The listing for the motion picture copyright of Earth Minus Zero at copyright.gov includes "1/2 inch videocassette" as the Description, "1997" as the Date of Creation, "1997-10-15" as the Date of Publication, "1998-03-19" as the Date of Registration, and "PA0000888167" as the Registration Number. This would mean Earth Minus Zero was released directly to video on or after October 15, 1997.