Sonic's Scenarist And CineVision HD Solutions Power Europe's First Shipping HD DVD Title; Imagion AG Uses Advanced Content Authoring And Encoding Features To Produce Interactive High-Definition Title, Elephants Dream

August 30, 2006

Sonic Solutions(R) (NASDAQ:SNIC), the leader in digital media software, today announced that Europe's first commercially-available HD DVD title was produced using Sonic's Scenarist(R) advanced interactive authoring and CineVision(TM) high-definition encoding solutions. Developed by authoring studio Imagion AG of Trierweiler, Germany (www.imagion.de), the title is built around the computer-animated 3D short Elephants Dream, which was created by an international creative team led by Ton Roosendaal, chairman of Blender Foundation. Elephants Dream is notable not only as the first HD DVD title made under production conditions in Europe, but also as a showcase for the stunning visual quality and advanced interactivity of HD DVD. Special features on the title include on-the-fly menus and scene selection, picture-in-picture, and an interactive side-by-side comparison of HD and SD video quality. "The tools and training that we've gained through our membership in Sonic's High Definition Authoring Alliance (HDAA) were absolutely essential to the success of this ambitious project," said Michael Becker, who led the Imagion team for the production and is a member of Imagion's Managing Board. "Elephants Dream demonstrates in a very exciting way what is possible with HD DVD, when you have the applications and expertise to take full advantage of the format's Advanced Content capabilities. Sonic not only provided us with the required technology, but also helped develop our understanding of this new format, so that we were able to envision and execute this unique and creative interactive title. Their support has been invaluable." Imagion AG is a leading authoring house for European DVD titles. As a founding member of the HDAA, an association of the world's top authoring facilities, Imagion gained access to key information, comprehensive training, and authoring and encoding tools for the new HD DVD and Blu-ray Disc high-definition optical disc formats. Elephants Dream was authored with Scenarist HD DVD Edition and encoded with Sonic's mastering-level CineVision encoding system, which offers full support for all three HD video codecs (AVC, VC-1, and MPEG-2) while meeting the stringent image-quality demands of major motion picture studios and high-end authoring facilities. "With early access to the powerful authoring technology of Scenarist Workgroup and the top-quality encoding of CineVision HD, Sonic's HDAA members are positioned to 'hit the ground running' as HD launches unfold around the globe," said Richard Linecar, vice-president of professional European operations at Sonic. "It's very gratifying to see the HD DVD introduction in Europe progress to the next stage with the release of full-featured, real-world titles. By highlighting both the superior quality of HD and the interactivity of Advanced Content, Elephants Dream will spur consumer awareness of HD DVD's next-generation capabilities, paving the way for future releases and helping to grow a vibrant, robust market." Sonic will be demonstrating Scenarist and CineVision at the upcoming IBC convention (stand #7.738) in Amsterdam, September 8-12. For further information on Scenarist and CineVision, please visit www.sonic.com/products/Professional/. About Imagion Founded in 2000, today, Imagion AG, headquartered in Trierweiler (Germany), is one of the leading DVD studios in Europe, evidenced by more than 3,500 successfully completed projects in the feature film, TV, music, business and industry production sectors. In addition to German music and film productions (including Der Schuh des Manitu, Good Bye Lenin, Nena and Herbert Gronemeyer), numerous international DVDs have been realised (e.g., James Bond: Die Another Day, Stargate series, CSI series, Hannibal, The Fifth Element, Brokeback Mountain, and many more). Imagion AG is fully equipped for the next generation formats and since mid-2005 has had access to all of the key information and tools for the production of HD DVD and Blu-ray Disc titles. About Sonic Solutions Sonic Solutions (NASDAQ:SNIC) (http://www.sonic.com) 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- and Sonic-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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