Akimbo And Sonic Team Up To Expand The Reach Of Video-On-Demand Service

Roxio Venue Delivers Premium Akimbo Entertainment Directly to the Desktop

August 22, 2006

Sonic Solutions® (NASDAQ: SNIC), the leader in digital media software, and Akimbo™ Systems, creator of the first Internet video-on-demand service for television, announced today a marketing and licensing partnership that will significantly expand the audience reach of the Akimbo Service. Akimbo will be integrated with Roxio Venue™, Sonic’s powerful media application, providing service access for the first time to a broad base of PC users and letting them easily browse, purchase, manage and enjoy Akimbo’s growing selection of over 14,000 high-quality programs. In the future, Akimbo plans to also incorporate Sonic AuthorScript® DVD-on-Demand™ technology so participating content partners can enable consumers to record downloaded entertainment to DVD. “This collaboration with Sonic increases Akimbo’s potential subscriber base by millions and offers new benefits for Akimbo’s content partners,” said Joshua Goldman, CEO of Akimbo Systems. “Subscribers will now have an entirely new way to enjoy the Akimbo Service’s unrivaled selection of distinct, ground-breaking entertainment wherever they use their PCs or laptop computers.” Akimbo offers one of the largest collections of video-on-demand titles, including thousands of programs from more than 200 distinctive content providers. Akimbo’s expansive collection of on-demand video includes well-known names as well as hard-to-find specialty offerings. Today consumers can access Akimbo through the Online Spotlight area of Microsoft Media Center Edition PCs. Akimbo will soon be available on the brand new RCA Akimbo Player, an Internet video-on-demand set-top box, and through the upcoming AT&T Homezone entertainment service. Now with the integration of Roxio Venue, consumers will be able to access the Akimbo Service on any PC. Laptop users will be able to download Akimbo videos for viewing later while traveling or commuting. Under the agreement with Sonic, Akimbo will distribute Roxio Venue with the Akimbo Service directly to consumers and also through Akimbo’s service provider partners, including Internet service providers and telecommunications companies. Sonic will include Akimbo as a premier service provider in the retail version of Roxio Venue, which will offer consumers a comprehensive gateway to a diverse library of video entertainment from a variety of vendors. Akimbo offers everything from Hollywood and independent movies and television programming, to specialty titles and user-generated content. In addition to powerful tools for organizing and viewing downloaded entertainment, Roxio Venue will incorporate Sonic’s DVD-on-Demand technology, the first to support the managed recording of entertainment using the Content Scramble System (CSS) — the copy protection found on commercially released DVDs. The inclusion of DVD-on-Demand will enable home users to securely burn downloaded content to recordable DVD media. As well as broad retail availability, Roxio Venue will be distributed through Sonic’s OEM and direct channels, giving content partners such as Akimbo exposure to a massive community of digital-enabled consumers. “We are delighted to work with Akimbo, a company that has helped pioneer new channels for the distribution and consumption of digital entertainment,” said Mark Ely, executive vice president of corporate strategy, Sonic Solutions. “Sonic will continue to work with entertainment thought leaders and deliver the necessary infrastructure, tools, and technologies to enable solutions that provide consumers more convenient access to a wider range of digital entertainment.” About Akimbo With 12 patent applications featuring more than 150 patent claims, Akimbo is the first company to deliver digital-quality video-on-demand to any television via a broadband-Internet connection. Named to the OnHollywood 100 by AlwaysOn and “Best of What’s New” by Popular Science, Akimbo has also accepted 2005 Digital World Innovations and CES Best of Innovations 2005 awards for its easy-to-use and affordable Internet video-on-demand service. As an aggregator of brand-name and specialty video content, Akimbo provides one of the world’s largest collections of on-demand programming to companies including AT&T, Cisco Systems, Inc., Microsoft Corp., and Thomson Corp. Akimbo has offices in San Mateo, Calif. and is a privately held company funded by AT&T, Blueprint Ventures, Cisco Systems, Inc., Draper Fisher Jurvetson, Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers, Sprout Group and Zone Ventures. For more information, visit www.akimbo.com . About Sonic Solutions Sonic Solutions (NASDAQ: SNIC) is the leader in digital media software, providing a broad range of interoperable, platform-independent software tools and applications for creative professionals, business and home users, and technology partners. Sonic's products range from advanced DVD authoring systems and interactive content delivery technologies used to produce the majority of Hollywood DVD film releases, to the award-winning Roxio®-branded CD and DVD creation, playback and backup solutions that have become the premier choice for consumers, prosumers and business users worldwide. Sonic products are globally available from major retailers, online at Sonic.com and Roxio.com, and are bundled with PCs, after-market drives and consumer electronic devices. Sonic's digital media creation engine is the de facto standard and has been licensed by major software and hardware manufacturers, including Adobe, Microsoft, Scientific-Atlanta, Sony, and many others. Sonic Solutions is headquartered in Marin County, California.

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http://www.sonic.com
http://www.akimbo.com