Sonic
to Deliver Expanded DVD-Audio Authoring Solutions Using Technology from
Matsushita (Panasonic)
Las Vegas, Nevada (April 24, 2001) - Sonic Solutions [NASDAQ: SNIC]
announced today at the National Association of Broadcasters convention (NAB),
a collaboration with Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd, (MEI) to integrate
the DVD-Audio authoring system developed by MEI into Sonic's industry-leading
DVD production systems. Sonic was the first to bring commercial DVD-Audio
production to the market, and the collaboration with MEI will extend Sonic's
offering to yield a complete set of feature-rich, productivity enhancing
tools that will assist audio and video professionals in creating the first
wave of DVD-Audio titles for the retail market.
"We are extremely pleased to be working with MEI, who played an important
role in determining the DVD-Audio specification. Including the MEI toolkit
in our product line will ensure that our DVD-Audio authoring systems continue
to provide the most extensive range of features as well as offer the top
performance that our customers have come to expect," said Yuki Miyamoto,
Director of Business Development at Sonic.
The integration of MEI's DVD-Audio authoring interface with Sonic's DVD-Video
and Audio production technology will enable professional production facilities
to dramatically increase their throughput of DVD-Audio titles. The result
is a simplified user interface and intuitive drag-and-drop operation, which
eliminates the need to understand the complexities of the DVD-Audio format,
expanding opportunities for new facilities to enter DVD-Audio production.
The complete tool set is designed to adhere strictly to the DVD-Audio specification,
and will benefit from both Sonic's and MEI's extensive involvement with
hardware player manufacturers in performing extensive compatibility testing
during the early days of the DVD-Audio format.
"We at Matsushita believe that our DVD-Audio toolkit is the best available
technology to use based on our experience in DVD-Video authoring, already
in use by leading studios for producing high-quality DVD movie titles,"
said Mr. Kazuhiro Tsuga, Deputy Director of the Multimedia Development Center
at Matsushita Electric Industrial. "Our joining forces with Sonic,
the leading provider of DVD-Audio solutions, demonstrates our confidence
that Sonic's system is the most efficient solution for the next generation
of audio production."
About DVD-Audio
The DVD-Audio format builds on the success of the hugely popular DVD-Video
format. DVD-Audio is the result of close collaboration among major recording
companies, consumer electronics manufacturers and technology suppliers.
The format incorporates breathtakingly accurate audio reproduction by supporting
sampling rates of 96kHz and 192kHz with up to 24 bits of information per
sample (compared to the CD standard of 44.1kHz and 16 bits per sample).
With DVD-Audio, full-resolution audio can be presented in stereo or in any
channel combination up to six-channel surround. Audio programs can be accessed
interactively and presented along with visual material including menus,
slides, and text. Because of the enormous bandwidths involved in high-resolution
audio, DVD-Audio incorporates an innovative coding scheme developed by Meridian
Audio, called Meridian Lossless Packing (MLP). With MLP it is possible to
use full-resolution, 24-bit, 96kHz audio on all six channels of a surround
presentation even though the overall bandwidth of the original master tracks
would exceed the bandwidth available on a standard DVD disc. DVD-Audio permits
the addition of video tracks as well, including many of the features that
have made DVD-Video such a runaway success.
About DVD Creator AV and SonicStudio HD
Sonic Solutions created the industry's first DVD-Audio production system,
Sonic DVD Creator AV, which includes SonicStudio HD, Sonic's system for
high-density audio production and Sonic's DVD Creator for authoring DVD-Audio
and DVD-Video titles. SonicStudio HD is built upon the innovative HDSP™
Processing Architecture and supports editing and mixing of multi-channel
audio at sample rates from 44.1kHz to 192kHz.
About Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd. (NYSE: MC),
best known for its Panasonic, National, Technics, and Quasar brand names,
is a worldwide leader in the development and manufacture of electronics
products for a wide range of consumer, business, and industrial needs. Based
in Osaka, Japan, the company recorded consolidated sales of US$68.9 billion
for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2000. In addition to the Tokyo Stock
Exchange, Matsushita's shares are listed on the Amsterdam, Düsseldorf,
Frankfurt, New York (NYSE: MC),
Pacific, and Paris stock exchanges. For more information, visit the Matsushita
web site at http://www.panasonic.co.jp/global/.
About Sonic Solutions (NASDAQ: SNIC)
Based in Marin County, California, Sonic (http://www.sonic.com)
is the leading manufacturer of production solutions for professional DVD
publishing. Sonic DVD Creator®, Sonic Scenarist®, Sonic ReelDVD®
and Sonic DVD Fusion® are the most widely-used systems for professional
DVD publishing, and are installed worldwide at major studios, post production
facilities and in corporate marketing departments. SonicStudio® HD is
the leading digital workstation for preparing audio for release on CD and
is the first for creating content for the new DVD-Audio format. Sonic DVDit!™
(http://www.dvdit.com)
is the first application for DVD authoring targeted at videographers and
corporate video producers, and is bundled with major video editing, capture,
encoding and media production systems. Sonic MyDVD™ (http://www.mydvd.sonic.com)
is the first DVD authoring application for consumers, making it easy to
capture "your life on DVD." Sonic is also a full voting member
of the DVD Forum, the standards-setting body for the DVD format.
© 2001 Sonic, Sonic Solutions, the Sonic logo, cDVD, eDVD, MyDVD,
DVDit!, and SonicStudio HD are trademarks of Sonic Solutions. Sonic DVD
Creator, Sonic DVD Fusion, Scenarist, ReelDVD and SonicStudio are registered
trademarks of Sonic Solutions. All other company or product names are
trademarks of their respective owners. Specifications, pricing and delivery
schedules are subject to change without notice.
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