AstralTech

List of Customers

 * Astral Video [Canadian]
 * Buena Vista Home Entertainment [Canadian] (1986-2000)
 * Hollywood Pictures Home Video [Canadian]
 * Touchstone Home Video [Canadian]
 * Walt Disney Home Video [Canadian]
 * CBS/Fox Video [Canadian] (1983-1984)
 * Key Video [Canadian] (1984-1986)
 * MCA Home Video Canada (some 1980s tapes)
 * Media Home Entertainment [Canadian] (198?-1993)
 * Hi-Tops Video [Canadian]
 * New World Video [Canadian] (1984-1989)
 * RCA/Columbia Pictures Home Video [Canadian]
 * Magic Window [Canadian]
 * Screencraft Video [Canadian]
 * Warner Home Video [Canadian]

How to Tell

 * Tapes duplicated by Pathé Video and AstralTech prior to 1995 have a coloured sticker, usually white, on the tape guard. These stickers always have numbers on them.
 * In addition, Astral Media acquired Pathé Video in early 1990.
 * Most tapes duplicated by Pathé Video may have an abbreviation engraved on the right side or back of the tape.
 * For some distributors, there may also be a month-year code engraved next to it (e.g. RCP 5 4).
 * From 1994 to early 1995, AstralTech printed out print dates on their tapes that were similar to the ones on US-marketed tapes duplicated by Technicolor.
 * Beginning in 1997, tapes duplicated by AstralTech have DTMF phone dial-tones at the beginning and end.
 * Beginning in 1995, tapes duplicated by AstralTech have ink information on the bottom middle side akin to those duplicated by Technicolor, except the information reads the name of the release and cartridge numbers in either 0/0, 00/00, 000/000 or 0000/0000.
 * For example, if the cartridge number reads "13/40", that means the tape is cartridge number 13 out of the 40 cartridges, although in some ways, this does not reliably guarantee that only 40 copies of the VHS release were produced by this arm. Or, if it reads "089/510", that means the tape is cartridge number 89 out of 510 cartridges.



Known abbreviation letter codes
AV - tapes released by Astral Video, Forum Home Video, Media Home Entertainment and its subsidiaries, and Trans World Entertainment BVHV - tapes released by Buena Vista Home Entertainment and its subsidiaries after 1990 DIS - tapes released by Walt Disney Home Video and its subsidiaries prior to 1990 MAG3 - tapes released by CBS/FOX Video and its subsidiary Key Video MCA - tapes released under the MCA Home Video label NWV1 - tapes released by New World Video and Malo Video (the latter through the former) RCP - tapes released by by RCA/Columbia Pictures Home Video and its subsidiaries SC - tapes sold through Screencraft Video

Fun Facts

 * Astral Media sold its video duplication and distribution arm to Technicolor Video Services in 2000, however, the sale did not include the Astral Home Entertainment video wholesaling and marketing operation.
 * Pathé Video became the official duplicator of Disney video tapes marketed in Canada in 1986. Disney's Canadian home entertainment subsidiary was known as BVA Video Ltd., whereas its US home entertainment subsidiary was known as Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment since 2008, also known as Buena Vista Home Entertainment, Inc. since 1997 and formerly known as Walt Disney Telecommunications and Non-Theatrical Co., Inc., prior to 1988, and Buena Vista Home Video, Inc. (1988-1997).
 * On 1990-2007 tapes, the engraving on the left or right side of the tape that says either "BVHV" (1990-1998) or "BVHE" (1998-2007) may be similar to the one on US-marketed tapes duplicated by Technicolor, except it may be yellow and not orange.
 * Pre-1995 tapes may have another engraving on the left (if "BVHV" is on the right) or right (if "BVHV" is on the left) side of the tape that says "DIS" in black. This may be only on tapes that wound up under the Walt Disney Home Video label.
 * However, on tapes that wound up under the Buena Vista Home Video label, the black engraving may say "BVA".

Locations

 * Montreal, Quebec (19??-????)
 * Toronto, Ontario (19??-????)