CBS Home Entertainment

Background

The Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS) established its own home entertainment division as "CBS Video Enterprises, Inc." in 1975 to distribute CBS releases on video. In 1979, they joined forces first with MGM, forming "MGM/CBS Home Video" a year later, dissolving this venture in 1982 after MGM acquired United Artists a year earlier. Later in the same year, CBS teamed up with 20th Century Fox to form "CBS/Fox Video". Under this new label, two sub labels were created: Key Video (later reactivated as "Key DVD" by 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment), and Playhouse Video, but both became inactive in 1991, and CBS/Fox Video was reincorporated as Fox Video the same year, alternating with the CBS/Fox name until 1998 when Fox Entertainment Group acquired CBS's interest in CBS/Fox, and CBS merged with Viacom. After the merger was completed in 2000, Fox stopped distributing standalone CBS releases on video, and CBS Video created "CBS DVD" for DVD releases of CBS shows in tandem with Paramount Home Entertainment. In 2005, CBS and Viacom were split again, with the "old" Viacom, Inc. reincorporated as "CBS Corporation", and the other retaining the "Viacom" name. On September 26, 2006, CBS Corporation merged this label with King World Productions, CBS Paramount International Television (later "CBS Studios International" and now the "ViacomCBS Global Distribution Group"), and CBS Paramount Domestic Television to form CBS Television Distribution, relaunching this label under its current name as CBS Home Entertainment one year later. However, Paramount Home Entertainment continues to distribute CBS DVDs as of 2008. As of 2015, Lionsgate Home Entertainment handles the distribution of CBS Films theatrical releases on DVD.

MGM/CBS Home Video

Main article: MGM Home Entertainment

CBS/Fox Video

Main article: 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment

CBS Home Entertainment

1st Logo (October 1980-April 6, 1981)

Nicknames: "Abstract Multicolored CV", "</", "CV" "Choppy </"

Logo: On a black background, an abstract conjoined "CV" (shaped kind of like this: </) zooms-in from the upper right while color bars can be seen scrolling in it. "CBS", in blue, slides in from the right, and "VIDEO", also in blue, slides up from the bottom, and the "</" turns white on the last note of the music.

FX/SFX: The zoom-in effect, and the words sliding in, which is simple, early computer animation.

Music/Sounds: Same as the 1st MGM/CBS Home Video logo.

Availability: Rare. Seen at the end of MGM/CBS video releases of the era.

Editor's Note: None.

2nd Logo (June 1981-July 1982)

Note: The logo in this video begins at 1:15.

Nicknames: "Abstract Silver CV", "</ II", "CV II"

Logo: On the top-right corner of a black screen, five lines are drawn in rays of light, to form a shape resembling the letters "CV", shaped like this: "</". When that is fully formed, a bar of light forms "CBS" to the left of the logo, then "VIDEO" is formed below the "CBS" and the </ in a similar fashion.

FX/SFX: The "drawing" of the lines, and the "bars of light".

Music/Sounds: A longer, slower variation of the 2nd MGM/CBS logo's fanfare.

Availability: Rare. Like the last logo, it was seen at the end of MGM/CBS releases from period as well on early CBS/Fox releases, with the CBS/Fox music. The 1984 CBS/FOX release of S.O.B. has this logo at the beginning, but with the MGM/UA music. (MGM/CBS had released the film in 1982 as one of their last releases of CBS Video material.) Surprisingly, the 1985 Playhouse Video release of Raggedy Ann and Andy: A Musical Adventure retains this logo at the end of the film (as it was sourced from the 1981 MGM/CBS release). Appears at the start of later MGM/CBS releases of CBS material, such as Early Days and The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby. Don't expect to find this at the end of MGM/CBS's First Run Home Video Theatre tapes.

Editor's Note: While this logo reeks of early '80s animation, it's notable for the longer version of the 2nd MGM/CBS fanfare, which would be more prominent in the 1st MGM/UA Home Video logo.

3rd Logo (1985?-1993?)

Nicknames: "The Flipping Filmstrip"

Logo: On a blue background we see an abstract filmstrip containing the white text "CBS" in its corporate font (called CBS Didot) and "VIDEO" beneath it flip into the center of the screen.

FX/SFX: The flipping.

Music/Sounds: A techno theme.

Availability: Rare. Seen on VHS and Laserdisc releases from the era such as The Forbidden Dance (is Lambada).

Editor's Note: None.

4th Logo (1991-1997)

1992 Winter Olympics Highlights Video variant

Nicknames: "CBS Box", "The Flipping CBS Eye", "CBS Eyemark", "CBS Eyemark Box"

Logo: On a black background, we see a box, with the CBS Eye inside the box, outlined with white, and a white rectangle with "CBS VIDEO" in the Compacta font, at the bottom of the box, flipping diagonally. Then a "shine" reflects on the sides of the box as it stops flipping.

Variant: On the 1992 Winter Olympics Highlights Video VHS, the CBS Video logo slides in from the bottom off-center to the right. A yellow line parallel to the logo on the left also appears from the bottom with a grey backdrop with patterns sliding in from the top to the left of the logo. As the logo animates, various pink and grey streaks fly in the background.

FX/SFX: The box flipping diagonally, and the "shine" reflection.

Music/Sounds: None.

Music/Sounds Variant: The variant has a piano and horn jingle.

Availability: Rare. Generally seen on CBS titles distributed by Fox during this period. Can be seen on tapes of On the Road with Charles Kuralt, as well as Fox Kids Video tapes of 1970s Dr. Seuss TV specials, such as the 1971 The Cat in the Hat TV special. Although 60 Minutes archive tapes have this logo on the tape label and box, they do not have this actual logo. The variant was seen on the 1992 Winter Olympics Highlights Video VHS.

Editor's Note: None.

6th Logo (1995- )

Fullscreen variant
Fullscreen "®" variant
Fullscreen "™" variant
Fullscreen "™" variant, the 16:9 version is cropped to 4:3
Widescreen variant
Widescreen "®" variant
Widescreen "™" variant
With menu

Nicknames: "CBS Box III", "CBS Eyemark III", "CBS Eyemark Box III", "The Eye Globe", "CBS Globe", "CBS Eyemark Globe", "CGI Eyemark"

Logo: On a gray/silver wall background which waves, we see many colorful streaks (these are the same colors as the lights in CBS's 1992 ident). As the streaks fly by, the background fades into a watery blue globe with silver continents rotating around it. The streaks turn grey and morph into two copies of the CBS Eye, while the background rotates into a box with the now-completed eye in a black section and with a lower white section. The globe wipes into a completely silver color and "CBS VIDEO" (or "CBS DVD" on DVD releases), in the same font as the last logo, fades in underneath. As all that happens, the background turns into a cool gray/black gradient. The finished product resembles the last two logos.

Trivia: The animation and theme in this logo would later be adapted for use in the logos of other CBS companies during the time, including CBS Broadcast International, Eyemark Entertainment and CBS Enterprises.

Variants:

Fullscreen and widescreen versions of this logo exist.
Starting in the late 2000s on the "CBS DVD" variant, the registered trademark "®" symbol, or the trademark "™" symbol would sometimes appear on the bottom-right corner of the logo.
On some DVD releases, at the end of the logo, two selections would appear in the middle with "PREVIEWS" and "MAIN MENU" on them (a la the Paramount DVD logo).

FX/SFX: The streaks, the CBS Eye, and the transformation of the background into a box. Fantastic CGI.

Music/Sounds: A synthesized jingle with "air" that eventually leads to a choir tune and then an ascending piano glissando, ending with three orchestral hits (similar to the 1991 CBS Entertainment Productions) logo. Sometimes, it's silent.

Availability: Common. Seen on all I Love Lucy DVD box sets, all three volumes of The Wild Wild West on VHS, the first six seasons of Hawaii Five-O (the original 1968-1980 series) on DVD, most DVDs of Survivor, various other Paramount Television series and a good amount of CBS-produced TV movies. However, some CBS DVD releases co-distributed by Paramount Home Entertainment do not feature this logo. Also, some releases feature both this logo and the Paramount DVD logo, such as a few Wings and NCIS DVDs. The UK DVD release of Snoopy, Come Home! and the French DVD release of One Kill (the latter in high pitch, surprisingly) features the "CBS VIDEO" variant of this logo. This was first seen on Fox VHS releases until Viacom's purchase of CBS in 2000. This logo also appeared on the 2015 prints of the first two Peanuts films (A Boy Named Charlie Brown and Snoopy, Come Home) due to using the 2006 DVD master. This logo made a surprise appearance at the beginning of a CBS Drama EMEA airing of At the Mercy of a Stranger, the beginning of S5 E5 of Touched by an Angel on Paramount+, and the end of Hulu's print of The Lorax (1972).

Editor's Note: A great CGI logo that's wildly advanced for 1995. This logo has become the basis of the CBS Broadcast International, CBS Enterprises, and Eyemark Entertainment logos.

7th Logo (2009- )

Fullscreen variant
Fullscreen menu variant
Widescreen open-matte variant
Widescreen variant
Widescreen variant, with the ™ symbol next to "CBS"
Widescreen menu variant
Scope variant

Nicknames: "CBS Vortex", "CBS Eyemark IV"

Logo: On a background full of spirals, we see five crescent-like shapes moving from the center to the right of us, unveiling a circle, and, at the same time two remaining crescent-like shapes flying in different directions. The two crescent-like shapes and the circle form the CBS Eye, which loops and zooms out to its position while "CBS" (in the same font used for the logos for Eyemark and CBS Enterprises, both currently known as CBS Media Ventures, and CBS Broadcast International, now known as the "ViacomCBS Global Distribution Group") zooms-out to the right of the CBS Eye and the words "Home Entertainment" appear below "CBS". The blue and silver spirals fade out as "CBS" shines.

Variants:

Fullscreen, widescreen and scope versions of this logo exist.
On some releases, after the logo finishes, the menu selections "Previews" and "Main Menu" zoom in. Once a selection is pressed, the buttons zoom out and the CBS Home Entertainment logo fades out.
On some releases, the trademark "™" symbol appears next to the S in "CBS" instead of next to "Home Entertainment".
There is a prototype version which lacks the trademark symbol. Also, different whooshes are heard. This variant can be seen here.

FX/SFX: The two crescent-like shapes and circle that forms the CBS Eye on a vortex-like background, all in great CGI. Done by Pembrook Creative and Studio Cassis.

Music/Sounds: Same as the last logo with whoosh-like sounds.

Music/Sounds Variant: There is a low pitched version.

Availability: Common. Currently seen on CBS DVDs from 2009 onwards, like The Lucy Show season 1 DVDs, the recent DVD release of the first season of Hotel (also known as Arthur Hailey's Hotel), and seasons 7-9 DVD releases of Hawaii Five-O. Also appears on early CBS Films theatrical releases, such as Extraordinary Measures and The Back-Up Plan. It also appears on The Game, starting on season 2.

Editor's Note: Overall, a great logo with nice animation.

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