Sonopress Delivers Hybrid Web-DVD Titles Using Convergence From Spruce Technologies
Sonopress of Gutersloh, Germany, one of the world's largest DVD/CD manufacturers and part of Bertelsmann AG, has begun delivering hybrid Web-DVD titles created using the Spruce DVDMaestroô authoring system with Spruce Convergenceô. Dieter Schlautmann, Head of DVD Video Premastering for Sonopress Germany said, ""At Sonopress, we view the convergence of DVD-based media and Web-based information as an exciting and inevitable evolution of these mediums. As one of the world's leading replication facilities, it is important for Sonopress to take an early leadership position in the market. Spruce Convergence not only gives us the capability to produce the titles, but it is the only solution that makes it easy enough to meet our rigorous productivity standards."" Spruce Convergence is a unique Web-DVD solution that gives the author incredible freedom and flexibility to create titles that have all the rich media of DVD and the interconnectivity of the Internet. Spruce Convergence is the only solution available that provides full-duplex communication between DVD-based video and the Web, allowing Web pages to be invoked directly by button clicks on the DVD title, as well as letting the Internet browser control the DVD video. Spruce Convergence simplifies the hybrid authoring process by allowing the author to easily embed the URL of the Web content directly in the DVD title during the authoring process. This lets DVD creators enrich their titles with Web connectivity without resorting to any Web programming whatsoever. As a result, authors can spend their time focussing on developing the title, rather than struggling with technical issues. Sonopress' first WebDVD title is a corporate marketing DVDPlus title that showcases the company's CD audio capability on one side and DVD authoring capability on the reverse. Using Convergence, the producers created a title that links to a corporate Web site while playing stunning audio and video from the DVD. The links enable Sonopress to continuously update static data provided with the disk using up-to-the-minute information from the Web site. ""We are very pleased with the results of our first Convergence title,"" said Schlautmann. ""Our producers found it quite easy to add the web links to the title. Using Convergence, they were able to implement the Web interactivity in about a half-hour. Early feedback from those who have seen the disk was very enthusiastic. Convergence titles offer our customers and their target audience a very different experience from what has been available previously."" Hybrid Web-DVD titles offer customers many exciting new options, from high-quality video sales catalogues with online ordering, to educational applications that combine visually interesting lessons with Web-based exam scoring for advancement. About Sonopress Sonopress specializes in producing and distributing content products to the world market. Sonopress is one of the world's largest CD/DVD manufacturers, replicating 2.5 million CDs daily, at 11 production facilities around the globe. Sonopress is part of Bertelsmann AG, a German-based international multi-media giant incorporating more than 300 individual companies and 57,000 employees. Sonopress provides a complete spectrum of services including CD-Audio, CD-ROM and DVD replication; print procurement, fulfillment and distribution; telephone and Internet support; billing and collection services; database and subscription management; and online services and electronic commerce. Sonopress can be reached by phone at 49 5241 80 5200 or on the Internet at www.sonopress.de. About Spruce Technologies, Inc. Spruce Technologies develops and markets DVD authoring software and MPEG encoders for the corporate, new media, and entertainment markets. Based in San Jose, California, Spruce combines the best Silicon Valley software expertise with extensive DVD, MPEG and video postproduction knowledge. For more information, contact Spruce at 408 861 2200, or visit the Web site at http://www.spruce-tech.com. Spruce Technologies, Inc., DVDMaestro, DVDStation, DVDConductor and DVDVirtuoso are trademarks of Spruce Technologies, Inc.