BBC Video/Warning Screens

Main

1st Warning (1980-1981)

Warning: On a black background we see the words "THIS VIDEO CASSETTE MAY NOT BE PEFORMED IN PUBLIC BROADCAST, HIRED, LOANED, COPIED OR REPRODUCED IN ANY WAY" in Futura.

Technique: Just the simple fade-in and fade-out.

Music/Sounds: None.

Availability: Ultra rare. Seen on BBC Video's first Laserdisc and VHS releases.

2nd Warning (1981-1984)

Normal variant
BeebTots variant

Warning: On a black background we see the words: "THE RECORDING, COPYING, LOAN, UNAUTHORISED HIRE, PUBLIC SHOWING OR BROADCASTING OF THIS BBC VIDEOGRAM, IS PROHIBITED."

Variant: On the children's video BeebTots, the background is green.

Technique: Same as the 1st warning.

Music/Sounds: None.

Availability: Extremely rare. Seen on BBC Video VHS, Laserdisc, and Betamax releases from the period.

3rd Warning (1984)

Warning: On a black background we see the words:

'The recording, copying, loan, unauthorised hire, public showing or broadcasting of this BBC Videogram is prohibited. This videogram was produced on behalf of BBC Enterprises Ltd.'

Technique: Same as the previous two.

Music/Sounds: None.

Availability: Even rarer than the last warning. Seen on early 1984 BBC Videotapes, including the original pre-cert release of Doctor Who: The Brain of Morbius and Abigail's Party.

4th Warning (1984-1988)

Warning: On a black background, the following text types in:

The recording, copying, loan, unauthorised hire, public showing or broadcasting of this BBC Videogram is prohibited. This videogram was produced on behalf of BBC Enterprises Ltd.

Variants:

The closing variant just has the warning fading in and out.
An extremely rare closing variant has the opening variant playing in reverse. This appears on the 1985 release of Doctor Who: The Five Doctors.
On Children's Favourites (a video produced in conjunction by Marks & Spencer), the text is thinner, is all yellow, and the bottom section was altered to credit Marks & Spencer.

Technique: The words typing in.

Music/Sounds: None. On some tapes however, if you listen really closely, you can hear the 1984 version of the BBC Video logo music playing over it.

Availability: Rare. Seen on BBC Video tapes from 1984 until 1988.

5th Warning (1988-1991)

Normal variant
WHSmith Video variant (Start)
WHSmith Video variant (End)

Warning: On a black background, we see the words "The recording, copying, loan, unauthorised hire, public showing or broadcasting of this BBC Enterprises videogram is prohibited." flying in. After several seconds, it flies out, segueing into the BBC Video "COW Globe" logo.

Variants:

On a Rupert the Bear VHS by WHSmith Video, the warning takes place on a white-black gradient, with the words in black. At the end of the tape, it takes place on a red gradient, with the words in white.
On a Postman Pat VHS by WHSmith Video, the BBC Enterprises reference is removed.

Technique: The flying effects.

Music/Sounds: None, but at the end, a low humming sound segues into the BBC Video "COW Globe" music.

Availability: Seen on BBC Video tapes using the "COW Globe" logo.

6th Warning (1991-June 7, 2010)

1991 variant
1995 variant
1997 variant
DVD variant

Warning: On a black background, white text scrolls up and stops at the center. It reads "THE RECORDING, COPYING, LOAN, UNAUTHORISED HIRE, PUBLIC SHOWING OR BROADCASTING OF THIS BBC ENTERPRISES VIDEOGRAM, IS PROHIBITED."

Variants:

Beginning in 1995, the words "BBC ENTERPRISES" were replaced with "BBC WORLDWIDE"
At the end of pre-1997 BBC videotapes, the warning fades in and fades out. However, this does not happen on post-1997 videotapes.
From November 1997 onwards, the font in the text is changed to Gill Sans.
On DVD releases, the word "VIDEOGRAM" was replaced by "DVD-VIDEO"
A 16:9 widescreen version of the DVD warning was introduced in 2000.
A 14:9 version of the tracking control and VHS warnings was introduced in 2001. In this variant, the text on both also scrolls up slightly faster.
On the BBC Active DVDs, "BBC WORLDWIDE" is replaced with "BBC ACTIVE".

Technique: The scrolling.

Music/Sounds: None.

Music/Sounds Variants:

On 1990s-era reprints of 1980s BBC Video releases (especially reprints of tapes that originally used the 1984-1988 version of the 1980 BBC Video ident), you can briefly hear the faint music from the previous BBC Video logos.
At the end of some 1992-1997 tapes however, if you listen really closely, you can hear the end of the 1991 BBC Video logo's music playing over it.

Availability:

Seen on BBC Video releases from the era, including all three Wallace and Gromit shorts.
Also seen on American BBC releases by CBS-Fox Video/20th Century Fox Home Entertainment until 2000, including Blackadder's Christmas Carol and Warner Home Video starting in 2000.
While the 2 Entertain warning would replace it, the DVD variant continued to appear on children's DVD releases, with it's final appearance being on LazyTown: Football Crazy!.
The 1997 VHS variant also makes an appearance on the 2013 DVD release of the Doctor Who episode "The Ice Warriors" as part of the "VHS Links" bonus feature, due to it being taken from the 1998 VHS master.

Legacy: After BBC Video merged in 2004 with Video Collection International, it used the 2 Entertain warning.

7th Warning (June 25, 1997)

Warning: On a black background, white text appears fading in reading "The recording, copying, loan, unauthorised hire, public showing, or broadcasting of this DVD is strictly prohibited.". After a few seconds, it fades out.

Technique: None, unless you count the fading.

Music/Sounds: None.

Availability: Extremely rare. This can only be seen at the beginning and at the end of the Panasonic promotional UK DVD of A Close Shave.