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Sonic Delivers Hollywood-quality MPEG Video Encoding to the Windows Platform

Acclaimed SD-2000 MPEG Encoder Integrated with Scenarist® DVD Production Systems

Amsterdam, The Netherlands (September 17, 2001) – Sonic Solutions [NASDAQ: SNIC], the world leader in DVD production systems, announced today at the International Broadcasting Convention (IBC), a new version of the Sonic Scenarist SD-2000 encoder for Windows. The SD-2000 encoder, a long-time favorite of Hollywood DVD production facilities, will be integrated with Sonic Scenarist, the most comprehensive authoring system for commercial DVD title production, to form an integrated, full-specification encoding, authoring and formatting DVD-Video workstation.

“Ever since Sonic acquired Daikin’s DVD business earlier this year, we have been anticipating that they would be combining the best of both product lines,” said Herr. Ernst Borger, President of Digital Images GmbH, a leading DVD Production Facility based in Halle, Germany. “Now, with the integration of the SD-2000 video encoder and other enhancements to the product line, it’s clear that Sonic is aggressively moving to make the best even better.”

The Sonic SD-2000 encoder has been available on the Macintosh platform for over two years, during which time it has received critical acclaim for the exceptional quality of video it produces. Earlier this year Sonic introduced a version of its SD-1000 encoder – previously available only on the Macintosh – for the Windows platform. The SD-2000 adds a significant range of capabilities especially in demand for “Hollywood” DVD production, including inverse-telecine and segment-based re-encoding, among others.

“The Hollywood facilities that have standardized on Scenarist for DVD title production have been asking that we port our high-quality video encoder to Windows,” said Giles Baker, Product Manager for Professional Products at Sonic. “Integrating the SD-2000 with Scenarist is the first phase in some exciting enhancements we have planned as we combine the best of Sonic’s technology with that we acquired from Daikin earlier in the year.”

About the Sonic SD-2000 Encoder
The SD-2000 real-time SDI video encoder enables professional users to custom-tailor the encoding process to meet the unique needs of any DVD project. One- or two-pass constant bit-rate (CBR) encode modes are available, in addition to Sonic's patented variable Constant Q™ bit-rate two-pass VBR MPEG-2 encoding technology. Cinematic-quality compression across even hard-to-process areas like fades, dissolves and rapid scene changes, combined with the ability to exercise powerful control over encoding parameters, plus simultaneous video/audio encoding, makes the SD-2000 the number one choice for any professional encoding task.

Sonic Scenarist is available immediately through the worldwide network of Sonic professional resellers, starting at $15,000 MSRP. The SD-2000 Encoder is planned for release by the end of 2001, at a $25,000 MSRP.

About Sonic Solutions (NASDAQ: SNIC)
Based in Marin County, California, Sonic (http://www.sonic.com) is the leading manufacturer of solutions for DVD publishing. Sonic MyDVD™ (http://www.mydvd3.com) is the first DVD authoring application for consumers, making it easy to capture “your life on DVD.” 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 DVD Creator®, Sonic Scenarist®, Sonic ReelDVD™ and Sonic DVD Fusion® (http://www.fusion.sonic.com) 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.

© 2001 Sonic, Sonic Solutions, the Sonic logo, cDVD, DVD Editing, MyDVD and ReelDVD are trademarks of Sonic Solutions. AuthorScript, Sonic DVD Creator, DVDit!, Sonic DVD Fusion, Scenarist 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.