LAS VEGAS -- Jan. 8, 2004 — Sonic Solutions (Nasdaq: SNIC) and Microsoft Corp. today announced that they are developing new production tools that will allow film studios and production facilities to create high-definition DVD titles in Microsoft® Windows Media® 9 Series. DVD titles created using Windows Media Video 9 (WMV HD), a component of the Windows Media 9 Series platform, provide dramatically superior image quality at data rates comparable to those for standard-definition DVD video content. WMV HD titles can be played on the latest-generation Windows XP-based PCs, including the popular new Windows® XP Media Center Edition, which integrates into the living room to provide a top-notch home entertainment and online computing experience. Sonic plans to ship its WMV HD authoring system in May 2004.
Sonic is the leading supplier of professional DVD authoring" systems to film studios and post-production houses, which have used Sonic"s authoring technology to release billions of consumer DVDs. In working with Microsoft, Sonic will add support for WMV HD to its professional authoring product line. It will be demonstrating the new technology at the 2004 International Consumer Electronics Show (CES) this week. Sonic also will work to equip the world"s major studios with the tools necessary to create new titles using WMV HD. "With its strong expertise in professional DVD authoring, Sonic is the logical company to enable studios to create WMV HD titles," said Jonathan Usher, director of the Windows Digital Media Division at Microsoft Corp. "Sonic"s solution will enable studios to easily take full advantage of the quality of WMV HD, supporting up to 1080p resolution — six times that of standard DVD resolution."
"Since the launch of DVD we have relied on Sonic to provide the latest and most advanced DVD authoring solutions," said Leon Silverman, executive vice president of LaserPacific Media Corp. "With Sonic"s WMV HD authoring system, we can develop HD content for use in special interest titles, HD dailies and exciting high-definition bonus materials for blockbuster feature films."