MCA DiscoVision

Background
Universal Studios' home entertainment unit descended from MCA's DiscoVision division, 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. Numerous films were released from Universal, with Disney, Warner Bros., and Paramount also licensing titles to the label. Amidst DiscoVision's failure, MCA decided to form its subsidiary MCA Video Distributing Corporation, with MCA Videocassette Inc. and MCA Videodisc acting as its two subsidiaries.

1st Logo (February 1977)


Logo: We start out with glowing light in the center of a black background. The glowing light shrinks until it is the size of a small yellow circle embedded in an upside-down triangle split vertically in the center. The words "MCA DISCO-VISION" appear on top of the triangle, and while the circle turns the same color as the triangle, the copyright symbol appears in the bottom right area.

Technique: 2D animation.

Music/Sounds: An 8-note percussive string tune followed by a dramatic orchestral finish.

Availability: This was only used in a 1977 test pressing that MCA used as a public display.

2nd Logo (December 11, 1978-January 1982)
Logo: On a black background, the words "DISCOVISION" crawl across the entire screen in a rainbow of colors like a kaleidoscope, and rows of vertical 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 1979-1982 releases, a copyright stamp appeared underneath the DiscoVision logo.
 * Black and white DiscoVision movies featured this logo in black and white.
 * Most of the later 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.
 * The last few seconds are cut off on the CAV edition of The Jerk.

Technique: Cel animation.

Music/Sounds: A flute tune accompanied by a lavishly orchestrated theme.

Music/Sounds Variant: On some releases, such as Bustin' Loose and The Four Seasons, it's silent.

Availability:
 * It was seen on every DiscoVision releases from 1978 to 1982.
 * To find them, look for packaging where the print logo is on a gray background with the space around the “V” peeling to both sides revealing the movie that is printed on the disc.
 * It is tough to find in good quality, as poor manufacturing practices have caused most DiscoVision discs to degrade over the years.