The company made its start in 1979 when Stuart Karl formed Karl Video Corporation. Its first products was the Mid-Vid range, which was, as of today, now obscure. The first successes were John Lennon: Interview with a Legend and Marilyn Monroe, but its big break was in 1982, when Karl released Jane Fonda Workout, which became a hit on all video charts. Following its success were more celebrity-endorsed videos featuring Richard Simmons and other celebrities. In 1984, it was renamed to Karl Home Video. Later that year, it was sold to Lorimar Productions, and it was renamed to Karl-Lorimar Home Video in 1985, to expand onto movie and TV outings.
The company launched additional labels, like Scholastic-Lorimar Home Video, in collaboration with Scholastic Productions, and Kideo Video, in collaboration with DiC Enterprises and LBS Communications. In 1987, Stuart Karl left, and the company was renamed to Lorimar Home Video. The company made its final foray into family outing in 1988, when it partnered with Jim Henson Productions to launch Jim Henson's Play-Along Video. In 1988, Lorimar was sold to Warner Communications, and the following year, the company was folded into Warner Home Video.