Technicolor Video Services

Former names

 * VCA/Technicolor Duplicating Corp. (1985-1987)
 * VCA-Teletronics, Inc. (1972-1987)
 * S/T Videocassette Duplicating Corp. (1972-1986)
 * Teletronics-Texas, Inc. (Houston plant)
 * The Vidtronics Company (1981-1985)
 * Technicolor Videocassette, Inc. (1987-Late 1990s)
 * Technicolor Video Services (1993-Late 1990s)
 * Technicolor Video/CD/DVD Services (Late 1990s-Late 2000s)
 * Technicolor Home Entertainment Services (Late 2000s-2022)

Current names

 * Vantiva Supply Chain Services (2022-present)

List of Customers

 * 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment (some 1986-2003 tapes)
 * New World Video (1986-1989)
 * Avon (1988-2005)
 * BCI Eclipse (1997-2004)
 * Simitar Entertainment (1989-1993)
 * DawnSignPress
 * Integrity Music
 * Kit Parker Films (1985-1993) (tapes distributed by Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment)
 * Lionsgate Home Entertainment (1999-2007)
 * Artisan Entertainment (1989-2004)
 * Vestron Video (1982-1993)
 * Time-Life Video (pre-1982 incarnation) (1980-1982)
 * Trimark Home Video (1992-2001)
 * Anchor Bay Entertainment (1995-1996, 2006-2007)
 * Video Treasures (1990-1996)
 * Burbank Video (1992-1995)
 * Teal Entertainment (1994-1995)
 * Strand Home Video (1994)
 * MNTex Entertainment (1992-1995)
 * Starmaker Entertainment (1989-1995)
 * HIT Entertainment (2001-2006)
 * Lyrick Studios (1997-2001)
 * MGM Home Entertainment (1980-1990, 2002)
 * Cannon Video (1988-1996)
 * MPI Home Video (1985-19??)
 * Paramount Home Entertainment (1988-1993, 2000, 2005-2007) (limited to retail releases)
 * Republic Pictures Home Video (1992-2000)
 * Worldvision Home Video (1987-1995)
 * Shell Oil Company
 * Simon Marketing (1987-1994)
 * Sony Pictures Home Entertainment (1981-1982, 1987-1988, 2005-2007)
 * Sony Music Entertainment (1995-1997, 2005-2007)
 * Sony Wonder (1995-1997, 2005-2007)
 * Random House Home Video (1996-1997, 2005-2007)
 * Columbia House Video (1987-2005)
 * SVS/Triumph Home Video (1981-1992)
 * Sundance Channel Home Entertainment (2003) (some copies of The Slaughter Rule)
 * Tiger Electronics (1990s)
 * Time-Life Video
 * Tyco Toys (1980s-1990s)
 * Universal Pictures Home Entertainment (1982-1991, 1994-1996, 2005-present)
 * VCI Home Video (1981)
 * VidAmerica, Inc.
 * Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment (1980-2009)
 * Warner Home Video (1980-present)
 * HBO Home Entertainment (1981-1982, 1986-present)
 * Weston Woods Studios
 * Zomba Video
 * Jive Records

How to Tell

 * 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 S/T and Technicolor between 1981 and 1991 have a blue (sometimes white) sticker on the bottom left or middle side, while tapes duplicated at VCA 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 and S/T 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.
 * Some 1986-1987 tapes duplicated at VCA/Technicolor have a strange list of other films to play on the master tape at the end.
 * For example, some copies of the 1985 VHS release of American Flyers printed in Newbury Park in 1986 have a list showing a couple of Universal films, as well as a few other Warner Bros. films to play on the master recording at the end. The list also shows "Back to the Future" as the Q.C.
 * Most 1986-2007 tapes duplicated at Technicolor have an ink print date instead of a sticker, while some only have lot numbers on the ink or sticker (sometimes with the tape speed, the print time and a side label digit next to it).
 * Some post-1988 tapes duplicated at Technicolor (sometimes with the tape speed and title and side label digits next to it) on sticker on the bottom middle side had a barcode on the top, most notably those duplicated at the arm's New York City facilities. Tapes prior to 1988 had the SKU number on a blue sticker without a barcode.
 * Starting in 1991, some tapes duplicated at Technicolor with a print date, whether it was ink or a sticker, on the bottom middle side had a barcode on the right, most notably on pressings duplicated in California. The barcode would later appear on all Livonia and East Coast pressings starting in 1995.
 * Starting in 1993, some tapes duplicated at Technicolor with a print date on ink on the bottom middle side had a time, most notably on pressings duplicated in Camarillo.
 * The time was directly next to the date on post-June 1995 tapes, most notably on pressings duplicated in Livonia and New York City and some duplicated in Camarillo. 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.
 * Most 1989-2006 tapes duplicated in New York City and Livonia had the DTMF tones at the start and/or end of the tape (sometimes with a faint sequence of extra tones preceding it).
 * 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 1992, the assembly date on tapes assembled in California would include a time.

Fun Facts

 * VCA-Teletronics was spun off in 1987, shortly after the acquisition of CBS/Fox's duplication facility.
 * The name, "Technicolor Videocassette, Inc." was changed to "Technicolor Video Services" by October 1993, as the arm was completing a move from Newbury Park to Camarillo.
 * 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.

Known abbreviation letter codes

 * 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 Columbia House Video
 * 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 - post-1993 two-tape releases under the respective subsidiaries of Anchor Bay Entertainment
 * 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 BCI Eclipse label
 * BRCSP - tapes released under the BCI Eclipse label, duplicated in SP mode
 * BRC-E - tapes released under the BCI Eclipse label, duplicated in EP/SLP mode

Known lot and stock number prefix codes

 * WHV - 1988-2000 tapes released by Warner Home Video and its respective subsidiaries
 * W/B - same as WHV
 * TW - post-2000 tapes released by Warner Home Video and its respective subsidiaries
 * BVH - 1988-1990 tapes released by Buena Vista Home Video and its respective subsidiaries, duplicated in the East Coast.
 * 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 Newbury Park and Camarillo. Beginning in 1990, the arm's East Coast facilities also used this prefix.
 * VA - tapes released by VidAmerica
 * VTM - 1990-1992 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 meaning as VTBV
 * VTTR - same meaning 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
 * PCG - post-1993 tapes sold through Simon Marketing
 * HBO - pre-1997 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 - select 2000 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
 * RG - tapes released under the R&G Video label
 * LM - tapes released by Shell Oil Company under license from Lee Mendelson Productions
 * CV - tapes released by Columbia Pictures Home Entertainment
 * MGM - tapes released by MGM/UA Home Video
 * WDKM - possibly a misprint
 * WDTG - same as WDKM
 * WDWM - same as WDKM and WDTG
 * Random codes (S8, X23, Y1, RC, Y5, X8, X12, M12, S35, etc.) - post-1990 tapes duplicated in the East Coast and Livonia in SP mode
 * 000 - no indication

Known stock number suffix codes
These codes could be seen on tapes printed in the East Coast 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

Locations

 * Camarillo, California (1993-2007) (sold to Sandstone Properties)
 * Ciudad de México, Distrito Federal (1999-????) (acquired as part of Central Video purchase)
 * Dallas, Texas (1980) (originated with VCA-Teletronics, acquired from Inovision and ultimately consolidated into Houston)
 * 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)
 * Garden Grove, California (1999-????) (acquired as part of Central Video purchase)
 * Guadalajara, Jalisco (2001-present)
 * Houston, Texas (1980-????) (originated with VCA-Teletronics)
 * Huntington Beach, California (1981-1990s) (originated with VCA-Teletronics, unknown status)
 * Leonia, New Jersey (1972-1987) (originated with VCA-Teletronics, divested as part of VCA-Teletronics spinoff)
 * Livonia, Michigan (1987-2016) (acquired from CBS/Fox and ultimately 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)
 * New York City, New York (1981-2000s?) (originated with VCA-Teletronics, unknown status)
 * Newbury Park, California (1981-1993) (acquired with U.S. Video by Technicolor, moved to Camarillo)
 * Toronto, Ontario (1999-????) (acquired as part of VTR Video purchase)