Vantiva Supply Chain Solutions

From Home Video
An ad for the company when it was known as Technicolor Videocassette, circa 1991
An ad for the company, circa 2000

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 Corporation (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 (2002-2013)
  • Technicolor Entertainment Services (2013-2018)
  • Technicolor Supply Chain Solutions (2018-2022)

History[edit]

TBD

List of Home Media Customers[edit]

  • ABC Kidavision (1988) (one known copy of a The New Adventures of Winnie the Pooh promotional tape)
  • 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, Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: The Movie and Independence Day, perhaps among others, and tapes produced for the Mexican market; in 1998, Miracle on 34th Street is sold through Avon; in the early 2000s, Star Wars I: The Phantom Menace, many copies of X-Men, and screener copies beginning in late 2000.)
    • New World Video (1985-1989)
  • A-PIX Entertainment (2000)
  • Atlas Video (1988-1991; tapes sold through Avon)
  • Anchor Bay Entertainment (1995)
    • Starmaker Entertainment (1989-1995)
    • Video Treasures (1990-1995)
      • Burbank Video (1992-1995)
      • MNTEX Entertainment (1992-1995)
      • Strand VCI Entertainment/Strand Home Video (1990-1991, 1994-1995)
      • Teal Entertainment (1994-1995)
  • Avon Products (1988-2005)
  • Brentwood Home Video/BCI Eclipse (1997-2004)
    • Simitar Entertainment (some tapes)
  • Bell Canyon Entertainment Inc. (2000)
  • Best Film and Video Corporation
  • Bridgestone Multimedia Group (1989-1995; tapes sold through Avon)
  • Cabin Fever Entertainment (some copies of Lonesome Dove; tapes sold through Avon)
  • Capitol Video (1989-1990)
  • Columbia House (1987-2005)
  • Company for Home Entertainment Inc. (1992) (one known copy of George Harrison’s Birds of the Backyard: Winter Into Spring)
  • DawnSignPress
  • Drive Entertainment (1992-1995) (tapes distributed by Video Treasures)
  • Family Entertainment Network (1991)
  • Farnam Companies (1986)
  • Feature Films for Families (1995) (one known copy of Sarah Plain and Tall)
  • Fox Racing (2000-2001)
  • FUNimation Entertainment (2001-2002)
  • General Motors (1991)
  • GoodTimes Home Video (1993-1999; tapes sold through Avon)
  • Harley-Davidson Motor Company (2003)
  • The Hearst Corporation (1996) (one known copy of Cosmopolitan 20-Minute Makeover)
  • HIT Entertainment (2001-2006)
    • Lyrick Studios (1997-2001)
      • The Lyons Group (1989, 1993; in 1989, Barney and the Backyard Gang: Three Wishes sold through Avon)
  • Integrity Music
  • Interactive Learning Group (1999-2000)
  • Jay Jay the Jet Plane Productions (1998-1999)
  • Kit Parker Films (1985-199?) (tapes released in association with Buena Vista Home Video)
  • Knowledge Adventure (1999-2002)
  • The LEGO Group (2001) (one known copy each of Jack Stone: Free Video Cassette and The Wheelersville Moo Cow Mystery)
  • Leucadia Family Films (one known copy of Wild Flower)
  • Lionsgate Home Entertainment (1999-2007)
    • Artisan Entertainment (1989-2004)
      • Vestron Video (1982-1993)
        • Children's Video Library (1983-1992)
        • Time-Life Video (pre-1982 incarnation) (1980-1982)
    • Trimark Home Video (1992-2004)
  • Major League Baseball Productions (1989-1991)
  • Mattel Media (2000) (one known copy of Reader Rabbit's Sing-a-Song Adventure)
  • MGM Home Entertainment (1980-1990, 1996-1997, 1999, 2002)
    • Cannon Video (1988-1996) (marketed 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) (one known copy of Little Bill: Special Teacher's Edition)
  • The Nostalgia Merchant (1984)
  • Paramount Home Entertainment (1987-1993, 1999-2021) (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, 1999-2021) (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; post-2005 US tapes)
    • Republic Pictures Home Video (1992-2000)
    • Worldvision Home Video (1987-1995)
  • Pioneer Entertainment (1998)
  • Playboy Home Video (Canada)
  • PM Entertainment Group, Inc. (1995-1997; tapes sold through Avon)
  • POINT Entertainment Ltd. (1999)
  • PolyGram Video (1989-2000; tapes sold through Avon)
  • Real Entertainment
  • Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Combined Shows
  • Shell Oil Company
  • Simon Marketing (1988-199?)
  • Sony Pictures Home Entertainment (1981-1982, 1987-1988, 1995-2004; tapes sold through Avon, 2005-2007)
    • SVS/Triumph Home Video (1981-1992)
  • Sony Music Entertainment/Sony BMG Music Entertainment (1995-1997, 2005-2007)
    • Jive Records (Backstreet Boys: For The Fans)
    • Sony Wonder (1995-1997, 2005-2007)
      • Random House Home Video (1990-1992, 1996-1997, 2005-2007; in 1991, Richard Scarry's Best ABC Video Ever! sold through Simon Marketing; in the early 1990s, tapes sold through Avon)
    • Zomba Video
  • Spring House Music Group (1998-2005)
  • 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
  • Toddler Television Video (1993; one known copy each of Gerbert is Tom Sawyer and Gerbert: The Best Things in Life are Free! were sold through Avon)
  • Tokyopop (2001)
  • Tommy Nelson (1999-2000)
  • Tyco Industries (1980s-1990s)
  • Universal Pictures Home Entertainment (1982-1996, 1998-2004; tapes sold through Avon, 2005-present)
  • Urban Vision Entertainment
  • VCI Home Video (1980s-1990s)
  • Ventura Entertainment (2000)
  • Vickilew Inc. (2003)
  • VidAmerica, Inc.
  • The Video Station
  • Viz Media (2004)
  • Walt Disney Telecommunications and Non-Theatrical Company/Buena Vista Home Video/Buena Vista Home Entertainment/Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment (1980-present)
  • Warner Home Video (1980-present)
    • HBO Home Entertainment (1981-1982, 1986-present)
    • Lorimar Home Video (1985-1989)
    • Turner Home Entertainment (1987, 1988-1996; tapes sold through Avon, 1997)
      • Nelson Entertainment (1987-1992)
        • Embassy Home Entertainment (1982-1986)
  • Weston Woods Studios
  • Wizards of the Coast (1998)
  • 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 a separate set of printings with a separate print date (in addition to the regular sticker or printings with the regular print date), sometimes in dark ink. Starting in the beginning of 1992, the separate print date on tapes printed 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.
  • Strangely, one known copy of Mickey's Fun Songs - Let's Go To The Circus! that was duplicated in Livonia on a Sprinter only had the first line of printings, therefore lacking a print date.

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 company's legal name until 1997 when the arm began DVD replication by which point both the company'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 Best Film and Video Corporation, 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 - Buena Vista Home Video (1985-1988)
  • BVHV - Buena Vista Home Entertainment (1990-2007)
  • AVN - Avon Products (1988-2005)
  • NWV - New World Video (1985-1989)
  • WHV4 - Warner Home Video (198?-1985)
  • WHV - Warner Home Video (198?-2006)
  • VT - Video Treasures (1992-1993)
  • VM - Trimark Home Video (1992-????)
  • RV - Family Home Entertainment (some copies of Frosty Returns; 1993)
  • RVS - 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment, Paramount Home Video, Columbia TriStar Home Video, MCA/Universal Home Video (1994-199?)
  • T275 - Columbia House Video Club
  • 275T - same as T275
  • QEP - Worldvision Home Video (EP/SLP tapes; 199?-199?)
  • EP - Starmaker Entertainment, Video Treasures (EP/SLP tapes; 1994-1995)
  • SP - Starmaker Entertainment, Video Treasures (SP tapes; 1994-1995)
  • 2 PK - unknown
  • SKG - DreamWorks Home Entertainment (1998-2006)
  • EHE - Embassy Home Entertainment (1982-1986)
  • MCATM - MCA Home Video (1982-1990)
  • MCAT - same as MCATM
  • MGM - MGM Home Entertainment (some early copies of Barbershop; 2002)
  • HW - Buena Vista Home Entertainment (Hollywood Video exclusive tapes; 199?-200?)
  • BB - Buena Vista Home Entertainment (Blockbuster exclusive tapes; 199?-200?)
  • BRC - Brentwood Home Video (1997-2001)
  • BRCSP - same as BRC (SP tapes; 1997-2001)
  • BRC-E - same as BRC (EP/SLP tapes; 1997-2001)
  • BCI - BCI Eclipse (2001-2004)
  • BFSP - Best Film and Video Corporation (SP tapes; 199?-199?)
  • BFEP - Best Film and Video Corporation (EP/SLP tapes; 199?-199?)
  • PHV - Paramount Home Video (1988-1991)
  • PHE - Paramount Home Entertainment (2000-2007 [Canadian]; 2005-2007 [US])
  • TCI - Universal/Alliance Video Distribution (2000-2006 [Canadian])

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 - Warner Home Video (1988-2000)
  • WB - same as WHV
  • NE - Nelson Entertainment (1987-1992)
  • NL - New Line Home Entertainment (1997-200?)
  • TW - Warner Home Video (2000-2006)
  • BVH - Buena Vista Home Video (1988-1990)
  • WDTNT - Walt Disney Telecommunications and Non-Theatrical Company/Buena Vista Home Video (1981-1988)
  • WDT - same as WDTNT
  • WD - Buena Vista Home Entertainment (1988-2006), Starmaker Entertainment (1995)
  • VA - VidAmerica (1981-1992)
  • VTM - Media Home Entertainment (tapes distributed by Video Treasures; 1990-1994)
  • VTSV - Video Treasures (1990-1992)
  • VT - same as VTSV (1991-1995)
  • VTBV - Burbank Video (1992-1995)
  • VTTG - same as VTBV (some tapes; 1992-1995)
  • VTTR - same as VTTG and VTBV (some tapes; 1992-1995)
  • VTHR - Hal Roach Studios Film Classics (tapes distributed by Video Treasures; 1992-1995)
  • VTMN - MNTEX Entertainment (1992-1995)
  • VTDE - Drive Entertainment (1994-1995)
  • BRC - Brentwood Home Video (1997-2004)
  • ES - Avon Products (1989)
  • AV - same as ES (1988-2005)
  • AVE - same as ES and AV (1989-1994)
  • AVON - same as ES, AV and AVE (1989-1994)
  • SM - Simon Marketing (1988-1993), Sony Music Entertainment (199?-199?)
  • PCG - Simon Marketing (1993-199?)
  • HBO - HBO Home Entertainment (1988-2000)
  • VV - Vestron Video (1982-1993), LIVE Entertainment (some tapes; 199?-199?)
  • LV - Artisan Entertainment (19??-200?)
  • RPE - Republic Pictures Home Video (1992-2000)
  • RNK - Paramount Home Video (1988)
  • RK - Paramount Home Video (1990), MCA/Universal Home Video (199?-199?)
  • WV - Worldvision Home Video (1988-1995)
  • PA - Paramount Home Entertainment (demo tapes; 1999-200?)
  • PR - Cabin Fever Entertainment (Lonesome Dove; 1992)
  • VM - Trimark Home Video (1992-2004)
  • SNY - Sony Video Software (1982-1991)
  • ST - Starmaker Entertainment (1989-1995), R&G Video (distributed by Starmaker Entertainment; 1994-1995)
  • RG - R&G Video (distributed by Starmaker Entertainment; 1990-1994)
  • LM - Shell Oil Company (Peanuts tapes; 1991-1993)
  • CV - Columbia Pictures Home Entertainment (1981), Columbia House Video Club (199?-199?)
  • CLHS - Columbia House Video Club (199?-199?)
  • MGM - MGM/UA Home Video (1981-1990)
  • WDWD - same as WD (1994)
  • WDKM - same as WD and WDWD (some tapes; 1994-1995)
  • WDTG - same as WD, WDWD and WDKM (some tapes; 1994-1995)
  • WDWM - same as WD, WDWD, WDKM and WDTG (some tapes; 1994-1995)
  • WDL - same as WD, WDWD, WDKM, WDTG and WDWM (on some copies of the first four Disney Princess Collection tapes; 1995)
  • UV - Urban Vision Entertainment (????-????)
  • LHV - Lorimar Home Video (1987-1989)
  • RB - Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Combined Shows (199?-199?)
  • CD - Family Entertainment Network (????-????)
  • WC - Strand Home Video (1994)
  • Random codes (S8, X23, Y1, RC, Y5, X8, X12, M12, S35, etc.) (tapes duplicated in Livonia using other duplication systems; 1990-2006)
  • 000 (some tapes; 1985-1988)

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 (some tapes)
  • VPD - same as V
  • -V - same as V and VPD
  • -S - SP
  • LPD - LP
  • EPD - EP/SLP

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]

Other Systems[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]

USA[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)
  • 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)
  • 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)
  • 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)

Canada[edit]

  • Don Mills, Ontario (1999-????) (acquired as part of VTR Video purchase)
  • Montreal, Quebec (2000-????) (acquired from Astral Media)
  • Toronto, Ontario (1999-????) (acquired as part of VTR Video purchase)

Mexico[edit]

  • Ciudad de México, Distrito Federal (1999-????) (acquired as part of Central Video purchase)
  • Guadalajara, Jalisco (2001-present)
  • Mexicali, Baja California (1999-present) (acquired as part of Central 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-July 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.
  • The VHS release of Star Wars I: The Phantom Menace from 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment had an on-screen logo for the company with the words "Manufactured by" above at the end of the tape. It is unknown if any other video releases had this logo.

Website[edit]

See also[edit]