Vantiva Supply Chain Services

From Home Video
(Redirected from Technicolor Video Services)

Former names[edit]

  • The Vidtronics Company (1966-1985)
  • VCA/Technicolor Duplicating Corp. (1985-1987)
    • Teletronics International (1968-1972)
    • VCA-Teletronics, Inc. (1972-1987)
      • S/T Videocassette Duplicating Corp. (East Coast plants)
      • Teletronics-Texas, Inc. (Houston plant)
  • Technicolor Videocassette, Inc. (1985-1997)
    • Technicolor Video Services (1993-1997)
    • Technicolor Optical Media Services (1994-1997)
  • Technicolor Video/CD/DVD Services (1997-2002)
  • Technicolor Home Entertainment Services, Inc. (2002-2022)

List of Customers[edit]

  • CBS/Fox Video/FoxVideo/20th Century Fox Home Entertainment (1986-2003) (in 1986, some copies of Star Wars VI: Return of the Jedi, the release of which predated the duplicator's Q3 1987 purchase of CBS/Fox's duplication facilities; in the 1990s, some copies of Speed and Independence Day; in the early 2000s, Star Wars I: The Phantom Menace and some copies of X-Men.)
    • New World Video (1985-1989)
  • A-PIX Entertainment (2000)
  • Avon (1988-2005)
  • Brentwood Home Video/BCI Eclipse (1997-2004)
    • Simitar Entertainment (1989-1993)
  • Bell Canyon Entertainment Inc. (2000)
  • Best Film and Video Corporation
  • Cabin Fever Entertainment (some copies of Lonesome Dove)
  • DawnSignPress
  • Family Entertainment Network (1991)
  • Feature Films for Families (1995-1996) (some tapes)
  • Fox Racing (2000-2001)
  • FUNimation Entertainment (2002) (some copies of Dragonball Z: Fusion - Losing Battle and Dragonball Z: Fusion - Playing for Time)
  • HIT Entertainment (2001-2006)
    • Lyrick Studios (1997-2001)
      • The Lyons Group (1993)
  • Integrity Music
  • Interactive Learning Group (2000)
  • Jay Jay the Jet Plane Productions (1998-1999)
  • Kit Parker Films (1985-199?) (tapes marketed by Buena Vista Home Video)
  • Knowledge Adventure (1999-2002)
  • The LEGO Group (2001) (Jack Stone FREE Video Cassette)
  • Lionsgate Home Entertainment (1999-2007)
    • Artisan Entertainment (1989-2004)
      • Vestron Video (1982-1993)
        • Time-Life Video (pre-1982 incarnation) (1980-1982)
    • Trimark Home Video (1992-2004)
    • Anchor Bay Entertainment (1995, 2006-2007)
      • Video Treasures (1990-1995)
        • Burbank Video (1992-1995)
        • Teal Entertainment (1994-1995)
        • Strand VCI Entertainment/Strand Home Video (1990-1992, 1994)
        • MNTex Entertainment (1992-1995)
      • Starmaker Entertainment (1989-1995)
  • Major League Baseball Productions (1990)
  • MGM Home Entertainment (1980-1990, 2002)
    • Cannon Video (1988-1996) (mostly distributed by Warner Home Video)
    • Forum Home Video (1985-1989)
  • Monarch Home Video (1988-1989)
  • Monterey Home Video (1991-2006)
  • MPI Home Video (1985-19??)
  • New Yorker Films (2004)
  • Nick Jr. (1999) (Little Bill Special Teacher's Edition)
  • The Nostalgia Merchant (1984)
  • Paramount Home Entertainment (1987-1993, 1999-present) (some tapes; in 1999 and the early 2000s, some demo tapes, co-duplicated with Deluxe Video Services)
    • CBS Video (2005-2007)
    • Nickelodeon Video/Nickelodeon Home Entertainment (1995, 1999-present) (in 1995, some copies of Rugrats: The Santa Experience, marketed by Sony Wonder; in 1999 and the early 2000s, some demo tapes, co-duplicated with Deluxe Video Services; post-2002 Canadian tapes)
      • Nick Jr. Video (1999-2007) (in 1999 and the early 2000s, some demo tapes, co-duplicated with Deluxe Video Services)
    • Republic Pictures Home Video (1992-2000)
    • Worldvision Home Video (1987-1995)
  • Real Entertainment
  • Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Combined Shows
  • Shell Oil Company
  • Simon Marketing (1988-199?)
  • Sony Pictures Home Entertainment (1981-1982, 1987-1988, 2005-2007)
    • SVS/Triumph Home Video (1981-1992)
  • Sony Music Entertainment/Sony BMG Music Entertainment (1995-1997, 2005-2007)
    • Zomba Video
    • Jive Records
    • Sony Wonder (1995-1997, 2005-2007)
      • Random House Home Video (1996-1997, 2005-2007)
  • Columbia House Video (1987-2005)
  • Stabur Home Video (1992)
  • Starlight Home Entertainment (2002)
  • StudioWorks Entertainment (2003)
  • Sundance Channel Home Entertainment (2003) (some copies of The Slaughter Rule)
  • Super Video
  • Synch-Point (2001)
  • Tiger Electronics (1990s)
  • Time-Life Video
  • Tokyopop (2001)
  • Tyco Industries (1980s-1990s)
  • Universal Pictures Home Entertainment (1982-1996, 2005-present)
  • Urban Vision Entertainment
  • VCI Home Video (1981)
  • Ventura Entertainment (2000)
  • VidAmerica, Inc.
  • Walt Disney Telecommunications and Non-Theatrical Company/Buena Vista Home Video/Buena Vista Home Entertainment (1980-present)
    • Hollywood Pictures Home Entertainment
    • Touchstone Home Entertainment
    • Walt Disney Home Video/Walt Disney Home Entertainment/Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment
  • Warner Home Video (1980-present)
    • HBO Home Entertainment (1981-1982, 1986-present)
    • Lorimar Home Video (1985-1989)
    • Turner Home Entertainment (1987)
  • Weston Woods Studios
  • Word Entertainment (1997-2000)

How to Tell[edit]

  • Tapes duplicated at VCA from 1980-1982 would have a sticker with numbers on it on the tape guard.
  • Pre-1991 tapes duplicated at VCA, S/T and Technicolor have 2 different types of stickers (with or without print dates): Tapes duplicated at Technicolor between 1981 and 1991 have a blue (sometimes white) sticker on the bottom left or middle side, while tapes duplicated at VCA and S/T between 1982 and 1987 have a white sticker on the tape guard (and later on the bottom middle side starting in 1985). Sometimes, the print date is read in YY/MM/DD format, but most of the time it is in MM/DD/YY.
  • Pre-April 1989 tapes duplicated at Technicolor in California have two different types of a screen test pattern at the end: Some 1985-1986 tapes have a black test pattern with a 410 hz tone, or a 420 hz tone, while most 1986-1989 tapes have either a 400 hz tone, or a 1010 hz tone.
  • Most 1986-2007 tapes duplicated at Technicolor have an ink print date instead of a sticker.
  • Starting in 1993, some tapes duplicated at Technicolor in Camarillo with an ink print date on the bottom middle side had a time. The following year, the Livonia plant implemented this, mainly for tapes duplicated there on the Sprinters.
    • The time was directly next to the date on post-June 1995 tapes duplicated in Livonia and some duplicated in California. However, on most 1993-1999 tapes duplicated in Camarillo, it would be next to the length code.
    • For example, if the print date/time on the VHS tape reads "010196-1729", that means the tape was printed at 5:29 PM on January 1, 1996.
  • Tapes duplicated in Livonia on the Sprinters prior to 1995 had a sticker on the bottom middle side.
  • Most 1989-2006 tapes duplicated in Livonia had the DTMF tones at the start and/or end of the tape.
  • Most 1981-1999 tapes had a digit for the shift next to the print date, which was usually either 1, 2 or 3 letters or numbers.
  • Most 1985-2007 tapes have an abbreviation engraved in either gold orange, dark blue, plain black or plain white on either the left or right side of the tape that usually indicates the company that distributed it.
  • Some post-2001 tapes would have "MADE IN MEXICO" printed in either watermark ink on the plastic wrap, or on a sticker, on the back.
  • Many 1986-2005 tapes would have an assembly date in addition to a print date, sometimes in dark ink. Starting in the beginning of 1992, the assembly date on tapes assembled in California would include a time.
  • On some tapes printed in California and Livonia that had a sticker during the 1990s, the sticker was either white or yellow with information like this for example:

Example (California plants):

DRACULA A.D. (1972) WHV

0285337 V25100

09/29/94 S-3 P-X

113-01-7

  • Some tapes had a white sticker on the right side of the tape, with information like the following examples:

Example 1:

ROUGH CUT V

11111 1 113 113


Example 2:

THE BOY

38381 3 332 1292

  • Occasionally, a few tapes from this duplicator may have the static roll of death at the end.

Fun Facts[edit]

  • VCA-Teletronics was spun off in 1987, shortly after the acquisition of CBS/Fox's duplication facility.
  • Technicolor Videocassette, Inc. adopted the name "Technicolor Video Services" as its DBA name by October 1993, as the arm was completing a move from Newbury Park to Camarillo. "Technicolor Videocassette, Inc." remained the arm's legal name until 1997 when the arm began DVD replication by which point both the arm's legal and DBA names, as well as its CD replication counterpart Technicolor Optical Media Services, were combined to become "Technicolor Video/CD/DVD Services".
  • S/T Videocassette Duplicating Corp. was a joint venture between Sony Corporation and VCA-Teletronics, set up not long after VCA-Teletronics itself was founded.
    • S/T = Sony/Teletronics
  • Around 70% of Disney's videocassette output was being duplicated at Technicolor's Livonia plant as of 1996.
  • The first Macrovision-encoded MCA Home Video tapes, as well as New World Video's lineup around 1985, are among the tapes duplicated at VCA/Technicolor's Newbury Park plant.
  • Some Disney tapes beginning in the early 1990s, as well as certain "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles" tapes from Family Home Entertainment (sold through the Burger King Kids' Club), a majority of Video Treasures' lineup (including Burbank Video, Media Home Entertainment and MNTex Entertainment) and Starmaker Entertainment's lineup between the early 1990s and 1995, and Simon Marketing and Vestron Video's lineups prior to the late 1990s, and select copies of certain tapes from Sony Music Entertainment's divisions and subsidiaries (including a small portion of Sony Wonder's lineup, including "Rugrats: The Santa Experience" from Nickelodeon Video and some post-1995 Random House Home Video releases) were among the tapes duplicated at Technicolor's Livonia plant using Sony Sprinter systems.
  • As part of Technicolor's agreement with Video Treasures, which was secured in September 1992, Video Treasures closed its Cincinnati, Ohio duplication plant and sold its equipment there to Technicolor which would add the equipment to its Livonia, Michigan plant.

Known abbreviation letter codes[edit]

  • DIS - pre-1988 tapes released under the respective subsidiaries of Walt Disney Telecommunications and Non-Theatrical Company
  • BVHV - post-1990 tapes released under the Buena Vista Home Entertainment label and its respective subsidiaries
  • AVN - tapes sold through Avon
  • NWV - tapes released by New World Video
  • WHV4 - tapes released by Warner Home Video prior to 1985
  • WHV - tapes released by Warner Home Video and its respective subsidiaries
  • VT - tapes released by Video Treasures and its respective subsidiaries, including Burbank Video and MNTex Entertainment (regularly engraved in plain black, but sometimes engraved in gold orange)
  • RVS - tapes released by companies that normally worked with Rank Video Services America, such as Paramount Home Video, Columbia TriStar Home Video or MCA/Universal Home Video (sometimes engraved in dark blue)
  • T275 - tapes sold through the Columbia House Club
  • 275T - same as T275
  • EP - post-1994 tapes released under the respective subsidiaries of Anchor Bay Entertainment, duplicated in EP/SLP mode
  • SP - post-1994 tapes released under the respective subsidiaries of Anchor Bay Entertainment, duplicated in SP mode
  • 2 PK - TBD
  • SKG - tapes released by DreamWorks Home Entertainment
  • EHE - tapes released by Embassy Home Entertainment
  • MCATM - 1982-1990 tapes released under the MCA Home Video label
  • MCAT - same as MCATM
  • HW - tapes released exclusively to Hollywood Video stores
  • BB - tapes released exclusively to Blockbuster stores
  • BRC - tapes released under the Brentwood Home Video label, prior to 2001
  • BRCSP - tapes released under the Brentwood Home Video label, duplicated in SP mode, prior to 2001
  • BRC-E - tapes released under the Brentwood Home Video label, duplicated in EP/SLP mode, prior to 2001
  • BCI - tapes released by BCI Eclipse, printed after 2001
  • BFSP - tapes released by Best Film & Video Corp., duplicated in SP mode
  • BV - tapes released by Family Home Entertainment in association with Broadway Video
  • PHV - tapes released by Paramount Home Video prior to 1993

Known batch and stock number prefix codes[edit]

NOTE: Most tapes duplicated after 1988 using Sony Sprinter systems will use prefixes indicating the label and/or distributor.

  • WHV - 1988-2000 tapes released by Warner Home Video and its respective subsidiaries
  • WB - same as WHV
  • NL - tapes released under the New Line Home Entertainment label
  • TW - post-2000 tapes released by Warner Home Video and its respective subsidiaries
  • BVH - select 1988-1990 tapes released by Buena Vista Home Video and its respective subsidiaries, duplicated in California.
  • WDTNT - pre-1988 tapes released under the respective subsidiaries of Walt Disney Telecommunications and Non-Theatrical Company
  • WDT - same as WDTNT
  • WD - post-1988 tapes released under the Buena Vista Home Entertainment label and its respective subsidiaries, duplicated in California. Beginning in 1990, the arm's Livonia plant also used this prefix. Strangely, this prefix appeared on some Starmaker Entertainment tapes printed in May 1995, when Starmaker Entertainment merged with Video Treasures to form Anchor Bay Entertainment.
  • VA - tapes released by VidAmerica
  • VTM - 1990-1994 tapes released by Video Treasures under license from Media Home Entertainment
  • VTSV - 1990-1992 tapes released under the Video Treasures label
  • VT - post-1992 tapes released under the Video Treasures label and its respective subsidiaries
  • VTBV - tapes released under the Burbank Video label
  • VTTG - same as VTBV
  • VTTR - same as VTTG and VTBV
  • VTMN - tapes released under the MNTex Entertainment label
  • BRC - tapes released by Brentwood Home Video
  • ES - pre-1989 tapes sold through Avon
  • AVE - post-1989 tapes sold through Avon
  • AVON - same as AVE
  • SM - pre-1993 tapes sold through Simon Marketing/Promotional Concept Group. This prefix later appeared on some tapes released by the respective divisions and subsidiaries of Sony Music Entertainment in the mid-to-late 1990s.
  • PCG - post-1993 tapes sold through Simon Marketing/Promotional Concept Group
  • HBO - pre-2000 tapes released under the HBO Home Entertainment label
  • VV - tapes released under the Vestron Video label
  • LV - tapes released under the Artisan Entertainment label
  • RPE - tapes released under the Republic Pictures Home Video label
  • RNK - pre-1993 tapes released by companies that normally worked with Rank Video Services America
  • RK - post-1993 tapes released by companies that normally worked with Rank Video Services America
  • WV - tapes released under the Worldvision Home Video label
  • PA - some tapes released by Paramount Home Entertainment
  • VM - tapes released by Trimark Home Video
  • SNY - tapes released by Sony Video Software
  • ST - tapes released under the Starmaker Entertainment label. After 1994, R&G Video tapes, which were distributed by Starmaker Entertainment, also used this prefix.
  • RG - tapes released by Starmaker Entertainment under the R&G Video label prior to 1994
  • LM - tapes released by Shell Oil Company in association with Lee Mendelson Productions
  • CV - tapes released by Columbia Pictures Home Entertainment in the early 1980s. This also applied to some tapes sold through the Columbia House Club in the late 1990s and early 2000s.
  • MGM - tapes released by MGM/UA Home Video
  • WDWD - same as WD. Seen on some tapes released by Buena Vista Home Video, printed in late 1994 using Sony Sprinter systems.
  • WDKM - possibly a misprint as seen on some tapes released by Buena Vista Home Video, printed between 1994-1995 using Sony Sprinter systems.
  • WDTG - same as WDKM
  • WDWM - same as WDKM and WDTG
  • WDL - same as WDKM, WDTG and WDWM. This was spotted on some early copies of the first four Disney Princess Collection tapes.
  • UV - tapes released by Urban Vision
  • LHV - tapes released by Lorimar Home Video
  • RB - tapes released by Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Combined Shows
  • CD - tapes released by Family Entertainment Network
  • Random codes (S8, X23, Y1, RC, Y5, X8, X12, M12, S35, etc.) - post-1990 tapes duplicated in Livonia using industrial duplicators or Otari TMD systems
  • 000 - no indication

Known stock number suffix codes[edit]

These codes could be seen on tapes printed in Livonia using Sony Sprinter systems, from 1988 to May 1995.

  • V - no indication
  • VPD - same as V
  • -V - same as V and VPD
  • -S - tapes duplicated in SP mode
  • LPD - tapes duplicated in LP mode
  • EPD - tapes duplicated in EP/SLP mode

Gallery[edit]

Sony/Teletronics[edit]


Vidtronics[edit]


VCA/Technicolor[edit]

East Coast plants[edit]

California plants[edit]


Technicolor[edit]

California plants[edit]

Livonia plant (acquired from CBS/Fox)[edit]

Industrial Duplicators and Otari TMD[edit]
Sony Sprinter[edit]
Other plants[edit]

Montreal plant (acquired from Astral Media)[edit]

Ciudad de México plant (acquired from Televisa)[edit]

VBI codes[edit]


Locations[edit]

  • Beverly Hills, California (1999-????) (acquired as part of Central Video purchase)
  • Camarillo, California (1993-2007) (acquired from Everest & Jennings and sold to Sandstone Properties)
  • Camarillo, California (1994-2007) (expansion of initial Camarillo site)
  • Cincinnati, Ohio (1992) (assets acquired from Video Treasures, building ultimately consolidated into Technicolor's Livonia operations)
  • Ciudad de México, Distrito Federal (1999-????) (acquired as part of Central Video purchase)
  • Dallas, Texas (1980-1987) (originated with VCA-Teletronics, acquired from Inovision, divested as part of VCA-Teletronics spinoff)
  • Des Plaines, Illinois (1979-1987) (originated with VCA-Teletronics, divested as part of VCA-Teletronics spinoff)
  • Don Mills, Ontario (1999-????) (acquired as part of VTR Video purchase)
  • Guadalajara, Jalisco (2001-present)
  • Hollywood, California (????-????) (originated with Technicolor, unknown status)
  • Houston, Texas (1980-1987) (originated with VCA-Teletronics, divested as part of VCA-Teletronics spinoff)
  • Huntington Beach, California (198?-1990s) (originated with Technicolor, unknown status)
  • Leonia, New Jersey (1972-1987) (originated with VCA-Teletronics, divested as part of VCA-Teletronics spinoff)
  • Livonia, Michigan (1987-2016) (first facility acquired from CBS/Fox, building later sold to battery supplier A123 Systems as their headquarters before it was ultimately demolished for a Beaumont Health medical center. Most of the work from the first facility was transferred to a second facility around 2010. The second facility was later sold to Ford Motor Company, which currently uses the site as an auto parts warehouse)
  • Mexicali, Baja California (1999-present) (acquired as part of Central Video purchase)
  • Montreal, Quebec (2000-????) (acquired from Astral Media)
  • Naperville, Illinois (198?-198?) (originated with VCA-Teletronics, currently used by cleanup and restoration company Servpro)
  • New York City, New York (198?-????) (originated with VCA-Teletronics, unknown status)
  • Newbury Park, California (1981-1993) (originated with Technicolor, moved to Camarillo)
  • Toronto, Ontario (1999-????) (acquired as part of VTR Video purchase)

Trivia[edit]

  • Some tapes that used the company's masters, particularly post-July 1995 pressings of pre-July 1995 Video Treasures, Burbank Video and MNTex Entertainment releases, as well as some post-July 1995 pressings of pre-mid-1995 Starmaker Entertainment releases that still came in their original packaging with the "Video by Technicolor" notation intact, were instead duplicated at Allied Digital Technologies.
  • The original Camarillo site had S-VHS duplication capabilities.

See also[edit]