DiscoVision
Encyclopedia
DiscoVision is the name of several things related to the video laserdisc
format. It was the original name of the "Reflective Optical Videodisc System" format later known as LaserVision or LaserDisc
.
MCA DiscoVision Inc. was a division of entertainment giant MCA
, established in 1969 to develop and sell an optical videodisc
system. MCA released discs pressed in Carson and Costa Mesa, California on the DiscoVision label from the format's Atlanta, Georgia launch in 1978 to 1982 and the release of the film, The Four Seasons
. DiscoVision titles included films from Universal Studios
, Warner Bros. Pictures
, Paramount
, and Disney
. Agreements were made with Columbia Pictures
and United Artists
, though no discs were released on the DiscoVision label from either studio. Most of these companies later established their own labels for the format, the first being Paramount with a dozen movies released on the Paramount Home Video label in the summer of 1981.
The successor to MCA DiscoVision, Discovision Associates (DVA) was the result of a partnership between IBM and MCA. It was hoped that the merger would provide the basis for improvement of the quality of DiscoVision pressings, but no appreciable improvement ever took hold. In 1981, responsibility for the laser videodisc was sold to Pioneer Electronic Corporation. Pioneer, in association with MCA, had a disc replication facility in Kofu, Japan that produced discs. Some of the last DiscoVision label discs were manufactured by Pioneer in Japan. In the same year, MCA had an abrupt failure from its DiscoVision system and was replaced by MCA Videodisc; this was changed to the "MCA Home Video" name for both its VHS and videodisc releases.
DiscoVision Associates later evolved into a patent holding company
which manages and licenses intellectual property
related to laserdisc, compact disc, and optical disc technologies, as well as other non-disc related fields.
In 1989, Pioneer acquired DiscoVision Associates where it continues to license its technologies independently.
DiscoVision's license activities covered Laserdisc, CD, DVD
and other optical disk products. A lawsuit in Delaware made it clear that Discovision's patent (David Paul Gregg was the inventor) is the basic blocking patent of the CD format.
As the portfolio of patent expires, the presence of DiscoVision become less visible. However, it established the success of a patent holding company
, which other companies are stimulated to generate royalty income from their own patent portfolio.
Laserdisc
LaserDisc was a home video format and the first commercial optical disc storage medium. Initially licensed, sold, and marketed as MCA DiscoVision in North America in 1978, the technology was previously referred to interally as Optical Videodisc System, Reflective Optical Videodisc, Laser Optical...
format. It was the original name of the "Reflective Optical Videodisc System" format later known as LaserVision or LaserDisc
Laserdisc
LaserDisc was a home video format and the first commercial optical disc storage medium. Initially licensed, sold, and marketed as MCA DiscoVision in North America in 1978, the technology was previously referred to interally as Optical Videodisc System, Reflective Optical Videodisc, Laser Optical...
.
MCA DiscoVision Inc. was a division of entertainment giant MCA
Music Corporation of America
MCA, Inc. was an American talent agency. Initially starting in the music business, they would next become a dominant force in the film business, and later expanded into the television business...
, established in 1969 to develop and sell an optical videodisc
Videodisc
Videodisc is a general term for a laser- or stylus-readable random-access circular disc that contains both audio and analog video signals recorded in an analog form...
system. MCA released discs pressed in Carson and Costa Mesa, California on the DiscoVision label from the format's Atlanta, Georgia launch in 1978 to 1982 and the release of the film, The Four Seasons
The Four Seasons (film)
The Four Seasons is a 1981 romantic comedy film starring Alan Alda, Carol Burnett, Len Cariou, Sandy Dennis, Rita Moreno, Jack Weston and Bess Armstrong.-Plot summary:...
. DiscoVision titles included films from Universal Studios
Universal Studios
Universal Pictures , a subsidiary of NBCUniversal, is one of the six major movie studios....
, Warner Bros. Pictures
Warner Bros.
Warner Bros. Entertainment, Inc., also known as Warner Bros. Pictures or simply Warner Bros. , is an American producer of film and television entertainment.One of the major film studios, it is a subsidiary of Time Warner, with its headquarters in Burbank,...
, Paramount
Paramount Pictures
Paramount Pictures Corporation is an American film production and distribution company, located at 5555 Melrose Avenue in Hollywood. Founded in 1912 and currently owned by media conglomerate Viacom, it is America's oldest existing film studio; it is also the last major film studio still...
, and Disney
The Walt Disney Company
The Walt Disney Company is the largest media conglomerate in the world in terms of revenue. Founded on October 16, 1923, by Walt and Roy Disney as the Disney Brothers Cartoon Studio, Walt Disney Productions established itself as a leader in the American animation industry before diversifying into...
. Agreements were made with Columbia Pictures
Columbia Pictures
Columbia Pictures Industries, Inc. is an American film production and distribution company. Columbia Pictures now forms part of the Columbia TriStar Motion Picture Group, owned by Sony Pictures Entertainment, a subsidiary of the Japanese conglomerate Sony. It is one of the leading film companies...
and United Artists
United Artists
United Artists Corporation is an American film studio. The original studio of that name was founded in 1919 by D. W. Griffith, Charles Chaplin, Mary Pickford and Douglas Fairbanks....
, though no discs were released on the DiscoVision label from either studio. Most of these companies later established their own labels for the format, the first being Paramount with a dozen movies released on the Paramount Home Video label in the summer of 1981.
The successor to MCA DiscoVision, Discovision Associates (DVA) was the result of a partnership between IBM and MCA. It was hoped that the merger would provide the basis for improvement of the quality of DiscoVision pressings, but no appreciable improvement ever took hold. In 1981, responsibility for the laser videodisc was sold to Pioneer Electronic Corporation. Pioneer, in association with MCA, had a disc replication facility in Kofu, Japan that produced discs. Some of the last DiscoVision label discs were manufactured by Pioneer in Japan. In the same year, MCA had an abrupt failure from its DiscoVision system and was replaced by MCA Videodisc; this was changed to the "MCA Home Video" name for both its VHS and videodisc releases.
DiscoVision Associates later evolved into a patent holding company
Patent holding company
Patent holding companies are companies set up to administer, consolidate and license patents or otherwise enforce patent rights, such as through litigation...
which manages and licenses intellectual property
Intellectual property
Intellectual property is a term referring to a number of distinct types of creations of the mind for which a set of exclusive rights are recognized—and the corresponding fields of law...
related to laserdisc, compact disc, and optical disc technologies, as well as other non-disc related fields.
In 1989, Pioneer acquired DiscoVision Associates where it continues to license its technologies independently.
DiscoVision's license activities covered Laserdisc, CD, DVD
DVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
and other optical disk products. A lawsuit in Delaware made it clear that Discovision's patent (David Paul Gregg was the inventor) is the basic blocking patent of the CD format.
As the portfolio of patent expires, the presence of DiscoVision become less visible. However, it established the success of a patent holding company
Patent holding company
Patent holding companies are companies set up to administer, consolidate and license patents or otherwise enforce patent rights, such as through litigation...
, which other companies are stimulated to generate royalty income from their own patent portfolio.