Warner Bros. Home Entertainment

Warner Bros. Home Entertainment (formerly known as WCI Home Video and Warner Home Video) is the home video distribution division of Warner Bros. Home Entertainment Group, itself part of WarnerMedia. It was founded in 1978 as WCI Home Video (for Warner Communications, Inc.). The company launched in the United States with twenty films on Betamax and VHS videocassettes in late 1979. The company later expanded its line to include additional titles throughout 1979 and 1980.

Distributed libraries

 * Broadway Video* (1980s)
 * Cannon Films* (since 1987)
 * Carlyle Productions (1990s)
 * Carnaval Unifilm (1980s)
 * Concorde Pictures* (1980s)
 * DC Comics
 * Filmways Pictures* (1980s)
 * The Ladd Company
 * Lorimar-Telepictures (since 1989)
 * NBC Home Video (1980s)
 * New Line Cinema* (1980s)
 * New World Pictures* (1980s)
 * Orion Pictures (pre-1982)
 * Regency Enterprises (1991-1999)
 * Turner Entertainment (since 1997)
 * United Artists Corporation (in Canada and international territories) (1981-1990s)
 * Viacom International* (early 1980s)
 * Warner Bros.
 * Warner Music
 * Watership Productions (1981-2014)
 * Weintraub Entertainment Group (in international territories) (1987-1990s)
 * William Mishkin Motion Pictures

(* = Not the exclusive distributor during this period)

Table key
Warner's video catalog used a 4-digit number system for its first year, until beginning in Summer 1981 they switched to 5-digit numbers. The titles released in their library are indicated by the first number within the four digits (or the second number within five).


 * 1000/10000/61000 (international): Warner Bros.
 * 2000/22000/72000 (international): Orion Pictures
 * 4000: New World Pictures, Viacom International, and music/cable/third-party releases
 * 19200 (Canada)/99200 (international): United Artists (international territories)
 * 20000: The Ladd Company
 * 24000: New World Pictures
 * 26000: American International Pictures, Filmways Pictures
 * 28000: New Line Cinema
 * 29000: NBC Home Video
 * 30000: Viacom International
 * 34000: Third-party releases
 * 35000: Third-party releases
 * 36000: Third-party releases
 * 37000: Cannon Films
 * 38000: Weintraub Entertainment Group
 * 65000: Turner Entertainment

Beginning in 2001, when titles from Warner Bros. started to bleed into the 19200 series, Warner began to use numbers in the 21000-39000 numbering sequences for these titles. This practice would continue until 2005, when Warner initiated a new 50000 numbering sequence for its titles, which would cross over into the 60000-80000 sequences until 2007, when Warner initiated a new, multi-series, 6-digit numbering system. In early 2008, Warner began using 10-digit numbering system which would only be seen on the back cover and disc art of its releases. This is also the system in use by Warner today.

Also, in North America (as well as Australia), their titles use a color-coded system for what type of genre a program fits into. This system was introduced in 1981 and was discontinued around 1992.

Summer 1981
At this point, all following titles are on 5-digit numbers. Titles released during Orion Month are the first to use the artwork style that would go on to become the standard for Warner releases throughout the early-to-mid-'80s.

1981
On that same year, Warner Home Video launched their "Video Rental Library" program. Their rental release would come in white clamshells with silver/white sleeve artwork.

1985
Most releases during this year still had the Big W logo on the video program.