Sonic Introduces DVD-Audio Creator LE

Ships DVD-Audio Authoring System with Advanced Features and Hybrid DVD-Audio / DVD-Video Capability

Amsterdam, The Netherlands (September 13, 2002) - Sonic Solutions [NASDAQ: SNIC] announced today at the International Broadcasting Convention (IBC), that it has started shipping DVD-Audio Creator LE, an extremely-affordable DVD-Audio authoring system based on core technology from Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd. (MEI). Sonic DVD-Audio Creator LE enables audio mastering studios or DVD-Video authoring facilities to expand their business by adding authoring and mastering for the advanced, high-resolution DVD-Audio format.

"We have been waiting for an attractively-priced solution to enable us to begin mastering DVD-Audio titles, but up to now the authoring systems were too expensive or didn't offer the features our customers really wanted," said Reiner Oppelland, Managing Director of Bauer Studios GmbH, Germany. "Sonic DVD-Audio Creator LE provides us with an exceptional range of capabilities to complete projects like "Paquito de Rivera" for Peregrina Music, and the system is very easy to afford. We are now fully prepared to provide our customers with the professional DVD-Audio mastering services they demand."

Since the origination of the DVD-Audio format, Sonic and MEI have worked closely together to develop a suite of DVD-Audio authoring and formatting applications. DVD-Audio Creator LE is the result of over four years of research and development, and facilitates efficient creation of DVD-Audio titles, using a powerful, graphically-driven authoring environment to create productions which are both aurally and visually exciting. Combined with Sonic Scenarist®, DVD-Creator®, or DVD Fusion, DVD-Audio Creator LE is uniquely equipped to format titles in the industry-standard 'Universal' DVD format, enabling content holders to publish discs that are "backwards-compatible" with the millions of DVD-Video players already installed around the world.

"DVD-Audio Creator LE puts powerful tools in the hands of professional mastering studios at a very low cost," said Dietrick Hardwick, DVD-Audio Product Manager at Sonic. "This enables facilities to significantly expand their service offerings by providing their clients DVD-Audio title creation at an affordable price."

DVD-Audio Creator LE includes the ability to author all nine DVD-Audio title groups with 99 tracks per group, sequential and browseable slideshows, CPPM copy protection, and menus for accessing either High-Density Audio in Meridian Loss Packing (MLP) or LPCM formats, DTS or Dolby Digital audio streams, and MPEG-2 motion video. Running on Windows 2000, DVD-Audio Creator LE can be used in conjunction with Scenarist, DVD-Creator or DVD Fusion to provide the ultimate DVD-Authoring suite. Sonic provides a complete upgrade path from DVD-Audio Creator LE to the full version of DVD-Audio Creator.

Available October 15th from all authorized Sonic DVD-Audio Creator resellers (http://www.sonic.com/resellers/), DVD-Audio Creator LE is priced at $5,999 U.S.

About Sonic Solutions (NASDAQ: SNIC)
Based in Marin County, California, Sonic (http://www.sonic.com) is the world's leading manufacturer of solutions for DVD creation. Sonic MyDVD® (http://www.mydvd.com) is the first DVD authoring application for consumers, and is the leading DVD solution among DVD recorder and PC manufacturers. Sonic DVDit!® (http://www.dvdit.com) is the leading DVD authoring application for videographers and corporate video producers; more than two million copies of MyDVD and DVDit! have been shipped. Sonic DVD Creator®, Sonic Scenarist®, Sonic ReelDVD® and Sonic DVD Producer™ 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. Sonic's AuthorScript® engine for DVD formatting and burning is licensed by leading software developers including Adobe, Microsoft and Sony. Sonic is a full voting member of the DVD Forum, the standards-setting body for the DVD format.

Sonic, the Sonic logo, Sonic CinePlayer, Edit-on-DVD, OpenDVD, and True DVD Slideshow are trademarks of Sonic Solutions. AuthorScript, AutoDVD, DVD Creator, MyDVD, DVDit!, and ReelDVD, Sonic Solutions, and Scenarist are registered trademarks of Sonic Solutions. All other company or product names are trademarks of their respective owners and, in some cases, are used by Sonic under license. Specifications, pricing and delivery schedules are subject to change without notice.