Magnetic Video/International Logos

1st Logo (1979-1981)
Logo: On a buff background, we see the "Mirrored M" (in black and brown) from the American Magnetic Video logo behind the words "MAGNETIC VIDEO" in a white Microgramma Bold font, set in the centre of the screen.

Technique: None.

Music/Sounds: None.

Availability: Very scarce. It might be spotted on eBay UK (or any country's website where PAL tapes are sold, like Australia and Germany). It was seen on the PAL releases of The Making of Star Wars, Bus Stop and 100 Rifles. It can also be seen on the pre-cert releases of The African Queen, Blue Hawaii, Hello, Dolly!, Last Train from Gun Hill, M*A*S*H, Soldier Blue, Those Magnificent Men in Their Flying Machines, Von Ryan's Express, Vanishing Point, and The French Connection, all of which were the only major studio films to be released on Philips' short-lived N1700 format. Also seen on an Australian Betamax copy of The Blue Max.

2nd Logo (UK only, 1981-1982)
Logo: On a black background, the text "Magnetic Video" in red is seen at the top of the screen. Below that, there is a copyright notice in yellow text. Then, the screen changes to have "Magnetic Video" centred and a bit larger, and gains the byline "A Twentieth Century-Fox Company" below in white. The whole text is set in the middle of the screen. The text stays on the screen for a few seconds before it cuts out.

Technique: Computer effects.

Music/Sounds: None.

Availability: Extremely rare. Tapes with this logo might turn up on eBay UK (or other sites) sometime. The Magnetic pre-cert release of Alien might have this; it was also known to be spotted on a 1983 tape of 15 Famous Cartoons from Terrytoons, Volume 2, which was probably a reprint of an earlier tape.