Deluxe Digital Studios

List of Customers

• 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment (1990-2000)
• Allied Artists Video
• Central Park Media
• Fotomat Video
• Geneon Entertainment (2000-2007)
• Hallmark Home Entertainment
• Lionsgate Home Entertainment (1999-2007)
  • Artisan Entertainment (1988-2004)
• Paramount Home Entertainment (1979-2005)
• Random House Home Video
• Sony Pictures Home Entertainment (1981-2005)
• Universal Pictures Home Entertainment (1980-1983, 1986-present)
• Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment (some 1987-2002 tapes)

How to Tell

• Pre-August 1985 prints would have an orange sticker on the supply reel.
  • Pre-September 1981 prints would have either "Q.C." or "Q.C. WHSE" on the sticker.
• Some tapes with a blank or worn-out barcode sticker on the tape guard have the moaning sound (a.k.a. the pull-my-finger tone) at the end of the tape before the tape either cuts to the full static or stops itself.
  • Sometimes the moaning sound only lasts 3-5 seconds and/or has a slightly different pitch.
• Most 1986-1992 tapes duplicated at Rank Video Services have an ink print date on the bottom left side.
  • Some 1986-1992 tapes have the white test pattern with a normal-pitched obscure beeping at the end.
• Most 1982-2007 tapes have a week and year code.
  • Pre-1985 prints have the week and year code engraved on the back of the tape.
    • Pre-1983 prints have the company abbreviation letters engraved next to the code.
    • 1983-1985 prints have the company abbreviation letters engraved on the top of the code.
  • Post-1985 prints have the week and year code engraved on the tape guard.
  • Most 2003-2005 tapes distributed by Paramount Home Entertainment have the week and year code engraved on the right side of the tape.
  • On most 1985-2007 tapes, if the company abbreviation letters from the week and year code on the tape do not indicate the video distributor, they will always be RVS (1985-1997) or DLX (1997-2007).
    • Some factory sealed copies of 1997-2007 tapes, mainly those that either have no week and year code at all, or have the company abbreviation letters on the top of the week and year code indicate the tape duplicator instead of the video distributor, have the blue Deluxe "Film Reel" watermark logo on the original plastic wrap, in place of the video distributor watermark logo. The logo is usually inked underneath the back of the tape slipcover or clam shell casing.

Fun Facts

• In 1990, Rank Organization bought Deluxe from 20th Century-Fox Film Corporation.

Locations

• Northbrook, Illinois (opened 19??)