1979 in home video

1979 in home video:

Years in home video:	1976 1977 1978 1979 1980 1981 1982
Centuries:	19th century · 20th century · 21st century
Decades:	1940s 1950s 1960s 1970s 1980s 1990s 2000s
Years:	1976 1977 1978 1979 1980 1981 1982

Industry milestones

February

• The DiscoVision format is introduced in Seattle, Washington, United States.[1]

October

• Judge Warren J. Ferguson of the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California rules that home videotaping of free television for personal use is legal under U.S. copyright laws denying a claim brought by Universal Studios and The Walt Disney Company against Sony to halt the manufacture and sale of Betamax videocassette recorders.[2] The ruling was overturned in part by the Ninth Circuit Court but later upheld in 1984 by the Supreme Court of the United States in Sony Corp. of America v. Universal City Studios, Inc..

November

• Columbia Pictures forms its home entertainment division. It is known as Columbia Pictures Home Entertainment.

Date unknown

• 20th Century Fox purchases Magnetic Video, which in 1977 had become the first company to release pre-recorded films on videotape for consumer use.
• Distribution of Video 2000 products begins.

Film releases

The following films were released on video on the following dates:

U.S./Canada Release Date		Title	Notes / Format	Studio	Reference
January–February
J A N U A R Y	15	Shenandoah	Laserdisc release	MCA DiscoVision (Universal)	[3]
	29	Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein	Laserdisc release	MCA DiscoVision (Universal)	[4]
F E B R U A R Y	12	Duel (1971)	Laserdisc release	MCA DiscoVision (Universal)	N/A
		Jaws 2	Laserdisc release	Laserdisc release	[5]
April
A P R I L	16	American Graffiti	Laserdisc release	MCA DiscoVision (Universal)	[6]
July
J U L Y	2	The Last Remake of Beau Geste	Laserdisc release	MCA DiscoVision (Universal)	N/A
Unknown
U N K N O W N	Unknown	Samson and Delilah	VHS release	Paramount	N/A
		Midnight Express	VHS release	Columbia	N/A
		Superman: The Movie	VHS release	Warner Bros.	N/A
		Charlotte's Web	VHS release	Paramount	N/A
		Saturday Night Fever	VHS release	Paramount	N/A
		The Anderson Tapes	VHS release	Columbia	N/A
		Race for Your Life, Charlie Brown	VHS release	Paramount	N/A
		Shamus	VHS release	Columbia	N/A
		100 Rifles	VHS release	Magnetic Video (20th Century Fox)	N/A
		Halloween	VHS release	Media	N/A

References

1. History of Media Technology (accessed 8 April 2011)
2. Harwood, Jim (October 3, 1979). "Betamax(?) Court Victory". Daily Variety. p. 1.
3. "Shenandoah". LaserDisc Database. Retrieved 22 August 2018.
4. "Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein". Amazon. Retrieved 19 August 2018.
5. "Jaws 2". Amazon. Retrieved 19 August 2018.
6. "American Graffiti". Amazon. Retrieved 19 August 2018.

External links