Star Wars, by 20th Century Fox, and became a worldwide pop culture phenomenon, followed by two sequels, released at three-year...
Trilogy for the last time in its original format, while keeping the Fox Video name. - 19961996 in home video-Movie releases:The following movies were released on video on the following dates:-TV show releases:The following television shows were released on video on the following dates:Not 100% that these are home video releases, may be theatrical releases...
- DVDDVDA 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....
is launched in Japan - 19971997 in home video-January:*January - RCA announces two DVD players during the CES. -March:*March 1 - DVD launched in the United States. *March 19 - First DVD titles in the United States released.-May:...
- DVD is launched in the United States - 19981998 in home video-Movie releases:The following movies were released on video on the following dates:-Documentary home video releases:The following documentary home videos were released on the following dates:...
- DVD is launched in Europe and Australia. The CBS/Fox name is dropped. - 19991999 in home video-Date unknown:*Northern Hemisphere spring - The price of a DVD player had dropped below $300 US-dollar in the USA.-Movie releases:The following movies were released on video on the following dates:* The Muppet Movie - VHS release...
- The Fox Video name is dropped. DeCSSDeCSSDeCSS is a computer program capable of decrypting content on a commercially produced DVD video disc. Before the release of DeCSS, there was no way for computers running a Linux-based operating system to play video DVDs....
is released, opening the doors for large-scale DVD piracy.
2000s
- 20002000 in home video-Industry milestones:*March 4 - Sony releases PlayStation 2 in Japan. PlayStation 2 is a video game console that also can play DVD.*In the USA, Bringing Out the Dead and Sleepy Hollow are the last two movies to be released on laserdisc by a major studio....
- - 20012001 in home video-Movie releases:The following movies were released on video on the following dates:-TV show releases:The following television shows were released on video on the following dates:-Documentary home video releases:...
- The Japanese film Tokyo RaidersTokyo RaidersTokyo Raiders is a 2000 Hong Kong action film set in Hong Kong and Tokyo, directed by Jingle Ma and starring Tony Leung Chiu Wai, Ekin Cheng and Kelly Chen. The success of the film led to the making of its sequel, Seoul Raiders, in 2005...
becomes the last film released on Laserdisc. - 20022002 in home video-Industry milestones:*US retailer Circuit City stops selling VHS tapes.*Four "Ernest" movies are released on DVD for the first time September 3rd....
- D-VHSD-VHSD-VHS is a digital recording format developed by JVC, in collaboration with Hitachi, Matsushita, and Philips. The "D" in D-VHS originally stood for Data VHS, but with the expansion of the format from standard definition to high definition capability, JVC renamed it Digital VHS and uses that...
D-Theater high definition movies are finally available and affordable. - 20032003 in home video-Movie releases:The following movies were released on video on the following dates:-Movie releases:The following movies were released on video on the following dates:-Movie releases:...
- WMV HDWMV HDWindows Media High Definition Video is the marketing name for high definition videos encoded using Microsoft Windows Media Video 9 codecs...
launched with the arrival of the movie Standing in the Shadows of Motown. - 20042004 in home video-Movie releases:The following movies were released on video on the following dates:-TV show releases:The following television shows were released on video on the following dates:-Sports DVD Releases:...
- - 20052005 in home video-June:* June - Wal-Mart and several other retailers announce plans to phase out the VHS format entirely, in favor of the more popular DVD format.-Movie releases:The following movies were released on video on the following dates:-TV show releases:...
- - 20062006 in home videoThis is a list of home video-related events in 2006.-Events:2006 is something of a watershed for home media technology, with VHS being phased out as Blu-ray fought to replace the presently-dominant DVD format.-February:...
- HD DVDHD DVDHD 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...
launched on April 18, 2006; Blu-ray DiscBlu-ray DiscBlu-ray Disc is an optical disc storage medium designed to supersede the DVD format. The plastic disc is 120 mm in diameter and 1.2 mm thick, the same size as DVDs and CDs. Blu-ray Discs contain 25 GB per layer, with dual layer discs being the norm for feature-length video discs...
launched on June 20. After nearly 30 years, VHS ends as a format for major motion pictures. - 20072007 in home video-Film releases:-TV show releases:...
- AACSAdvanced Access Content SystemThe Advanced Access Content System is a standard for content distribution and digital rights management, intended to restrict access to and copying of the "next generation" of optical discs and DVDs. The specification was publicly released in April 2005 and the standard has been adopted as the...
is circumvented. - 20082008 in home video-Industry milestones:* 31 October - The last major United States supplier of pre-recorded VHS tapes, Distribution Video Audio Inc. of Palm Harbor, Florida, ships its final truckload..-Movie releases:...
- Blu-Ray Becomes new video medium after long competition with HD-DVD. - 20092009 in home videoThe following movies, television shows, and miniseries were released on Blu-ray Disc and / or DVD on the following dates in 2009 in the United States and Canada.-Film releases:-January:-February:-March:-April:-May:-June:-July:-August:...
-
2010s
- 20102010 in home videoThe following movies, television shows, and miniseries were released on Blu-ray Disc and / or DVD on the following dates in 2010 in the United States and Canada.-Film Releases:-January–March:-April–June:-July–September:-October - December:...
- - 20112011 in home videoThe following movies, television shows, and miniseries were released on Blu-ray Disc and/or DVD on the following dates in 2011 in the United States and Canada. -Film Releases: -January–March:-April–June:-July–September:-October - December:...
-