11-08-2003, 02:50 PM
It is often very difficult, given the intricacies of licensing and distribution, to figure out just who owns the rights to which titles for DVD. In addition to the ABCs Of DVD Distribution, below you will find a master list of companies and studios, and what if any DVD distributors they use to release products to consumers.
A good tip is to pay close attention to the beginning and end titles of a movie. The distributor is the company who has their big logo at the beginning of a picture. The majors are, of course, Columbia, Universal, Warner, et al. However, the company that actually produced the film (it often is different than the distributor) can be almost always found in the credits. All films have listed somewhere in the title crawl a phrase such as "Copyright 1999 DVD File Pictures" or whatever. That is who actually owns the film.
Unfortunately, that works for theatrical distribution, but DVD distribution is not always the same ball game. You can use online resources to discern who actually distributes and produced a film. The best resource is The International Movie Database. Simply type in the name of the film in the search field on the main page. Once your title's entry comes up, it will usually list the production company near the top, and often the distributor as well.
Again, how do you know if the theatrical distributor is the same as who know owns the rights to distribute it on DVD? A couple of good tips are that almost without fail, the big studio producers almost always act as their own distributors. Also, many "mini-majors" (New Line, etc.) sometimes have a single major distributor they work through, if it isn't themselves. Beyond that, it is anyone's guess. But that is where this page comes in.
Below is a list, by production company, of who currently owns distribution rights for DVD only. If a distributor has its own section in the Infoline, a link will exist in the entry. This list is by no means complete, and this site loves to hear any new information readers have to share. Feel free to contact us with any new information not included below. Thank you!
Note: Any entry marked with an (*) indicates a production company that uses, or has used, multiple distributors.
Alphaville Pictures
A small theatrical production company, the currently use Universal as their distributor.
Amblin Entertainment
See The Spielberg Connection special report for more information.
Anchor Bay Entertainment
An independent distributor that solely licenses titles from production companies. Anchor Bay does not comment on titles currently in negotiation, and currently has no exclusive DVD distribution agreements with any production companies. Lately, Anchor Bay has specialized in horror titles, but has recently started to license other genres as well. Interestingly, they have just licensed some titles from Walt Disney.
Artisan
Was formerly named LIVE Entertainment, and was/is mainly responsible for smaller "B" titles. They also currently distribute films produced by a three now-defunct companies, Republic Pictures, Vestron Pictures and Carolco, as well as distributing DVD titles in a joint venture with Hallmark Hall Of Fame.
AVCO Embassy Pictures
A great independent that produced a large of number of well-regarded cult films in the 70's (including some John Carpenter films), they have long since gone bankrupt. Most of their films were acquired by Nelson Entertainment for home video release, who has since been acquired by Polygram. For all intents and purposes, Polygram now has distribution rights for AVCO films on DVD.
Buena Vista Home Entertainment
Distributor of one of the largest film libraries around. They exclusively distribute titles from Miramax Films, Dimension Films, Hollywood Pictures, Touchstone Pictures and Walt Disney Pictures.
Cannon
This big B-Movie indie of the 80's (think Invasion U.S.A., Missing In Action flicks, etc.) has long gone out of busness. However, their entire film library was picked up by MGM in their recent acquisition of the Polygram film library.
Carolco
A production company that produced many big-budget spectacles in the 80's and 90's, up until their recent filing of Chapter 11 bankruptcy. All their titles are distributed exclusively by Artisan.
Castle Rock Entertainment*
There has been much confusion surrounding Castle Rock releases on all formats. Originally, Castle Rock's films (Shawshank Redemption, Dolores Claiborne, etc.) were distributed theatrically by Columbia Tri-Star Pictures. However, Castle Rock became a subsidiary of Time-Warner, who then controlled all DVD distribution rights to their titles. However, in a legal situation still undisclosed, DVD rights to Castle Rock titles have been held up, and have become split on a title-by-title basis between Polygram and Warner. In any case, Columbia DOES NOT control DVD rights to any Castle Rock titles anymore.
CIBY 2000*
A small "art house" producer, they currently co-produce many of their films and use a wide variety of distributors. Unfortunately, they have no one exclusive distributor to make it easier...
Columbia Tri-Star Pictures
Another major studio and distributor. Aside from their own extensive film library, they also currently distribute titles for Mandalay Entertainment, Sony Pictures, Sony Pictures Classics and Tri-Star Pictures. Please not that they do not distribute Sony Wonder or Sony Music...those companies handle their own DVD distribution. Also, they used to distribute Castle Rock Entertainment titles theatrically, but do not handle DVD distribution chores for those titles (see Warner and Polygram).
Criterion Collection
An independent distributor that solely licenses titles from production companies. Although they have produced extensive special editions on laserdisc, many of those titles are currently owned by others for DVD. Criterion does not comment on titles currently in negotiation, and currently has no exclusive DVD distribution agreements with any production companies.
DaViD Entertainment
A distributor of adult films only. (There will not be a DaViD section in the Infoline.)
Dimension Films
The "B" movie/horror film division of Miramax Films. Now distributed by Miramax Home Video.
DreamWorks SKG
The last of the majors to jump into DVD, DreamWorks certainly made up for lost time, with a very strong commitment to quality and features. They have delivered impeccable transfers and sound mixes, and some nice special editions to boot. Though priced a bit on the high side for some ($29.95 to $34.95), they deliver on the bottom line, no question.
However, as a new studio, DreamWorks does have a limited catalog of product. However, as they have seen strong success for such a young studio, their output continues to increase, and look for a strong lineup of titles in the months, and years, ahead.
Elite Entertainment
An independent distributor that solely licenses titles from production companies. Elite does not comment on titles currently in negotiation, and currently has no exclusive DVD distribution agreements with any production companies. Elite specialized in horror releases on laserdisc, but has seen most of those titles picked up by other companies for DVD. It is unsure how aggressive Elite will be with future DVD releases.
Facets Multimedia
A rather small but prestigious independent distributor of small indie and foreign films on home video. Unfortunately, they are current not supporting DVD.
Fine Line Features
The "art film" division of New Line Cinema. All titles exclusively distributed on DVD by New Line.
Full Moon Pictures
A "B" movie/horror film production company. Currently self-distributes their own titles on DVD. (There is not yet a Full Moon section in the Infoline.)
Gramercy Films*
Initially, Gramercy used various distributors for their theatrical product, but has since become a complete subsidiary of Polygram Entertainment.
Hallmark Entertainment
The acclaimed home of many award-winning Hallmark Hall Of Fame television miniseries and movies. Recently acquired by Artisan, who solely distributes their product on DVD.
HBO Home Video
Most obviously well-known for their cable television films, HBO does produce some theatrical films as well, and acts as their own distributor for DVD.
Hollywood Pictures
Another live-action division of Walt Disney Pictures, they have since ceased operations and been folded into Touchstone Pictures. All their catalog titles exclusively distributed by Buena Vista Home Entertainment.
Image Entertainment
The largest supplier of laserdiscs in North America, Image was hit a bit hard by the fast acceptance of DVD. They enjoyed large distribution contracts with the majors for laserdisc, but most of those studios are taking charge of their DVD output themselves. Image is now negotiating for the same limited number of catalog titles with the likes of Elite, Anchor Bay and Criterion. Image does not comment on titles currently in negotiation, and currently has no exclusive DVD distribution agreements with any production companies.
King's Road
A small independent film production company, they recently licensed many titles to Trimark for DVD release.
Lightstorm Entertainment*
Better known as mega-director James Cameron's production company. Currently, Lightstorm exclusively uses 20th Century Fox as their distributor, although a few of their productions (Titanic, Terminator 2) have been distributed or co-distributed by other studios. But, for all intents and purposes, 20th Century Fox is the main distributor of Lightstorm productions.
Lucasfilm*
Gee, who's company could this be? For the most part, including the Star Wars films, Lucasfilm uses 20th Century Fox as their distributor, both theatrically and on home video. However, some older Lucasfilm productions (most notably the Indiana Jones films) have gone through Paramount. If you are stuck, currently, Lucasfilm uses whomever theatrical distributor was for the home video (and DVD) release as well.
Magic Lantern
A recent partnership between two known VHS and laserdisc distributors, VCI and The Roan Group, Magic Lantern licenses all their titles, and specializes in cult, horror and exploitation films, presenting them in high-quality special editions.
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)
MGM Home Entertainment acts as a known DVD distributor for its own theatrical films, as well as Turner Entertainment, United Artists and Eon Productions. Also, MGM recently bought Orion Pictures, which has been folded completely into MGM. Orion's library contained over 1,000 films. However, Orion had signed DVD licensing arrangements with other companies before the buyout, and those contracts are being honored by MGM. Once those licensing agreements expire (in around two to three years), MGM will retain full distribution rights over Orion titles.
Miramax Films
One of the biggest "mini-majors" and current holder of a truckload of Academy Awards. Although they are physically distributed by Buena Vista Home Entertainment, and used to license many of their titles to The Criterion Collection on laserdisc, they have recently begun their own line of collector's edition DVDs. They will be making all release decisions internally, and these will include Dimension Films releases as well.
Nelson Entertainment
A smaller production and licensing company, who recently sold a large number of their catalog titles to Polygram for distribution.
New Line Cinema
A "mini-major," New Line was on the fringes just a few short years ago, but has become a very strong production company of theatrical films. They current distribute their own New Line Cinema and Fine Line Features titles on DVD
October Films*
Initially, October used various distributors for their theatrical product, but has since become a wholly-owned subsidiary of Universal Pictures. Any future October productions will be distributed on DVD by Universal.
Orion Pictures*
A pretty big independent up until their recent Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing. They have since been bought by MGM. However, many Orion titles (Dances With Wolves, Robocop, etc.) were previously licensed on DVD to Image and Criterion. MGM is honoring those contracts, but as soon as they are up (in 2-5 years depending on title), all rights will revert back to MGM exclusively, who can them re-release them on DVD or license them again.
Paramount Pictures
Another big major. They self-distribute their own films, and have recently begun to co-produce some films with the likes of DreamWorks SKG, Touchstone Pictures and 20th Century Fox.
Phoenix Pictures
A small independent production house, it uses Columbia Tri-Star for home video distribution exclusively.
Pioneer Home Video
This is somewhat confusing. Pioneer Home Video is a subsidiary of Pioneer Electronics (the major source of LaserDisc players and Laser-Karaoke), and handles (obviously) all home video releases. Pioneer licensed (and still licenses) many titles for LaserDisc from the majors, and produces many special editions. However, Pioneer does not release DVD titles (aside from Karaoke and music titles), so many of their great laserdisc special editions remain unavailable on DVD. Some studios have started to buy or license the supplements produced by Pioneer to release them on DVD (such as Artisan with Sophie's Choice and the upcoming Basic Instinct SE). However, some companies have simply released movie only-editions of titles that are available as Pioneer Special Editions on laserdisc (like Universal with The Frighteners and Liar Liar, amongst others). There is no telling what will happen in the future, but Pioneer will not be doing any special edition DVDs, so it is up to the original studios to produce their own special editions or license/buy the supplements from Pioneer.
Polygram Entertainment
Although having been around for decades, Polygram has only r recently begun to attempt to move aggressively into the major's theatrical territory. They current distribute their own Polygram Filmed Entertainment titles on DVD, and recently acquired the complete Nelson Entertainment catalog of films, which included many early AVCO Embassy films. Also, the entered into a distribution agreement with Castle Rock and Manga Entertainment for select title releases only.
Republic Pictures
Once a major studio force throughout the first half of the 20th century, Republic unfortunately become a small source of low-budget and B-pictures by the 1990's. A subsidiary of Spelling Films, Republic was finally closed down for good, with their catalog of titles licensed to Artisan for DVD release.
Simitar
A very aggressive supplier and licensor of grade-"B" (that is putting it nicely) productions on DVD. Currently self-distributes their own titles. (There is not yet a Simitar section in the Infoline.)
Sony Music / Sony Wonder
Although a subsidiary of Sony Entertainment, Sony Wonder and Sony Music act as their own DVD distributors, and DO NOT go through Columbia Tri-Star Home Video.
Sony Pictures
The "parent" company that owns Columbia Tri-Star, amongst others. Uses Columbia exclusively for DVD distribution.
Sony Pictures Classics
The "art film" division of Sony Pictures. Uses Columbia exclusively for DVD distribution.
Touchstone Pictures
Essentially the live-action division of Walt Disney pictures. Exclusively distributed by Buena Vista Home Entertainment.
20th Century Fox
A recent major studio convert to the DVD format, 20th Century Fox holds a large catalog of self-produced titles. Fox also has exclusive distribution rights with such major producers as Lucasfilm Ltd. and James Cameron's Lightstorm Entertainment.
Trimark
Best known for their adventurous streak in film production, Trimark mainly deals in independent, underground and horror films for its library, and distributors their DVDs themselves.
United Artists
Previously one of the major studios starting in the 1920's, UA (for short) has lost most of its prestige, and rarely produces pictures nowadays besides the James Bond Films. Is exclusively distributed by MGM.
Universal Pictures
A long-standing major studio. Universal Home Entertainment currently acts as a known distributor for the following production companies: Amblin Entertainment (see above), Gramercy Pictures, Alphaville Pictures, and, of course, Universal Pictures itself (formerly known as MCA/Universal).
Vestron Pictures
A big "B" movie supplier in the 70's and 80's, they have since gone bankrupt. Most of their titles are now owned and distributed exclusively by Artisan.
Walt Disney Pictures
No explanation needed for this one. Exclusively distributed by Buena Vista Home Entertainment (which is basically Disney's home video division). Please note that Disney does occasionally license some titles on DVD to independents, most recently Anchor Bay.
Warner Bros.
The definition of major. Has the single largest film library on the planet. Responsible for distribution of its own vast self-productions, as well as Castle Rock Entertainment and Rhino Records (select titles only), New Regency Pictures and Icon Entertainment. Also, they distribute Warner Music Group, MGM and New Line DVD titles domestically, but are not directly responsible for title selection (see the appropriate Warner Music, MGM and New Line sections for that).
Warner Music Group
Although a subsidiary of Time Warner, Warner Music handles their own DVD music video releases under their Special Projects group. They currently act only as a distributor for their own products, and do not license titles 95% of the time.
A good tip is to pay close attention to the beginning and end titles of a movie. The distributor is the company who has their big logo at the beginning of a picture. The majors are, of course, Columbia, Universal, Warner, et al. However, the company that actually produced the film (it often is different than the distributor) can be almost always found in the credits. All films have listed somewhere in the title crawl a phrase such as "Copyright 1999 DVD File Pictures" or whatever. That is who actually owns the film.
Unfortunately, that works for theatrical distribution, but DVD distribution is not always the same ball game. You can use online resources to discern who actually distributes and produced a film. The best resource is The International Movie Database. Simply type in the name of the film in the search field on the main page. Once your title's entry comes up, it will usually list the production company near the top, and often the distributor as well.
Again, how do you know if the theatrical distributor is the same as who know owns the rights to distribute it on DVD? A couple of good tips are that almost without fail, the big studio producers almost always act as their own distributors. Also, many "mini-majors" (New Line, etc.) sometimes have a single major distributor they work through, if it isn't themselves. Beyond that, it is anyone's guess. But that is where this page comes in.
Below is a list, by production company, of who currently owns distribution rights for DVD only. If a distributor has its own section in the Infoline, a link will exist in the entry. This list is by no means complete, and this site loves to hear any new information readers have to share. Feel free to contact us with any new information not included below. Thank you!
Note: Any entry marked with an (*) indicates a production company that uses, or has used, multiple distributors.
Alphaville Pictures
A small theatrical production company, the currently use Universal as their distributor.
Amblin Entertainment
See The Spielberg Connection special report for more information.
Anchor Bay Entertainment
An independent distributor that solely licenses titles from production companies. Anchor Bay does not comment on titles currently in negotiation, and currently has no exclusive DVD distribution agreements with any production companies. Lately, Anchor Bay has specialized in horror titles, but has recently started to license other genres as well. Interestingly, they have just licensed some titles from Walt Disney.
Artisan
Was formerly named LIVE Entertainment, and was/is mainly responsible for smaller "B" titles. They also currently distribute films produced by a three now-defunct companies, Republic Pictures, Vestron Pictures and Carolco, as well as distributing DVD titles in a joint venture with Hallmark Hall Of Fame.
AVCO Embassy Pictures
A great independent that produced a large of number of well-regarded cult films in the 70's (including some John Carpenter films), they have long since gone bankrupt. Most of their films were acquired by Nelson Entertainment for home video release, who has since been acquired by Polygram. For all intents and purposes, Polygram now has distribution rights for AVCO films on DVD.
Buena Vista Home Entertainment
Distributor of one of the largest film libraries around. They exclusively distribute titles from Miramax Films, Dimension Films, Hollywood Pictures, Touchstone Pictures and Walt Disney Pictures.
Cannon
This big B-Movie indie of the 80's (think Invasion U.S.A., Missing In Action flicks, etc.) has long gone out of busness. However, their entire film library was picked up by MGM in their recent acquisition of the Polygram film library.
Carolco
A production company that produced many big-budget spectacles in the 80's and 90's, up until their recent filing of Chapter 11 bankruptcy. All their titles are distributed exclusively by Artisan.
Castle Rock Entertainment*
There has been much confusion surrounding Castle Rock releases on all formats. Originally, Castle Rock's films (Shawshank Redemption, Dolores Claiborne, etc.) were distributed theatrically by Columbia Tri-Star Pictures. However, Castle Rock became a subsidiary of Time-Warner, who then controlled all DVD distribution rights to their titles. However, in a legal situation still undisclosed, DVD rights to Castle Rock titles have been held up, and have become split on a title-by-title basis between Polygram and Warner. In any case, Columbia DOES NOT control DVD rights to any Castle Rock titles anymore.
CIBY 2000*
A small "art house" producer, they currently co-produce many of their films and use a wide variety of distributors. Unfortunately, they have no one exclusive distributor to make it easier...
Columbia Tri-Star Pictures
Another major studio and distributor. Aside from their own extensive film library, they also currently distribute titles for Mandalay Entertainment, Sony Pictures, Sony Pictures Classics and Tri-Star Pictures. Please not that they do not distribute Sony Wonder or Sony Music...those companies handle their own DVD distribution. Also, they used to distribute Castle Rock Entertainment titles theatrically, but do not handle DVD distribution chores for those titles (see Warner and Polygram).
Criterion Collection
An independent distributor that solely licenses titles from production companies. Although they have produced extensive special editions on laserdisc, many of those titles are currently owned by others for DVD. Criterion does not comment on titles currently in negotiation, and currently has no exclusive DVD distribution agreements with any production companies.
DaViD Entertainment
A distributor of adult films only. (There will not be a DaViD section in the Infoline.)
Dimension Films
The "B" movie/horror film division of Miramax Films. Now distributed by Miramax Home Video.
DreamWorks SKG
The last of the majors to jump into DVD, DreamWorks certainly made up for lost time, with a very strong commitment to quality and features. They have delivered impeccable transfers and sound mixes, and some nice special editions to boot. Though priced a bit on the high side for some ($29.95 to $34.95), they deliver on the bottom line, no question.
However, as a new studio, DreamWorks does have a limited catalog of product. However, as they have seen strong success for such a young studio, their output continues to increase, and look for a strong lineup of titles in the months, and years, ahead.
Elite Entertainment
An independent distributor that solely licenses titles from production companies. Elite does not comment on titles currently in negotiation, and currently has no exclusive DVD distribution agreements with any production companies. Elite specialized in horror releases on laserdisc, but has seen most of those titles picked up by other companies for DVD. It is unsure how aggressive Elite will be with future DVD releases.
Facets Multimedia
A rather small but prestigious independent distributor of small indie and foreign films on home video. Unfortunately, they are current not supporting DVD.
Fine Line Features
The "art film" division of New Line Cinema. All titles exclusively distributed on DVD by New Line.
Full Moon Pictures
A "B" movie/horror film production company. Currently self-distributes their own titles on DVD. (There is not yet a Full Moon section in the Infoline.)
Gramercy Films*
Initially, Gramercy used various distributors for their theatrical product, but has since become a complete subsidiary of Polygram Entertainment.
Hallmark Entertainment
The acclaimed home of many award-winning Hallmark Hall Of Fame television miniseries and movies. Recently acquired by Artisan, who solely distributes their product on DVD.
HBO Home Video
Most obviously well-known for their cable television films, HBO does produce some theatrical films as well, and acts as their own distributor for DVD.
Hollywood Pictures
Another live-action division of Walt Disney Pictures, they have since ceased operations and been folded into Touchstone Pictures. All their catalog titles exclusively distributed by Buena Vista Home Entertainment.
Image Entertainment
The largest supplier of laserdiscs in North America, Image was hit a bit hard by the fast acceptance of DVD. They enjoyed large distribution contracts with the majors for laserdisc, but most of those studios are taking charge of their DVD output themselves. Image is now negotiating for the same limited number of catalog titles with the likes of Elite, Anchor Bay and Criterion. Image does not comment on titles currently in negotiation, and currently has no exclusive DVD distribution agreements with any production companies.
King's Road
A small independent film production company, they recently licensed many titles to Trimark for DVD release.
Lightstorm Entertainment*
Better known as mega-director James Cameron's production company. Currently, Lightstorm exclusively uses 20th Century Fox as their distributor, although a few of their productions (Titanic, Terminator 2) have been distributed or co-distributed by other studios. But, for all intents and purposes, 20th Century Fox is the main distributor of Lightstorm productions.
Lucasfilm*
Gee, who's company could this be? For the most part, including the Star Wars films, Lucasfilm uses 20th Century Fox as their distributor, both theatrically and on home video. However, some older Lucasfilm productions (most notably the Indiana Jones films) have gone through Paramount. If you are stuck, currently, Lucasfilm uses whomever theatrical distributor was for the home video (and DVD) release as well.
Magic Lantern
A recent partnership between two known VHS and laserdisc distributors, VCI and The Roan Group, Magic Lantern licenses all their titles, and specializes in cult, horror and exploitation films, presenting them in high-quality special editions.
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)
MGM Home Entertainment acts as a known DVD distributor for its own theatrical films, as well as Turner Entertainment, United Artists and Eon Productions. Also, MGM recently bought Orion Pictures, which has been folded completely into MGM. Orion's library contained over 1,000 films. However, Orion had signed DVD licensing arrangements with other companies before the buyout, and those contracts are being honored by MGM. Once those licensing agreements expire (in around two to three years), MGM will retain full distribution rights over Orion titles.
Miramax Films
One of the biggest "mini-majors" and current holder of a truckload of Academy Awards. Although they are physically distributed by Buena Vista Home Entertainment, and used to license many of their titles to The Criterion Collection on laserdisc, they have recently begun their own line of collector's edition DVDs. They will be making all release decisions internally, and these will include Dimension Films releases as well.
Nelson Entertainment
A smaller production and licensing company, who recently sold a large number of their catalog titles to Polygram for distribution.
New Line Cinema
A "mini-major," New Line was on the fringes just a few short years ago, but has become a very strong production company of theatrical films. They current distribute their own New Line Cinema and Fine Line Features titles on DVD
October Films*
Initially, October used various distributors for their theatrical product, but has since become a wholly-owned subsidiary of Universal Pictures. Any future October productions will be distributed on DVD by Universal.
Orion Pictures*
A pretty big independent up until their recent Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing. They have since been bought by MGM. However, many Orion titles (Dances With Wolves, Robocop, etc.) were previously licensed on DVD to Image and Criterion. MGM is honoring those contracts, but as soon as they are up (in 2-5 years depending on title), all rights will revert back to MGM exclusively, who can them re-release them on DVD or license them again.
Paramount Pictures
Another big major. They self-distribute their own films, and have recently begun to co-produce some films with the likes of DreamWorks SKG, Touchstone Pictures and 20th Century Fox.
Phoenix Pictures
A small independent production house, it uses Columbia Tri-Star for home video distribution exclusively.
Pioneer Home Video
This is somewhat confusing. Pioneer Home Video is a subsidiary of Pioneer Electronics (the major source of LaserDisc players and Laser-Karaoke), and handles (obviously) all home video releases. Pioneer licensed (and still licenses) many titles for LaserDisc from the majors, and produces many special editions. However, Pioneer does not release DVD titles (aside from Karaoke and music titles), so many of their great laserdisc special editions remain unavailable on DVD. Some studios have started to buy or license the supplements produced by Pioneer to release them on DVD (such as Artisan with Sophie's Choice and the upcoming Basic Instinct SE). However, some companies have simply released movie only-editions of titles that are available as Pioneer Special Editions on laserdisc (like Universal with The Frighteners and Liar Liar, amongst others). There is no telling what will happen in the future, but Pioneer will not be doing any special edition DVDs, so it is up to the original studios to produce their own special editions or license/buy the supplements from Pioneer.
Polygram Entertainment
Although having been around for decades, Polygram has only r recently begun to attempt to move aggressively into the major's theatrical territory. They current distribute their own Polygram Filmed Entertainment titles on DVD, and recently acquired the complete Nelson Entertainment catalog of films, which included many early AVCO Embassy films. Also, the entered into a distribution agreement with Castle Rock and Manga Entertainment for select title releases only.
Republic Pictures
Once a major studio force throughout the first half of the 20th century, Republic unfortunately become a small source of low-budget and B-pictures by the 1990's. A subsidiary of Spelling Films, Republic was finally closed down for good, with their catalog of titles licensed to Artisan for DVD release.
Simitar
A very aggressive supplier and licensor of grade-"B" (that is putting it nicely) productions on DVD. Currently self-distributes their own titles. (There is not yet a Simitar section in the Infoline.)
Sony Music / Sony Wonder
Although a subsidiary of Sony Entertainment, Sony Wonder and Sony Music act as their own DVD distributors, and DO NOT go through Columbia Tri-Star Home Video.
Sony Pictures
The "parent" company that owns Columbia Tri-Star, amongst others. Uses Columbia exclusively for DVD distribution.
Sony Pictures Classics
The "art film" division of Sony Pictures. Uses Columbia exclusively for DVD distribution.
Touchstone Pictures
Essentially the live-action division of Walt Disney pictures. Exclusively distributed by Buena Vista Home Entertainment.
20th Century Fox
A recent major studio convert to the DVD format, 20th Century Fox holds a large catalog of self-produced titles. Fox also has exclusive distribution rights with such major producers as Lucasfilm Ltd. and James Cameron's Lightstorm Entertainment.
Trimark
Best known for their adventurous streak in film production, Trimark mainly deals in independent, underground and horror films for its library, and distributors their DVDs themselves.
United Artists
Previously one of the major studios starting in the 1920's, UA (for short) has lost most of its prestige, and rarely produces pictures nowadays besides the James Bond Films. Is exclusively distributed by MGM.
Universal Pictures
A long-standing major studio. Universal Home Entertainment currently acts as a known distributor for the following production companies: Amblin Entertainment (see above), Gramercy Pictures, Alphaville Pictures, and, of course, Universal Pictures itself (formerly known as MCA/Universal).
Vestron Pictures
A big "B" movie supplier in the 70's and 80's, they have since gone bankrupt. Most of their titles are now owned and distributed exclusively by Artisan.
Walt Disney Pictures
No explanation needed for this one. Exclusively distributed by Buena Vista Home Entertainment (which is basically Disney's home video division). Please note that Disney does occasionally license some titles on DVD to independents, most recently Anchor Bay.
Warner Bros.
The definition of major. Has the single largest film library on the planet. Responsible for distribution of its own vast self-productions, as well as Castle Rock Entertainment and Rhino Records (select titles only), New Regency Pictures and Icon Entertainment. Also, they distribute Warner Music Group, MGM and New Line DVD titles domestically, but are not directly responsible for title selection (see the appropriate Warner Music, MGM and New Line sections for that).
Warner Music Group
Although a subsidiary of Time Warner, Warner Music handles their own DVD music video releases under their Special Projects group. They currently act only as a distributor for their own products, and do not license titles 95% of the time.