Universal Pictures Home Entertainment

Logo descriptions by James Stanley Barr, Kris Starring, Matt Gauer and indycar

Logo captures by V of Doom, EnormousRat, Dean Stewart Rumsey, Logoboy95, Mr.Logo, socoollogos and indycar

Editions by V of Doom, kidinbed, betamaxtheflyer, MariluHennerArtist45, Lizz Tetlow, Nathan B. and indycar

Video captures courtesy of Tlogos, LogoLibraryinc, titigag89, fredbur50, Watcher3223, EnormousRat and Evelyn Ain

Background: Universal Studios' home entertainment unit descended from MCA's "DiscoVision" system, which was created to develop the laserdisc system and entered the market in 1978 after development that started in the late 1960's, and the first demonstration of the system in 1972. DiscoVision was riddled with issues, and numerous films were released from Universal, with Disney, Warner Bros., and Paramount also licensing titles to the label. With DiscoVision failing, MCA entered the home videocassette market in late 1980, creating "MCA Videocassette" to market releases to VHS and Betamax. DiscoVision was finally folded as a software label by MCA in 1981 reorganizing the division as "MCA Videodisc", and also expanded their videodisc operations to cover RCA's "SelectaVision" videodisc format. However, the "MCA Home Video" moniker was applied to both VHS and disc releases and became simply known as "MCA Home Video", alternating with the "MCA Videocassette" name until 1984. In 1990, MCA Home Video renamed itself as "MCA/Universal Home Video" to capitalize the Universal Studios name and to coincidence with Universal's 75th Anniversary, alternating with the "MCA Home Video" name in 1992 or 1995. In December 1996, it renamed itself as "Universal Studios Home Video" when MCA was reincorporated as Universal Studios and years later what is known today as "Universal Studios Home Entertainment", alternating with the "MCA/Universal Home Video" name until 1998.

MCA DiscoVision

1st Logo

(1977)

Nickname: "Glowing V-LaserDisc"

Logo: We start out with glowing blue light in the center of the screen. The glowing light shrinks until it is the size of a small yellow circle embedded in an orange upside down MCA DiscoVision "Glowing V-LaserDisc" (1977)triangle split vertically in the center. The words "MCA DISCO-VISION" appear on top of the triangle, and while the circle turns as orange as the triangle, the copyright symbol appears on the bottom right area.

FX/SFX/Cheesy Factor: The shrinking of the light in the center of the screen.

Music/Sounds: A drum beat followed by a violin stinger. Before the violin stinger is an 8-note guitar tune played twice (during the drumbeats).

Availability: Only used in a 1977 test pressing that was used as a public display by MCA.

Scare Factor: Low to medium. The somewhat creepy music and the glowing may scare some.

2nd Logo (1978-1981) MCA DiscoVision (1978, B&W)MCA DiscoVision (1978)MCA Discovision ( Copyright )

Nickname: "Big V"

Logo: The words "DISCOVISION" crawl across the entire screen in a rainbow of colors like a kaleidoscope, and rows of vertical orange lines appear on the screen. The center lines open up in a rainbow of colors to reveal a white "V", with "DISCO" and "ISION" appearing on the left and right sides of the "V", respectively, appearing on a blackish background with a large Bondi blue streak in the middle. The DiscoVision logo sparkles for a second and then an abrupt cut to black.

Variants: • On 1979-1981 releases, a copyright stamp appeared underneath the DiscoVision logo. • Black and white DiscoVision movies featured this logo in black and white. • Most current Laserdisc players will skip over most of the animation on most DiscoVision titles due to DiscoVision's decision to encode the start frame halfway through the bumper on most titles. Some titles will play the full opening, such as the 1978 standard play version of The Sting.

FX/SFX: The crawling of the "DISCOVISION" letters, the appearance, splitting and sparkling of the logo, all in Scanimate.

Music/Sounds: A flute tune accompanied by a lavishly orchestrated theme. On some releases, such as Bustin' Loose, it's silent.

Availability: Seen on every DiscoVision release from 1978 to 1981.

Scare Factor: Low. It's a good logo to be exact. __________________________________________________________

MCA Videodisc

(1981-1983) MCA Videodisc (1981)

Nickname: "Flashing MCA Rainbow (of Doom)"

Logo: On a black screen, the words "A PRESENTATION OF" zoom-out in the 1980 MCA font in yellow before dissolving in the center. Following that are streaks of rainbow color that zoom out to the middle of the screen and flash to form...

MCA VIDEODISC

...all in the MCA logo font. More rainbow streaks of light shoot out of the words and then settle back in.

FX/SFX/Cheesy Factor: 80s computer effects.

Music/Sounds: A synth drone that culminates in a dreamy siren-like sound, ending with some synth bass notes to fade.

Availability: Extremely rare. It's seen on all MCA Videodisc releases, both laserdisc and CED, from 1981 to 1983. Some MCA Home Video releases from early 1983 on Laserdisc and CED, such as Psycho II, may have this instead of the MCA Home Video logo at the start.

Scare Factor: Low to high. It's a decent logo to be exact, but it has a very dark atmosphere, as the light effects, faint drone at the start, and the bass notes at the end of the music definitely are NOT friendly. The rest of the music is actually kind of soothing, but it doesn't help matters that much. _______________________________________________________________

MCA Videocassette Inc.

(May 1980-October 1983) MCA Videocassette, Inc.

Nickname: "The Arc"

Logo: On a black background, the MCA logo appears in the center of the screen colored in blue. The words "VIDEOCASSETTE INC.", in a white segmented font appear in an arc formation, surrounding the MCA logo through "iris in" effect.

Variants: •Black & white movies featured this logo in monochrome. •Surprisingly, a still version of this logo was seen on the DVD release of Duck Soup at the end of the film's theatrical trailer.

FX/SFX: The irising in of "VIDEOCASSETTE INC."

Cheesy Factor: The logo looked cheap, perhaps because MCA was heavily invested in Laserdisc at the time.

Music/Sounds: None.

Availability: Extremely rare. Seen on every release from 1980 to 1983. A few of their first releases were Jaws, Psycho, and 1941. A few early MCA Home Video titles like Monty Python's The Meaning of Life, Eddie Macon's Run, and Psycho II feature the latter logo on the packaging, but retain this logo (on both the labels and tape content itself).

Scare Factor: Low. The appearance of "VIDEOCASSETTE INC." might feel a bit sudden to first time viewers, but it's harmless overall. _______________________________________________________________

MCA Home Video

1st Logo

(November 1983-April 1990) MCA Home Video (1983)MCA Home VideoMCA Home Video (1987, B&W)MCA Home Video (1983, with the "Other Titles Available From" text) More Programming Available For You From MCA Home Video (1984)MCA "Coming Attractions" slide (1984-1990)

Nicknames: "The Gold MCA", "The Zooming MCA", "MCA in Space", "Earth Yellow MCA", "VHS Assembly", "The MCA VHS Assembly"

Logo: On a CGI starry background, we see the MCA Home Video logo (in Earth yellow color). This logo has the usual MCA logo (with the "C" and "A" connected) and the words "HOME VIDEO" (in a sleek, smaller font that has the same width as "MCA") in a box that resembles a videotape (but "MCA" overlaps this box on the top, making it "cut open"). The logo zooms in slowly, like the Universal globe at the time. The logo fades out to the starry background for a second, and then an entire fade to black.

Variants: •Some later releases featured an announcement asking the viewer to stay tuned for previews of future releases that faded out shortly before the logo's appearance. •MCA releases co-released by GoodTimes Home Video have "UNDER LICENSE TO" at the bottom of the screen. The GoodTimes logo of the period would follow. A black & white version of this can be found on The Creature from the Black Lagoon. •On some French-Canadian tapes such as A Nightmare on Elm Street: The Dream Child, a French warning will appear before the logo. •On the 1985 laserdisc of 60s Spartacus, the logo fades out earlier. •On some early 80's VHS tapes featuring this logo, the logo fades in at the bottom, along with "Other Titles Available From" or "More Programming Available for You From" at the top, then the screen fades out afterwards. •Black and white movies would have this logo in black & white, such as The Wolf Man and Destry Rides Again. •Some releases, such as the 1983 VHS of Jaws 3 and the 1980s VHS of Rear Window, often had this logo segueing into the 1963 Universal logo. •Side opening bumpers on some MCA Home Video Laserdiscs between 1984 and 1986 used the stars by themselves, with "Side 2", "Side 3", etc., appearing by itself in the center of the screen, and then a fade out back to the stars. The 1984 Laserdisc release of Rear Window features this bumper.

FX/SFX: The stars, the zooming in of the logo.

Music/Sounds: None.

Availability: Partly common. Check your thrift stores for tapes featuring this logo on the cover. It was seen on tapes such as the 1988 video release of E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial and the 1989 release of The Land Before Time. Others include the mid-late 80's releases of Back to the Future, An American Tail, *batteries not included, and Dragnet. The last releases to use this were Parenthood, Shocker, and Dad. It can also be found on Canadian Alliance Releasing Home Video VHS releases of Nightbreaker, Deadly Innocents, State of Mind (AKA: Private War), Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Movie, Iron Eagle II, Cameron's Closet, Nukie, A Whisper to a Scream, Final Cut (1989), Bedroom Eyes II, and Hot Times at Montclair High, among possible others. Some tapes up until 1991 with the MCA/Universal Home Video print logo on the cover may still have this due to being reprints of earlier MCA titles, such as Arabesque. It was also recently spotted on the Canadian Cineplex Odeon Video VHS release of The Grifters.

Scare Factor: Low. It's a good logo to be exact.

2nd Logo

(1986-1990) MCA Home Video (1988)MCA Home Video (1988)MCA Home Video (1988)MCA Home Video (1989)

Nicknames: "Zooming/Sliding MCA", "VHS Assembly II", "The MCA VHS Assembly II"

Logo: The MCA Home Video logo appears in chrome (usually zooming in or sliding into the view). There are different variants:

• On the VHS trailer for An American Tail (1986), the logo was in gold on a black background. This variant is nicknamed "The Gold MCA II", and is also compared to the main logo. • On the VHS trailer for Talk Radio (1988), the logo is seen in silver/chrome on an oatmeal gray background. It flashes red (to accompany the sound of the drumbeats used in the background music). This variant is nicknamed "The Silver MCA". • On the VHS trailer for The Land Before Time (1988), the logo was in bright red and on a black background. This variant is nicknamed "The Red MCA". • On the VHS trailer for Uncle Buck (1989), the "MCA HOME VIDEO" logo is in sky blue and slides in from the left on a black background. This variant is nicknamed "The Blue MCA". This also appears on the VHS trailer for Phantasm II (1988). • Another variant from 1988 has a silver MCA logo and a blue-black gradient background. This appears on the VHS trailer for Shakedown (1988).

FX/SFX/Cheesy Factor: Typical late-80's computer effects/animation.

Music/Sounds: The music or theme from whatever movie is being advertised.

Availability: Extremely rare. Seen primarily on trailers for MCA Home Video releases at the time. Most MCA Home Video releases of this era went straight from their logo to the movie.

Scare Factor: Low. The zooming and sliding effects can be jarring (depending on the variant), but it's harmless overall. _______________________________________________________________

MCA/Universal Home Video

1st Logo

(May 1990-1998) MCA/Universal Home Video (1990) (Prototype Version)MCA/Universal Home Video (1990)MCA-Universal Home Video (1993)

Nicknames: "The Clean Globe", "Shiny Globe", "MCA Globe", "Shiny MCA Globe", "90s Globe", "90s MCA Globe"

Logo: On a black background, we see the following text all centered:

MC/\ UNIVERSAL H O M E---V I D E O

with "MCA" in its similar corporate font from before and has a white gradient texture on it and "UNIVERSAL" in its similar font as the movie logo from 1990-1997, but has a gradient texture on it. The text shines and soon afterwards, a globe (showing only the Americas) fades in the center. Then a starfield background fades in behind everything else, then the text shines again.

Variants: • On some GoodTimes Home Video releases (i.e. Car Wash), the MCA/Universal logo plays normally. The background, however, has moving stars from the 1983 MCA Home Video logo in the background (as opposed to the regular version where the background stays static). At the end, the words "UNDER LICENSE TO" pops up, peeking above the globe as the logo fades out. The GoodTimes Home Video logo would follow. • Some MCA/Universal releases have a GoodTimes byline at the bottom. • On The Making of E.T., the logo is sped-up.

FX/SFX: The slow appearances of the globe and the starfield background and the sparkling of the logo.

Music/Sounds: None. However on The Making of E.T., the opening theme plays over the logo.

Availability: Common, this can be seen on almost all of the releases made by MCA/Universal like An American Tail: Fievel Goes West, Jurassic Park, the Back to the Future sequels, the Land Before Time sequels, and We're Back! A Dinosaur's Story. The last releases to use this were Liar Liar, The Land Before Time V: The Mysterious Island, Hercules & Xena: The Animated Movie, The Chipmunk Adventure, The Spookatacular New Adventures of Casper: Spooky and Poil Meet the Monsters/Dead of the Class and A Christmas Peril/Three Ghosts and a Baby, and Leave It to Beaver (the 1997 film). This also makes a surprise appearance on the Canadian Cineplex Odeon VHS of Beyond the Law (1993), the Jurassic Park making-of documentary on the 2000 DVD (probably due to usage of an old video master, complete with FBI warning), and the Canadian Alliance Releasing Home Video VHS releases of Lauderdale (1989), Playroom (1989), Quest for Love, and The Emissary, among others.

Scare Factor: None, this is a very clean and beautiful logo.

2nd Logo

(1994-1998) MCA/Universal Home Video

Nicknames: "Airplane Passing Globe" (not the early Universal logo), "The Raining Filmstrips", "Rotating Globe", "90s Globe II", "MCA Globe II", "Morphing MCA Globe", "90s MCA Globe II", "From Classic to MCA Globe"

Logo: On a space background, we see the rotating globe in the 1930's style rotating. Coming from behind is an airplane passing over the globe, as usual, which flies through the screen. Suddenly, rainbow filmstrips are seen falling over the logo before the nebula sky fades in. Over the globe, while it changes into its 1990s style and in color, we see these words coming from the left and right sides of the screen (respectively) in their same corporate fonts:

MC/\ UNIVERSAL

A few seconds later, as "MCA" and "UNIVERSAL" go into their positions in front of the globe, a red orange/yellow gradient fire flies through the screen, forming the words "HOME VIDEO" underneath, with a line above it and the globe stops rotating afterwards. When the logo forms, either the "(R)" symbol or the "TM" symbol fades in on the bottom right of the screen.

Variants: There are two variations of this logo: • There is a short version in which the airplane and filmstrips parts of the logo are cut out and begins with the words zooming and rotating in. • There is a still version of the logo without music.

FX/SFX: The airplane passing globe, the transition from black and white to color, the letters rotating in, and the fire flying through the screen.

Music/Sounds: Usually the theme from whatever movie is being advertised, but the sound effects of the airplane are heard. Sometimes, it used a shortened version of the Universal theme (from that era). The trailer for the Back to the Future trilogy has the titular film's theme. On promotional VHS releases, a voiceover advertising upcoming releases is heard.

Availability: Uncommon. It was seen primarily on home video trailers and promotional VHS tapes at the time. The still version appeared on the first 3 The Adventures of Timmy the Tooth videos. Also seen on the trailer for The Shadow.

Scare Factor: None to low. _______________________________________________________________

Universal Studios Home Entertainment

1st Logo

(1997-2012) Universal Studios Home EntertainmentUniversal Studios Home Entertainment (with the URL)Universal Studios Home Entertainment (2003)

Nickname: "CGI Globe"

Logo: Only the 1997 Universal Pictures logo with no video indicator whatsoever. What's different about this version from the theatrical version is that this logo zooms back a little.

FX/SFX: The same as the Universal logo from 1997.

Music/Sounds: The same as the Universal logo from 1997.

Music/Sounds Variant: On few movies such as The Land Before Time V: The Mysterious Island, the movie's opening theme is heard.

Availability: Common. This was used as the de-facto home video logo. Appears on Focus Features releases, direct-to-DVDs, DVD versions of older, pre-1997 Universal movies, and made-for-TV family movies such as Balto III: Wings of Changes, Pokémon: Giratina and the Sky Warrior, Alvin and the Chipmunks Meet Frankenstein, Alvin and the Chipmunks Meet the Wolfman, The Land Before Time sequels starting with The Land Before Time V: The Mysterious Island and ending with The Land Before Time XIII: The Wisdom of Friends, An American Tail sequels starting with An American Tail: The Treasure of Manhattan Island and ending with An American Tail: The Mystery of the Night Monster, LEGO: The Adventures of Clutch Powers, the 1971-1982 Dr. Seuss/DFE animated specials, and the Barbie direct-to-video films starting with Barbie and the 12 Dancing Princesses and ending with Barbie in A Mermaid Tale 2, among others. Recently, this logo with the NBC Universal byline was seen on Universal's latest made-for-home media movie: An American Girl: McKenna Shoots for the Stars.

Scare Factor: The same as the Universal logo from 1997.

2nd Logo

(2012-)

Universal Studios Home Entertainment (2012)Universal Pictures (2013)

Nicknames: "CGI Globe II", "Comcast Globe"

Logo: Same as the 2012 Universal Pictures logo, with no video indicator whatsoever.

Variants: •As with the theatrical counterpart, the words "100TH ANNIVERSARY" are shown below the "UNIVERSAL" text during this logo's first year of use (2012) to commemorate the studio's centennial.

FX/SFX: Same as the 2012 Universal Pictures logo.

Music/Sounds: Same as the 2012 Universal Pictures logo.

Availability: Common. First appeared on Universal and Focus Features releases such as Dr. Seuss' The Lorax, Safe House, American Reunion, ParaNorman, and the 2014 Blu-Ray release of Mallrats, among others.

Scare Factor: Same as the 2012 Universal Pictures logo. _______________________________________________________________

Universal Studios DVD

(1999-2001)

Universal Studios DVD

Nicknames: "CGI DVD Globe", "DVD Globe"

Logo: A series of clips from various Universal Studios-owned films plays, between clips the animation of the 1997 Universal Studios logo is seen. The logo then finishes as normal, only the globe rises up and the DVD logo fades in underneath.

Trivia: This logo was used as an advertisement for Universal Studios Home Entertainment DVD releases in the early 2000s. However, in this version the titles of various films are shown to promote their releases.

FX/SFX: The flashes between the film clips and the Universal Studios logo and the fading in of the DVD logo.

Cheesy Factor: The globe moving up when the DVD logo appears seems to be roughly animated.

Music/Sounds: A slow-tempo fanfare that has a single, louder beat each time a new clip from a film is shown.

Availability: Can be seen on DVD releases by Universal Studios Home Entertainment from 1999 to 2001. Some examples include the 1999 release of Winning and the 2000 release of Jurassic Park (although on some prints of the latter, it cuts straight to the DVD menu).

Scare Factor: None to low. It depends on what you think of the Universal globe moving up to reveal the DVD logo.

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Universal Studios Home Video Special Editions

1998 Universal Studios Home Video Special Editions logo(1998-Early 2000s?)

Nicknames: "Special Edition Globe"

Logo: A scene from an upcoming release of a film is shown and zooms out onto CGI-animation of a filmstrip. Another film strip appears and the text "SPECIAL" (on the left) and "EDITIONS" (on the right) appear with silver bars appear on the top and bottom of the filmstrip and the letters are spaced out. The 1997Universal Studioslogo appears in the center. A copyright for Universal Studios Home Video, Inc. appears underneath.

FX/SFX: The CGI-animation of the filmstrip and the appearing of the text and globe.

Music/Sounds: A male announcer says "Universal special editions, add them all to your video collection."

Availability: Can be seen on special edition releases from Universal Studios Home Video, such as the 1998 Widescreen VHS release of The Sting.

Scare Factor: None.

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Universal Studios Home Video Widescreen Edition

(1998-Early 2000s?)

1998 Universal Studios Home Video Widescreen Edition

Nicknames: "Widescreen Globe"

Logo: The 1997Universal Studioslogo appears and zooms out slightly onto a yellow background that has a flowing effect on it. The words "WIDESCREEN EDITION" are underneath the Universal Studios logo and is in white.

FX/SFX: The zooming out of the Universal Studios logo and the flowing background.

Music/Sounds: A male announcer says "The Universal Studios Home Video Widescreen Collection."

Availability: Can be seen on widescreen releases from Universal Studios Home Video, such as the 1998 Widescreen VHS release ofThe Sting.

Scare Factor: None.

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Universal HD-DVD/Blu-ray Disc

(2006-2012) Universal HD-DVD LogoUniversal Studios HD (2009, Blu-ray Variant))

Logo: Here are the variants used on HD-DVD and Blu-ray Disc: • HD-DVD: An updated edition of the 1997 logo. The logo plays normally but with updated animation and several dots coming out of the globe instead of streaks. At the end, the logo zooms back to reveal it is being reflected in a giant "HD-DVD" logo in the same space background. The logo shines. • Blu-ray Disc: Same as above, except the "HD-DVD" logo is omitted.

Trivia: This logo was used on Universal HD-DVD releases from 2006-2008 and Universal Blu-ray Disc releases since July 22, 2008 until early to mid-2012.

FX/SFX: Same as the 1997 logo, except the end on the HD-DVD version.

Music/Sounds: The 1997 Universal fanfare.

Availability: On every Universal HD-DVD and Universal Blu-ray Disc release from the era.

Scare Factor: None, unless the sudden logo transition gets to you.