Draft:Reader's Digest Home Entertainment

Background

Reader's Digest Video (a.k.a. Reader's Digest Home Entertainment, and Reader's Digest Video and Television) was the home video division of American magazine Reader’s Digest.

1st Logo (1988-1999)

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Visuals: On a black background with several colorful lights at the bottom of the screen moving towards the left, a series of rainbow lines drop down at the top of the screen and draw in an alicorn figure. The eye of the alicorn glows, and it zooms out to the top part of the screen, with lights shooting off its wings, and sparkles appearing on it a lot. The screen zooms out through an “R”, and the text “Reader’s Digest”, with the “R” extended, and “Reader’s” on top of “Digest” (this was the magazine’s font and logo from 1963 to 2008, although the alicorn figure was dropped in 2001) zooms out underneath the alicorn, with "Digest" then wiping in. The alicorn continues to sparkle until the logo fades out.

Variants:

• From the late 1980s to the mid-1990s, a blue bar with the white text “HOME ENTERTAINMENT” in it wipes in underneath “Reader’s Digest”, and the background changes into a black/navy blue gradient color.
• On UK releases, the ending is the same as the above variant but instead, the white text “VIDEO” wipes in. The text is also in a grey/white gradient.
• A Polish version has the logo freeze just before the "R" zooms out, and the text "Przegląd" along with the Reader's Digest wordmark zoom out below the logo.

Technique: Rather advanced animation for the 1980s.

Audio: A triumphant synth orchestral theme. There is a long whoosh sound as the alicorn zooms out and another whoosh as “Reader’s Digest” appears.

Audio Variants:

• On some releases, the fanfare is modified and sounds more synthesized.
• On UK releases, a soothing piano/string tune ending with a 3-note horn tune is used instead.

Availability: Seen on a variety of special interest tapes from the era in the US and the UK. It also appeared on some rare tapes of Arthur, Adventures from the Book of Virtues, The Country Mouse and the City Mouse Adventures, and Franklin.

2nd Logo (1997-2006)

Visuals: On a dark blue background with soft shifting lights, "Reader's Digest" and the alicorn figure, both in white, zoom in from the middle-top right and middle-top left, respectively. At the same time, a straight white line appears moving from the left side of the screen, and the words "Video & Television" zoom out from the bottom, also in white. When the logo settles in place, it shines with a lens flare effect.

Variant: There is a shorter version used at the end of some programs that starts at the point where the lens flare shines.

Technique: 2D animation.

Audio: A new-age theme with a flute section. In some cases, it uses the end theme of the program or is silent.

Availability: Seen on later Reader’s Digest releases in the US, UK, and Australia like Beginner's Video Guide: Home Computers. Even though the alicorn figure was dropped in 2001, this logo continued to be used unchanged until the division was shut down in 2007.

3rd Logo (1999-2006)

Visuals: Unknown.

Technique: 2D animation.

Audio: Same as the 2nd logo.

Availability: Seen at the beginning or end of UK VHS releases produced by Reader's Digest Video. ^[Examples?]

4th Logo (2006-2009)

Visuals: A white surface blurs out and reveals to be a redesigned pegasus without waves. The logo zooms from the left angle, while the text "Reader's Digest" with a smaller "Video" below, all in a brand-new font zoom out from the right, and place next to the symbol.

Technique: Simple blurring effects.

Audio: A relaxing violin and piano tune in 6 notes.

Availability: Seen at the beginning of The Best of Prank Patrol. Also appears on the UK DVD release of The World of Peter Rabbit and Friends.