Below is a timeline for all the significant events of the home video era. It should be noted that this website uses the term, “Home Video,” in two different ways. Firstly, it uses it as an umbrella term for the viewing of movies in the home, physical or otherwise. Secondly, its also the label given to the era in time where movies are being released on physical video formats.
1988
The First Hollywood Video Opens
Mark Wattles registers the company name “Hollywood Entertainment” in Oregon on June 6th, 1988, and opens the first Hollywood Video location in Portland. It later becomes a mega chain.
October 16th, 1991 (Billboard, 1991/09/28, p. 10)
Philips CDI 910 (CD-i)
Philips launches their first CD-i system, the CDI 910 for $1000. At launch it has 30 titles titles available, which are interactive games and educational programs. Two years later, movies would be available on a sub-format specially made for digital video.
May 24, 1994 (Billboard, 1993/05/24, p. 38)
Panasonic LX-HD10 (MUSE Hi-Vision)
Panasonic releases the LX-HD10, the first laserdisc player compatible with the new high-definition (hi-vision) MUSE format. At 1125 lines of resolution, MUSE discs have twice the clarity of standard laserdiscs. In US dollars, the LX-HD10 costs approximately $5,300, with discs themselves costing several hundred dollars. It is the very first high definition format for the home market.
November 1st, 1996 (Billboard, 1996/11/02, p. 8)
Toshiba SD-3000 (DVD)
Toshiba releases the world’s very first DVD player in Japan for approximately $700. The first two DVD titles released in the region are two “long-form” music videos from artist, Eikichi Yazawa, selling for between $30 and $50.
March 24th, 1997 (Billboard, 1997/04/12, p. 3)
Warner Home Video Releases the First 25 DVD Titles In the U.S.
In a soft test launch involving seven U.S. cities, Warner Home Video distributes their first 25 titles on the new DVD format (the first of which is the disaster film, Twister (1996)). Best Buy reveals that within the the first day of the format’s launch, they sold approximately 2,500 Warner DVDs from the 74 stores that carried the format.
April 21st, 1997 (PR Newswire, 1997/04/21, p. 1)
Reel.com Launches the First Online Movie Rental Service
Reel.com is the first to use an online ordering form for the rental of movies. They launch their service with 35,000 titles available for rent. Although much smaller websites, such as Home Film Festival (homefilmfestival.com), Video Wasteland (slaughter.net) and Video Vault (videovault.com) were already renting videos over the internet, they required calling or e-mailing an order in.
April, 1998 (Billboard, 1998/05/16, p. 53)
Netflix Launches Online DVD Rentals and Sales
With the company established the previous year, Netflix launches their online DVD rental service with 925 titles available for rent for $5 each.
June 8th, 1998 (Billboard, 1998/06/13, p. 79)
DIVX Discs are Test Launched
DIVX discs are launched as an alternative to traditional rental systems. A DIVX disc could be purchased for less than $5 (average price of a rental). Upon playing the disc, he or she would have a 48 hour window to watch the program. They could then extend this viewing period for an additional fee (which required the DIVX player to be connected to the internet via a telephone line). The format was discontinued on June 16th, 1999.
March 31st, 1999 (Tivo, Asselin, 2013, p. 42)
Philips HDR110 (TiVo DVR)
TiVo launches the first consumer DVR device. Like the VCRs before it, the device is primarily used to time-shift television programming. But unlike VCRs, they are digital and allow the pausing and rewinding of live TV. This first TiVo device, the HDR110, had a 14GB hard drive which could record up to 14 hours of content.
January, 2002 (Sound & Vision, 2002/01, p. 24)
JVC DH30000U (D-VHS)
The first D-VHS VCR is released in the US for $2000. Although the format had been in use since 1999 for data storage, the new machine repackages the technology for the purpose of recording HDTV. Later that year, Hollywood films are released on the format under the “D-Theater” trademark. These require a special D-VHS player equipped to play “D-Theater” movies. They provide 1080i resolution.
March 28st, 2006 (https://www.cnet.com/culture/toshiba-launches-worlds-first-hd-dvd-player)
Toshiba HD-A1 & HD-XA1 (HD-DVD)
Toshiba is the first to release an HD 5-inch disc. Their first players are the HD-A1 ($499) and the HD-XA1 ($749). They delay the roll out in the U.S. until April 18th, when movies will be available on the format.
April 14th, 2006 icv2.com/articles/comics/view/8494/serenity-first-universal-title-hd-dvd
Warner and Universal Release the First 4 Titles on HD-DVD
Coinciding with the launch of Toshiba’s HD-DVD players in the US, Warner and Universal release their first titles on the format. They include Million Dollar Baby, The Phantom of the Opera, The Last Samurai and Serenity.
June 15th, 2006 (Business Wire, 2006/06/15, p. 1)
Samsung BD-P1000 (Blu-ray)
Samsung ships out the very first batch of Blu-ray players to retailers, the BD-P1000. Its cost is $1,000, twice that of Toshiba’s competing player for their HD-DVD format.
June 20th, 2006 (Wall Street Journal, 2006/06/20, p. D1)
Sony and MGM Release the First 7 Titles on Blu-ray
The very first titles are released on the new HD format, Blu-ray. They include 50 First Dates (2004), The Fifth Element (1997), Hitch (2005), House of Flying Daggers (2004), Underworld: Evolution (2006) and xXx (2002). The studio will also distribute The Terminator (1984).
February 10th, 2010 https://www.engadget.com/2010-02-10-sonys-200-bdp-s470-is-companys-first-3d-ready-blu-ray-player.html
Sony BDP-S470 (Blu-ray 3-D)
Sony releases the very first Blu-ray 3-D compatible player, costing ($200). Viewing the movies also requires a 3-D TV and a “Blu-ray 3-D” firmware upgrade.
June 1st, 2010
Sony Home Entertainment Releases the First Blu-ray 3-D Title
Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs (2009) is the first title to be released on the new Blu-ray 3-D format.
September 23th, 2010 (The Economist Online, 2010/09/23)
Blockbuster Files Chapter 11 Bankruptcy
After several poor decisions related to their DVD-by-mail program, and accruing a debt valued at $900 million, Blockbuster files for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. Over the next year, they would begin closing stores from their 3,300 store chain. Unable to meet the terms of their filing, the company is auctioned off to Dish Networks on April 6th, 2011 for $320 million. The remaining opened stores would continue to close.
February, 2016 https://www.theverge.com/2016/2/8/10936792/uhd-4k-blu-ray-samsung-player-on-sale
Samsung UBD-K8500 (4K UHD)
Samsung launches the first player for the new 4k UHD Blu-ray disc. It’s the very first format to offer 4096 x 2160 resolution. The player sells for $250.
February 14th, 2016 https://hd-report.com/2016/02/23/1st-4k-ultra-hd-blu-ray-movies-released-by-sony-pictures/
Sony Home Entertainment Releases The First 6 UHD Blu-ray Titles
Sony Home Entertainment releases their first 6 titles on the new 4K UHD format. They include Chappie (2015), Hancock (2008), Pineapple Express (2008), Salt (2010), The Amazing Spider-Man 2 (2014) and The Smurfs 2 (2013).