Sony Pictures Home Entertainment/Summary

Logo descriptions by Matt Williams, Kris Starring, bmasters9, Supermarty-o, and BenderRoblox

Logo captures by Eric S., V of Doom, Logophile, Crazy Muzzarino, snelfu, wisp2007, Shadeed A. Kelly, bmasters9, Mr.Logo, and BenderRoblox

Editions by Shadeed A. Kelly, Wisp2007, Logophile, V of Doom, mr3urious, Jonathan Hendricks, CNViewer2006, and thehugetvfan Video captures courtesy of Eric S., osdatabase, ilKoreano, YarcoTV, and others

Background : Sony Pictures Home Entertainment is the DVD and Blu-ray Disc distribution arm of Sony Pictures Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Corporation. It was first established in November 1979 by Columbia Pictures Industries, Inc. as "Columbia Pictures Home Entertainment", to distribute films from Columbia Pictureson VHS, Beta, Laserdisc, and Super 8mm, with Warner Bros. titles being released by them in the latter format. It was later renamed as "RCA/Columbia Pictures Home Video" (or "RCA/Columbia Pictures International Video" for international distribution, "RCA/Columbia Pictures/Hoyts Video" (in conjunction with Hoyts) in Australia and "Gaumont Columbia RCA Video" (in conjunction with Gaumont) in France) in 1981 as a joint venture with RCA, "Columbia TriStar Home Video" on August 23, 1991 after acquiring RCA's shares from General Electric, "Columbia TriStar Home Entertainment" in 1999 before the name was made official in 2001, and to its current name in 2004. It is responsible for the distribution of the Sony Pictures library for home entertainment, mainly releases from Columbia Pictures and TriStar Pictures, but also releases product from Sony Pictures Classics, Screen Gems, Triumph Films, Destination Films, Stage 6 Films, Affirm Films, Revolution Studios, its television library, selected miscellaneous output from independent companies, and the[http://www.closinglogos.com/page/CBS+Films+Inc. CBS Films] theatrical releases co-distributed by CBS Home Entertainment. Since June 20, 2007, SPHE now handles the former Sony BMG kids label, Sony Wonder.

Columbia Pictures Home Entertainment
(November 1979-November 1982)

Nickname : "The Sunburst"

Logo : The same as the Columbia Pictures "Sunburst" theatrical logo, but there is a video freeze at the end, with "Columbia Pictures" blacked out.

COLUMBIA PICTURES HOME ENTERTAINMENT PRESENTS

written in white, in Cooper Black font, is chyroned in below.

Variants :


 * There is a black and white version of this logo seen on classic Columbia movies and shorts in B&W.
 * The end will vary from video to video, with it fading to black in one version while another cuts to black.

FX/SFX : Same as the "Sunburst" logo.

Cheesy Factor : The freeze-frame effect looks cheesy, and the font (which looks out of place) is obviously tacked/chryoned on top of the original Sunburst logo, plastering the "Columbia Pictures" company name (which can be briefly seen if one plays the logo in slow-motion and watches carefully).

Music/Sounds : Same as the theatrical version.

Availability : Has rare written all over it. Columbia TriStar Home Video kept this logo on the 90's VHS release of Monty Python and the Holy Grail (making its appearance after the 3rd CTHV logo) and it also made an appearance on the mid-80s video release. You can also find this logo on the original 70s clamshell releases of Born Free, Breakout, The New Centurions, The Deep, You Light Up My Life, and the original Fun with Dick and Jane. Surprisingly, this logo also appeared on early to mid '80s video prints of Gerald McBoing-Boing and Mr. Magoo cartoons. The black & white version appears on Gilda. Starting in June 1981, videocassettes of Columbia Pictures films go straight to the logo used at the time (a practice that lasted until 1989). There are also some sports specials and non-Columbia Pictures material that contain this logo, such as the 1982 VHS of The Batty World of Baseball.

Scare Factor : Low.

RCA/Columbia Pictures Home Video
===1st Logo (December 1982-October 1987)===

Nickname : "RCA/Columbia Box"

Logo : On a black background, a white-bordered box appears. In it are two black rounded rectangles, with the first bearing the "RCA" logo in red, and the second having the Columbia Pictures print logo in a blue arch-shaped border with "Columbia Pictures" below. "HOME VIDEO" is at the bottom of the white border, in black.

Variants :


 * Sometimes the RCA and Columbia logos flip in on a space background, then the white border "swings in" to surround it. On Beany and Cecil Volume 1, the flipping animation is different and doesn't have a space background.
 * There is a variant on some releases where the border is chrome and "sparkling" effects are layered on. Sometimes at the end of post-credit coming attractions, a copyright stamp would appear below it.

FX/SFX : The "swinging border" on the first variation.

Music/Sounds : None.

Availability : Videos from this company have long been out of print, with most videos being re-released by Columbia TriStar (occasionally with the same RCA/Columbia-style packaging). All Columbia releases and the first few Tri-Star titles (such as The Natural and The Evil That Men Do) do not contain this logo, but go straight to the movie. However, the logo does appear at the beginning of non-Columbia releases (Tri-Star, New Line, Crown International, CineTel Films) such as Real Genius, Say Yes, The King of Comedy, Private Resort, Alone in the Dark, Critters, and Rock and Roll: The Early Days. TV series such as He-Man and the Masters of the Universe and Rubik the Amazing Cube'' have this logo as well. This logo has been spotted as late as the 1987 releases of About Last Night..., Blind Date, Armed Response, and My Demon Lover. Releases that had the "space" variant include Ghostbusters, Starman, and A Passage to India (only appears on rental copies as sale copies have no previews) to name a few. The "sparkling" variant can be seen on the post-credit coming attractions (at least twice) on Real Genius and Silverado.''

Scare Factor : None for the standard logo. The "flipping" animation on the first variant is a bit jarring and may get to some.

===2nd Logo (February 1986-December 1991)===

Nicknames : "The Cube", "The Spinning Cube", "RCA/Columbia Box II", "CGI RCA/Columbia Box", "The RCA/Columbia Cube"

Logo : On a black background, we see a rotating cube, featuring the same logo as stated above on each side (either 1, 3, or 4 sides). The main difference to the logo, however, is that the border is now silvery, with "HOME VIDEO" etched in silver. A white sparkle appears on the side as it rotates.

FX/SFX : The CGI rotating cube, the white sparkle. Nice effects, but pales in comparison to its international counterpart.

Music/Sounds : None.

Music/Sounds Variant : On No Holds Barred, the New Line Cinema logo is plastered by this logo, keeping the film's opening title music and sound effects (of a ring announcer and a cheering crowd) while this logo is playing.

Availability : This logo is slightly easier to come across, seeing that it is more recent. However, this logo was only used in the United States and Canada. Again, Columbia releases go straight to the movie until 1989 (the last release to do so wasGhostbusters II). Also, from 1986 to 1987, this logo was restricted to the coming attractions part of the releases. Releases that had this logo include True Believer, Casualties of War, Postcards from the Edge, Glory, Pump Up the Volume, The Adventures of Milo and Otis, Far Out Man, The Blob (1988 version), the uncut version of 976-EVIL, The Phantom of the Opera (1989 version), Xtro II: The Second Encounter, Critters 2, Night of the Living Dead (1990 version), Relentless, Hit List, Out of the Dark, Clownhouse, Hairspray (1988 version), Fast Getaway, Who's Harry Crumb?, Look Who's Talking 1 & 2,The Gods Must Be Crazy II, Troop Beverly Hills, Awakenings, Willow (a Metro-Goldwyn-Mayerrelease produced by Lucasfilm Ltd.), and many, many more. One of the last releases to include this logo wasTeenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Secret of the Ooze; here the logo fades out earlier than usual. Another You has RCA/Columbia on the box and on the video label, but the video itself has neither this nor the first Columbia TriStar Home Video logo.

Scare Factor : None.

RCA/Columbia Pictures International Video
===1st Logo (1982-1991?)===

Nickname : "RCA/Columbia Box"

Logo : On a colored background, the same box from the 1st RCA/Columbia Pictures Home Video logo, in 2D, fades in. "HOME VIDEO" is replaced by "INTERNATIONAL VIDEO". Sometimes, the box has a black border, other times, it doesn't have one.

Variants :


 * On PAL tapes in Germany, the logo is against a sky blue background, after its warning screen is finished scrolling. Spanish PAL tapes have the same variant as well, but without the same warning screen.
 * There is a variation with a dodger blue background, at least on PAL tapes from Italy.
 * Some UK tapes have a variation with a crimson background, while others (including a tape of Jabberwocky) have this with a white background.
 * Japanese tapes would use a dark gray background.
 * Another variant has a redrawn (slightly uglier) box, that has "Pictures" smaller than "Columbia", a larger RCA logo and everything is on a black background. On Argentinian releases from Videomega Entertainment and LK-Tel Video, the logo would usually coast down from the center and cover the screen.
 * Some tapes use the 5th variant, but with a white background, and everything in the large box (Columbia print logo and text) is red and black rather than blue and white.

FX/SFX : The fading in.

Music/Sounds : None.

Availability : Despite it being used for nearly ten years, it is extremely hard to come across in North America. Seen mainly on releases outside of North America such as The Amazing Spider Man, The Real Ghostbusters, and Annie. However, if you have an NTSC tape from (at least) Mexico or Japan, or even a SECAM tape from France or Russia, you'll probably find this logo. Seen on UK rental releases of Macbeth and D.A.R.Y.L.

Scare Factor : None.

===2nd Logo (1988?-1992)===

Nicknames : "The International Spinning Cube", "RCA/Columbia Box II", "The RCA/Columbia Cube"

Logo:  On a black background, a 3D cube comes up from the screen. It has the RCA logo in red at the top and "INTERNATIONAL VIDEO" at the bottom. Then the Columbia Pictures print logo in blue and white swoops up from the bottom. The cube spins once and settles down, facing the viewers.

Variations :


 * On some PAL tapes, the animation takes place on a pale marble background. When the logo has finished animating, it "ripples" out and the whole thing fades to black.
 * On releases from Contacto Video in Colombia, the RCA/Columbia logo shrinks down to the lower right of the screen. Then the Contacto Video logo animates, then it shrinks and moves to the upper-left of the screen.
 * On the 1990 tape of Radio Days, at the end, there is a flash and the logo turns into the silvery print logo, which shines.

FX/SFX : The 3D cube rising, the Columbia Pictures print logo rising from the bottom. Pretty neat CGI animation; it's far superior to its North American counterpart.

Cheesy Factor : The only real cheesy factor is the fanfare.

Music/Sounds : A dramatic 1980s-sounding synthesized fanfare, complete with a couple whooshes, or a generic theme. Sometimes it is silent.

Availability : Rare. It was only used on video releases outside North America. However, if you have an NTSC tape from (at least) Mexico or Japan, or even a SECAM tape from France or Russia, you'll probably find this logo. The normal variant appears on UK releases of Flatliners and Ghostbusters II, while the marble background variant appears on Hope and Glory.

Scare Factor : Low. It's a very clean and professional logo.

Columbia TriStar Home Entertainment
===1st Logo (January-August 1992, 1995)===

Nicknames : "CT Boxes", "Part I: The Boxes Cometh", "Split Rectangle", "Prototype CT Boxes", "Rectangular Boxes" "Night of the Living Boxes"

Logo : On a black background, we see a split rectangle. On the left side, we see the '80s Torch Lady (print version with the sunburst intact behind her), and on the right, the TriStar "Pegasus Over Pyramid" logo (print version too, but minus the word "PICTURES" at the bottom). Above, we see the stacked words "COLUMBIA TRISTAR" in Bank Gothic MD BT font that's a little stretched up by height, one above the other, and at the bottom, we see "HOME VIDEO" on a straight line.

Variants :


 * On a 1992 VHS reissue of Metropolitan, the logo doesn't fade in or out.
 * On releases from LK-Tel Video, the logo would coast down from the center of the LK-Tel Video logo before sliding down.

FX/SFX : None. Other times, the logo would fade in and fade out.

Music/Sounds : None.

Music Variants :


 * On foreign releases, a short guitar/bass note was heard.
 * On one tape from Australia, the theme from the RCA/Columbia Pictures International Video logo is heard. This was seen before a "making-of" featurette of Terminator 2: Judgement Day. It is possibly seen on other non-US releases.

Availability : Quite rare. This is the very first logo featuring a box motif, which would eventually develop into the familiar and much hated Columbia TriStar Home Video and Columbia TriStar Television logos. Also, this is a placeholder logo, a logo that is used on a show or video when the new one isn't quite ready yet. Among the releases with this logo are some prints of My Girl, Stripes, Annie, Ice Castles, Cast the First Stone (at least the screener VHS), The Taking of Beverly Hills, The Adventures of Milo and Otis (the 1992 reprint), From Here to Eternity, Men at Work, Hook (both the original 1992 release and a 1995 VHS reissue), Troll 2, Spellcaster, Boyz n the Hood, Bugsy, Relentless 2: Dead On, American Blue Note, and The Prince of Tides. The international version is on VHS releases outside the United States and Canada, including a Spanish VHS of In the Line of Fire. On re-releases of some RCA/Columbia videos (some in their original packaging) and most notably some early New Line releases with the RCA/Columbia print logo (such as Freddy's Dead: The Final Nightmare), this logo plasters over the original RCA/Columbia logo. A few tapes with the RCA/Columbia print logo that were released in early 1992 also have this logo. An example of this is Oscar's Greatest Moments: 1971-1991.

Scare Factor : None for the standard version. The one with the guitar note is low.

===2nd Logo (September 1992-April 1993)===

Nicknames : "CT Boxes II", "Part II: The Boxes Take Form", "The First Box Logo" "Dawn of the Boxes"

Logo : On a white background, we see two boxes outlined with a black border. On the left is one featuring a newly-done Torch Lady, and on the right is a newly-done Pegasus on a Columbia-like cloud background. Above the boxes are the words "COLUMBIA TRISTAR", with each word positioned over its respective logo. "HOME VIDEO" is seen below.

Trivia : The Columbia Torch Lady seen on the left was painted by Michael J. Deas and the TriStar Pegasus seen on the right was painted by Alan Reingold.

Variant : There is a variant where it happens to be an invert of colors. The background is black, the letters and the outlined boxes are both white, and both respective logos are a bit close up.

FX/SFX : The fade in and fade out of the logo.

Cheesy Factor : The original painted Pegasus used on this logo looks like it was pasted on top of the background from the Columbia logo, as the cloud backgrounds are the same (The TriStar logo on films used a different, darker cloud background from the Columbia logo, which is why it looks cheap in this logo).

Music/Sounds : None.

Availability : Again, quite rare. This is just another placeholder logo, but this time they've actually designed the new logos. If not mistaken, this may just be the first appearance of the new "Sony Logos" for each company. Titles with this logo include A League of Their Own, Honeymoon in Vegas,The Finishing Touch, Where the Day Takes You, Storyville, The Finest Hour, Deep Cover, Aces: Iron Eagle III, The Player, Chrome Soldiers, Curse IV: The Ultimate Sacrifice,Mo' Money, Mr. Saturday Night, Year of the Comet, We're Talking Serious Money, Revolver, Switched at Birth, Jersey Girl, A Midnight Clear, Single White Female, Auntie Lee's Meat Pies, The Lawnmower Man, City of Joy, Hero,Married... with Children: It's a Bundyful Life, Falling From Grace, Weekend War, and the early John Wayne film Two-Fisted Law, starring Tim McCoy. This also made appearances on early DVDs, such as Bram Stoker's Dracula andGuess Who's Coming to Dinner?. The inverted variant is extremely rare and it has been spotted on an Italian VHS of The Addams Family and the 1997 DVD of Monty Python and the Holy Grail. This has also been seen on some Laserdiscs, including the 1993 Criterion release of Monty Python and the Holy Grail and The Wrecking Crew. Interestingly, early videos with this logo would use the print version of the previous logo.

Scare Factor : None.

===3rd Logo (May 1993-2002, 2004-2006)===

Nicknames : "CT Boxes III", "Part III: Will This Logo Ever Die?!", "Sliding Boxes", "Blue BG Boxes" "Day of the Boxes"

Logo : We see a screen full of clouds forming, tossing about. Then, "COLUMBIA TRISTAR" zooms out from above, and "HOME VIDEO" shrinks out from below as we see the clouds zoom out, as part of a golden-bordered box on a blue-black gradient background. The box then splits apart to reveal the Torch Lady on the left (in its same style as before), and the Pegasus on the right (again, the same style as before), as the wording takes its position. The text shines for a few seconds after the logo is formed.

Variants :
 * A still logo was found on early Columbia TriStar Home Video releases on DVD.
 * There is also an abridged version for some New Line Home Video releases.
 * There is a silent version on As Good as It Gets.
 * On a home video TV spot for Amos and Andrew, it's placed on a black background alongside the 1991 New Line Home Video logo.

Trailer Variants : Rarely, from 1993-1996, the boxes would then slide away, the CTHV text would fade out, the blue background would fade out to the moving clouds and one of the following phrases would zoom in from the center of the screen: Afterwards, a trailer with one of the following features would be played. On Australian tapes, the logos would fade out and one of these: would slide in from the top and bottom respectively.
 * COMING SOON TO A THEATRE NEAR YOU
 * COMING SOON TO HOME VIDEO
 * NOW AVAILABLE ON HOME VIDEO
 * COMING SOON
 * NOW AVAILABLE

FX/SFX : The zooming out effects; nice CGI for the time.

Cheesy Factor : Again, just like the 2nd logo, the Pegasus looks like it's pasted on top of the Columbia background. That and the CG effects, although good for their time, look a bit dated nowadays.

Music/Sounds : A rather dramatic synth theme with a climaxing synth-piano fanfare at the end, actually the best Columbia TriStar logo music ever. Sometimes would follow a male announcer announcing the clip on.

Availability : Very common, even today. Seen on the majority of VHS, Laserdiscs, and DVD releases from Columbia TriStar Home Video. The abridged version can be found most releases of New Line Cinema productions such as National Lampoon's Loaded Weapon 1, Time Runner, Surf Ninjas, Three of Hearts, Man's Best Friend, Who's the Man?, Excessive Force, Chained Heat 2, Relentless 3, Relentless 4: Ashes to Ashes, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III, and the unrated version of Jason Goes to Hell: The Final Friday. This also appears on later DVD reprints of titles such as The Deep, Jason and the Argonauts, Oliver!, and Muppets from Space. Also seen on tapes released in Canada by Astral Video after the Astral logo during the mid-1990s, including Demon Possessed. Surprisingly, on the 1997 VHS of Double Team, as well as 1999 reprints of Immortal Beloved and Fools Rush In, both this logo and the 1997 logo appeared''. This also makes an appearance on early copies of the 2002 VHS of Stuart Little (released to coincide with Stuart Little 2''), which is certainly a reprint of the earlier 2000 release.

Scare Factor : None. This logo got very popular and was used for 9 years, thanks to the music! Although other logos were used during this era, this one was used longer than any other Columbia TriStar logo!

===4th Logo (1995-1996)  ===

Nicknames : "CT Boxes IV", "Take Hollywood Home!", "Sliding Boxes II" "Land of the Boxes"

Logo : We start out against a brown fabric background. Then asquare with the footage of Columbia Torch Lady from the 1993 Columbia Pictures logo in it fades in, and slides to the left, revealing a box with the footage of the TriStar Pegasus from the 1993 TriStar Pictures logo (but the background is changed into a similar cloud background from the Columbia logo, but a bit shorter and darker), which slides to the right. The words "COLUMBIA TRISTAR" appear above the boxes and "HOME VIDEO" on the bottom with "a SONY PICTURES ENTERTAINMENT company" below everything else.

FX/SFX : The boxes fading in and sliding, the animations of the Columbia/TriStar logos in the boxes.

Variation : On releases outside of the Columbia TriStar Family Collection, the logo is on a sky background similar to the 1995 CTT logo, and the text is blue.

Cheesy Factor : Same as the 2nd and 3rd CTHV logos, albeit the TriStar background looks slightly different this time around, the giant cloud looks smaller and the smaller clouds below it look darker.

Music/Sounds : A singing trio (two females: one soprano & alto, and a male tenor) singing "TAKE HOLLYWOOD HOOOOOOOOOME!!!!!", or the opening theme of the trailer.

Availability : Very rare. It was used only on some tapes released by the short-lived Columbia TriStar Family Collection, such as Real Genius and The Adventures of Milo and Otis. The sky background is more common, but still hard to find, and can be found on some releases between 1995-1997.

Scare Factor : ===5th Logo (1996-1998, 2004)===
 * Standard Variation: Low to high. It all depends on what you think of that sudden singing trio. None with the opening theme.
 * Sky Variation: Low to medium, as the background is somewhat lighter, but the trio is still there.

Nicknames : "CT Boxes V", "Take Hollywood Home! II", "Rising Boxes" "Survival of the Boxes"

Logo : On a taupe brown background, we see a row of gold print logos of the Torch Lady and Pegasus in boxes at an angle. The Columbia and TriStar boxes (in their similar styles from the 4th and 5th logos, which this time, they are still and not animated), then rise out of two of the boxes in the center as the row of boxes tilts to face the screen. The 3-D words "COLUMBIA TRISTAR" and "HOME VIDEO" in gold, fade in above and below the boxes, respectively with a shining wipe effect.

Trailer Variants : Many times, the boxes would then slide away, the CTHV text would fade out, and one of the following phrases, in script, would zoom in from the center of the logo: Afterwards, a trailer with one of the following features would be played.
 * Coming Soon to a Theater Near You
 * Coming Soon to Home Video
 * Now Available on Home Video

Variants :


 * There is a shorter version that doesn't feature a clip-on.
 * An extremely rare variant exists where there are blue bars featuring small CTHV print logos on the sides of the logo. This version is seen on early DVDs and widescreen edition Laserdiscs and VHSs.

FX/SFX : Simple but nice animation.

Cheesy Factor : Same as the 4th.

Music/Sounds : Same as above, but the singing trio is less jolly.

Music/Sounds Variants: *On some trailers like both versions of the Family Collection trailer, the exact same music from the last logos are used.
 * On the trailer variants of this logo, a 6-note piano jingle is added at the beginning.
 * The 2nd version of the Family Collection trailer has a version similar to the one mentioned above, except the piano jingle is shortened to the last 4 notes.

Availability : Rare. C-T used this logo from 1996 to 1997, and as a result this was probably used on most releases. Sometimes it was alternated with the 1993 blue BG logo, so as always, keep your eye out. The best source for this logo would be the company's earliest DVD releases (circa 1997-1998) such as Philadelphia, Dr. Strangelove, and A League of Their Own. It also appeared on the VHS releases of Money Train, The Juror, Screamers, Bottle Rocket, Race the Sun, The Craft, Multiplicity, Mrs. Winterbourne, The Cable Guy (only some prints, others just used the 3rd logo), Matilda, Welcome to the Dollhouse, The Fan, Fly Away Home, later copies of The Net and Magic in the Water, High School High, The Mirror Has Two Faces, The People vs. Larry Flynt, Fools Rush In, and Buddy, and the shorter version appeared on Jumanji (there was an ad for Sony Maximum Television sets, followed by a clip-on immediately after) and Jerry Maguire (only some prints, others used the 3rd logo instead). The widescreen version appears on the 1998 DVD of Immortal Beloved and the letterbox Laserdisc editions of The Indian in the Cupboard, Lost in Yonkers, andThe Cable Guy. This version also appears on the 1st 1997 DVD of A League of Their Own (The same disc was used for a 2004 bargain bin reprint and a 2009 double-feature repackaging with Sleepless in Seattle (the DVD label specifies a 2004 copyright, indicating the reprint).

Scare Factor : High; the choir singing coupled with the dark background make this logo scarier than the previous one.

===6th Logo (1997?)===

Nicknames : "CT Boxes VI", "Blue Print Boxes" "Diary of the Boxes"

Logo : Up against a royal blue background with many print logos of CTHV on it, we see the standard C-T boxes outlined in white with the white text "COLUMBIA TRISTAR" above and "HOME VIDEO" below the logo respectively.

FX/SFX : None.

Cheesy Factor : Same as the 2nd logo, also the logo looks both rough and like a place holder.

Music/Sounds : Same as the 3rd logo.

Availability : Extremely rare. It was only known to be seen on the first DVD releases of The Net, The Fifth Element, and Happy Birthday to Me; the latter two are now out of print. However, the former title on DVD can still be rented from Netflix.

Scare Factor : None.

===7th Logo (1997-2001)===

Nicknames : "CT Boxes VII", "The Filmstrip", "The C-T Filmstrip" "Revenge of the Boxes"

Logo : On an ethereal blue background, we see filmstrips crisscrossing the screen, with each frame in each filmstrip featuring the C-T box logo. We see a filmstrip in the center of the screen and then pan towards it, seeing the boxes in each frame and the endings of their respective movie animations playing out within them. As the final frame reaches the screen, the background turns white with several blue or light blue areas in each corner as the boxes (with the footage of the Torch Lady from the 1993 Columbia Pictures logo on the left and the footage of the Pegasus from the 1993 TriStar Pictures logo on the right) go into position. Then the words "COLUMBIA TRISTAR" and HOME VIDEO" fade in above and below the boxes, respectively.

Variants : Trailer Variants : Many times, the boxes would then slide away, the CTHV text would fade out, and one of the following phrases, in script, would zoom in from the center of the logo: Afterwards, a trailer with one of the following features would be played.
 * A widescreen variant exists.
 * On 2000s reprints of late 90s-2000 VHS releases, "HOME ENTERTAINMENT" replaces "HOME VIDEO".
 * Coming Soon to a Theater Near You
 * Coming Soon to Home Video
 * Now Available on Home Video

FX/SFX : Great CGI. And if you thought this one was good, the next one is even more mind-blowing.

Music/Sounds : None, but on international releases, a generic hip hop-like jingle was used.

Availability : During the beginning of its existence, it was pretty easy to spot. However, around 1998, this logo was no longer used as their standard logo, only being used for clip-ons and trailers. Instead their standard logo was the 1993 logo. Tapes with this logo include The Second Jungle Book: Mowgli and Baloo, Booty Call, The Devil's Own, the Broadway Tribute Edition VHS release of Annie, To Gillian on Her 37th Birthday, Anaconda, Double Team, The Fifth Element, Men in Black, My Best Friend's Wedding, Buddy, Excess Baggage, Air Force One, The Assignment, I Know What You Did Last Summer, Slappy and the Stinkers, Seven Years in Tibet, Gattaca, 3 Ninjas: High Noon at Mega Mountain, and Baby Geniuses. It has also been seen on the UK DVD releases of Das Boot and Muppets from Space. It also surprisingly appeared on a mid-2000s UK DVD of Ghostbusters, which must have been a reprint of an earlier DVD. Surprisingly, on the 1997 VHS of Double Team, as well as 1999 reprints of Immortal Beloved and Fools Rush In, both this logo and the 1993 logo appeared. The "HOME ENTERTAINMENT" version is rare and seen on post-2001 reprints of VHS tapes originally released in the late 90s-2000 such as Grey Owl. Also spotted on the 2000 region 4 DVD release of Blue Streak (with the jingle).

Scare Factor : None.

===8th Logo (1999-2002)===

Nicknames : "CT Boxes VIII", "C-T DVD", "The Boxes of Splendor" "The Last of the Boxes"

Logo : On a screen filled with clouds, the words "COLUMBIA" spelling itself standard and "TRISTAR" spelling itself backwards letter-by-letter, handsomely done in shining silver text, tumble onto the screen, "COLUMBIA" coming from the upper right and "TRISTAR" coming from the lower left. The clouds clear, revealing a nice backdrop of clouds and two white, glowing boxes. As the light in the boxes die down, the Columbia Torch Lady zooms in towards us in the left box, and we see the Pegasus (in his similar style from the 1993 TriStar Pictures logo), stretch his wings in the right box, as the wings cross over to the Columbia box. The words "COLUMBIA" and "TRISTAR" later change to gold lettering and position themselves under the boxes, and "DVD" (or "HOME VIDEO" for VHS releases) zooms out from the top, at warp speed, landing below the C-T text, causing the phaser effect to appear around it, which suddenly disappears.

Variants :

FX/SFX : Mind-blowing CGI, and has become a favorite of many who've seen it.
 * C-T has adapted this logo for VHS releases; however, this was only seen on Blue Streak, Random Hearts, and Stuart Little.
 * There is another variant that has "HOME ENTERTAINMENT" in place of "HOME VIDEO".

Cheesy Factor : The Pegasus' cloud "background" in the TriStar "box" is the same as the background in the Columbia "box", except it's backwards and shorter from the Columbia logo. A rather unprofessional design choice in a logo that's otherwise visually splendid.

Music/Sounds : Whooshing sounds as the words, "COLUMBIA TRISTAR" move into position. An ethereal humming noise as the boxes are revealed and animate. As the TriStar Pegasus unfolds and stretches his wings, we hear a low whoosh sound. Last, a phaser sound as the certain text moves into place and we hear chime sounds. Sometimes, there was a louder version.

Availability : It's seen on most DVD releases of the time; prior to this, they used the 1993 logo. The "HOME ENTERTAINMENT" variation can be seen only on the Love Stinks VHS, the 2002 DVD of the Japanese animated Metropolis, and the 2003 reprint of the 2000 VHS of Grey Owl. Examples for this logo include Dogma and the first UK DVD release of The Karate Kid. Strangely, this logo makes an appearance on the 2002 Deluxe Edition DVD of ''Men in Black. One of the last releases to use this was the DVD release of The Wedding Planner (the VHS used the 10th logo).''

Scare Factor : Low. The specific text zooming out and the phaser sound might probably get to more than a few.

===9th Logo (2001-2005)===

Nickname : "Ultra Majestic Torch Lady-Pegasus Combo"

Logo : Over the usual cloud background, we pan past an extreme close up of the Torch Lady's legs and feet (covered in the robe of course), then dissolve into a pan of the TriStar Pegasus (in the print artwork style except for the body and the legs, which are in the 1993 movie logo style, but in the same color as the Pegasus' face and wings) unfolding his wings. The pan then quickly dissolves into a shot from the center of the Pegasus unfolding his wings, albeit in a close-up fashion, and then a dissolve to the Torch Lady zooming out from her face. The logo then dissolves to reveal the Torch Lady and Pegasus side-by-side on a cloud background in their print artwork styles, with "COLUMBIA TRISTAR" slightly sliding in with "HOME ENTERTAINMENT", in a smaller font, fading in letter-by-letter.

Variants :
 * On some 2002 VHS prints of Stuart Little, there is a promo for Little Secrets that features this logo minus "HOME ENTERTAINMENT" below.
 * The VHS variant compared to the DVD variant has differences, the VHS variant has a bit of the top and right cropped and not shown and usually cuts to black if there are no previews on tape or if it transits to the DVD menu which this variant not on very much DVDs. Some of the logo ids cut to black instead of fading out. It includes the "Coming Soon" and "Now Available" text variants of the logo. Strangely, the logo without the text above and with the same transition as the other tapes without previews is also seen on The Wubbulous World Of Dr. Seuss: The Cat's Musical Tales to transit to the later ID of released multimedia. The widescreen is a tiny bit zoomed out from the full-screen version with the early jingle. The other variant (which is later adjusted for better view) fades to black after the animation to the logo is finished and uses straight HOR+ scaling method to change from 4:3 to 16:9.
 * On most Columbia TriStar DVDs from 2002-2005, the logo is in warp-speed.
 * The print logo has the typical boxes, with "COLUMBIA TRISTAR" above and "HOME ENTERTAINMENT" below; it's all on a white background. This logo appeared on the Comedy TV Preview found on Married... with Children: The Most Outrageous Episodes and was never used on general releases. This can also be found on certain promos of TV series by Sony Pictures Television.
 * On VHS releases from 2004-2005, it has a shortened version of this logo with a trailer bump, but has the DVD music. Seen on Spider-Man 2, White Chicks, and Fahrenheit 9/11.

Trailer Variants : Rarely, letters would appear on top of the screen, and it, in regular font, with an announcer (Eric Gordon), would state the following (on VHS promos, half of the logo is playing in widescreen and the words are on the wide boxes): Afterwards, a trailer with one of the following features would be played.
 * Now Playing In Theaters
 * Coming Soon To A Theater Near You
 * Now Available on Video and DVD
 * Coming Soon To Video and DVD
 * Now Available
 * Coming Soon to Home Video

International Trailer Variants : On early Australian releases the logo plays normally and in the top right of the screen letters appear spelling "COMING SOON". So far this has only been spotted on a 2001 Aussie VHS release of Charlie's Angels.

FX/SFX : Of course, what's mentioned in the description doesn't cover the entire logo. Throughout the animation, the logos are artistically stylized, with mosaic and pixelization effects being used through the logo and a scrolling Matrix-like wall of typography appearing throughout. Also, the designers of the logo, Montgomery/Cobb, retouched the face of the Torch Lady and the wings of the Pegasus to make them look more realistic. The dissolves are done gradually, almost like wipes, and the logo seems to be divided up into five sections during the animation, before coming together as an actual logo at the end. The logo looks quite nice and artistic as a result.

Music/Sounds : There were two variants: Music/Sounds Variant : On the VHS trailer version of this logo, the clicking noise heard at the beginning of the regular VHS version of the logo is absent.
 * VHS (early VCDs, Laserdiscs and DVDs) : Composed by Machine Head of Venice, California, a wonderful synthesized fanfare that is very majestic, fitting the majestic feel of the logo. Also, it would be interesting to note that the logo is one of the longest, clocking in at nearly 20 seconds!
 * DVD (and later international VHS) : An acoustic guitar tune combined with bells, strings, and a small chorus. The animation appears to play slightly quicker here.

Availability : Common on VHS, VCD, and DVD releases released from the era. This logo is uncommon on Laserdisc since these disc types ended in the late 2001. Some of them are still in print. A few of the releases that include this logo are Berenstain Bears DVDs (I'm not sure if any Berenstain Bears VHS tapes had this logo) from this time,Dragon tales tapes and DVDs form this era,Underworld, Hellboy, and the first few releases of the complete seasons of The King of Queens, Sanford and Son, The Jeffersons, and All in the Family, among others. Tapes of this logo without the clip-on at the top include Jay Jay the Jet Plane: Fun to Learn and Jay Jay the Jet Plane: New Friends, New Discoveries, along with some prints of The Animal, Not Another Teen Movie, Black Hawk Down, and Daddy Day Care. The first music variant is extremely rare on DVDs, but has been spotted on the R1 DVD of the documentary Spellbound. It is also seen on the region 2 DVDs of Charlie's Angels (2000) and S.W.A.T (2004 printing). A widescreen version with the music has also been spotted on the R4 DVD release of "Born Free & Living Free". Somehow, it did not appear on any of the early U.S. DVDs which instead used the 8th logo until the final version is in use. This can be seen on early Video CDs by the company as well as some the early laserdiscs. Strangely, this logo was not seen on the 2001 VHS release of The Animal; it just goes straight to their widescreen "Coming Soon to Home Video" bumper.

Scare Factor : None. It's a popular logo now that the widely hated "Split Boxes" have been put to rest. A nice fanfare and great logo concept makes this logo a winner.

Sony Pictures Home Entertainment

(March 24, 2005- )

Nickname s : "The Shining Bars", "Ultra Majestic Sony Pictures Bars", "SPE Bars", "Sony Bars", "The Sony Parallelogram", "Lightbeam in Parallelogram", "Lightbeam in Striped Parallelogram"

Logo : Over a set of purple clouds, we see a bright light with rays shooting outward which start to create some lens flares. A set of white lines of light appear and zoom out to solidify into the Shining Bars, Sony Pictures Entertainment's logo, which give off rays of light. As this happens, the background turns black. The rays die down and we see "SONY PICTURES" in the Sony font appear below the Bars, a line is drawn underneath that, and "HOME ENTERTAINMENT" appears underneath.

Trailer Variants : On 2005-2006 VHS releases by SPHE, one of the following phrases would fade in during the clouds portion of the animation with a male announcer saying the phrase. Afterwards, the rest of the animation plays as normal. Afterwards, a trailer with one of the following features would be played.
 * Coming Soon to Theaters
 * Now Playing in Theaters
 * Coming Soon to DVD and Video
 * Now Available on DVD and Video

Variant : On Blu-ray Discs and HD-DVDs since June 20, 2006, as well as a few DVDs since December 26, 2005, the logo is much more contrasted. FX/SFX : Just great CGI.

Music/Sounds : Two timpani drumbeats, followed by an uplifting-sounding horn/string arrangement. Sometimes, the theme is played in low tone. Music/Sounds Variant : On the double feature set of Annie/Annie: A Royal Adventure!, disc 1 (Annie), on both sides, has this logo with the music from the 3rd CTHV logo. That disc is likely a modified reprint of the original 1997 flipper DVD that has both widescreen and full screen versions, which may explain this plaster oddity.

Availability : Common. Can be found on all videos released by the company from 2005 onward. The print SPHE logo goes back to November 2004, and those early SPHE releases still have the 2001 CTHE logo. The animated SPHE logo made its debut on the PSP UMD of Spider-Man 2 in the spring of 2005. The first DVD to have this logo was ''Are We There Yet? ''The trailer variants can be considered very rare, but they appear on VHS releases by SPHE that were released between 2005-2006 such as some Berenstain Bears VHS tapes. Strangely this logo appeared on TV airings of Open Season 2 and Stuart Little 3 on the Australian version of Cartoon Network and many other broadcasts of direct-to-DVD releases on any US network.

Scare Factor : None to low. It's just good CGI animation.