Sonic Announces Scenarist® Upgrade Program

Provides Professional Post Facilities with Access to Hollywood’s Choice for DVD Authoring, Plus a Fast-track to HD-DVD

Las Vegas, Nevada (April 7, 2003) – Sonic Solutions announced today at the National Association of Broadcasters Convention (NAB) a program that provides users of high-end DVD authoring systems an easy way to move to Sonic Scenarist 3 with attractive economics. Intended for users of non-Scenarist authoring tools who work in the demanding world of high-end commercial and feature film DVD title production, the Scenarist Upgrade Program will give this group of professionals access to the proven power of Scenarist 3 authoring, Sonic’s in-depth operator orientation training, SonicCare™ professional-level support, and a clear upgrade path to take advantage of the new opportunities of HD-DVD authoring as it arrives later this year.

The new program comes on the eve of Sonic’s release of Scenarist 3, the latest version of the company’s leading authoring application which is used to create the vast majority of DVD releases worldwide. Scenarist 3 adds new advanced authoring technologies, streamlined workflow, and extended title production capacity, and is designed to meet rapidly expanding title production demands. As part of the launch of Scenarist 3, the Upgrade Program provides users of other systems a proven foundation upon which to continue building their DVD title production business and protect their capital equipment investments.

“Sonic’s Scenarist Upgrade Program comes at a perfect time for high-end DVD facilities as the demand for more complex DVD titles appears to be increasing,” said Jim Pace, Co-owner of Audio Intervisual Design, a well-known and respected supplier of DVD production systems serving the Hollywood entertainment community. “Our customers need a way to protect and expand their business today and for the future, and this promotion does both very nicely.”

In addition to the power that Scenarist provides today, Sonic Scenarist has been designated by Sonic as the platform to which the next generation system for HD-DVD title production will be added. In discussion by the WG-1 of the DVD Forum (www.dvdforum.org), HD-DVD will feature high-definition video and audio content, and changes to the DVD command set, as well as backward compatibility for previously-released SD-DVD titles. HD-DVD, targeted for release in 2004, brings new opportunities to high-end DVD production facilities eager to produce content for a rapidly expanding base of HD-Ready home entertainment systems and excited consumers already numbering in the millions worldwide."

HD is the next logical and inevitable evolutionary step for the wildly successful DVD format," said Jim Taylor, General Manager of Sonic’s Advanced Technology Group and well known author of DVD Demystified. “With the advent of more affordable HD display solutions now hitting the market, HD-DVD will arrive with a healthy installed base of consumers eager to experience the improved quality of the new format.”

“The Scenarist Upgrade Program is intended to enable professional facilities using other systems who want to protect and evolve their business to easily obtain and benefit from the power that Scenarist provides,” said, Rolf Hartley, Vice President and General Manager of Sonic’s Professional Products Group. “Looking ahead to the new opportunities awaiting high-end facilities with HD, Scenarist empowers users with built-in, future-proof technologies that secure DVD-based businesses.”

Sonic plans to deliver Scenarist 3 in April 2003. Available through June 30, 2003, the Upgrade Program provides users with Scenarist Professional authoring, two days of comprehensive Scenarist training, and SonicCare support starting at $7999. Further details of the program including eligibility are available from Sonic and its authorized Scenarist resellers. Sonic plans to introduce an HD-DVD capable Scenarist system later this year.

About the Sonic Scenarist Range of Products
With its precise control of the DVD specification and the unequaled DVD-player compatibility of the titles it produces, Scenarist has become the backbone of the commercial DVD industry and is used to design and create the vast majority of blockbuster DVDs, feature releases, and high-end commercial titles available today.

Sonic Scenarist is available in three editions. Scenarist Studio offers a focused feature set for filmmakers and multimedia designers seeking advanced access to the DVD specification at an affordable price. Scenarist Studio includes the ability to create DVD-9 titles, work with 16:9 video content, and create DVDs with up to three camera angles. Scenarist Advanced adds copy protection, regional coding and closed-caption support to the feature list. Scenarist Professional is the full-featured Hollywood-standard authoring system used to create millions of DVD discs in commercial release. Scenarist Professional gives users the most complete level of control over the DVD specification and allows for the most interactive titles with up to nine video angles, DTS support, Text Data, Jacket Pictures and many other features. All editions use the same user interface and the same reliable and proven project and layout engine to ensure the most compatible discs.

About Sonic Solutions (NASDAQ: SNIC)
Based in Marin County, California, Sonic Solutions (http://www.sonic.com) is the world's leading supplier of DVD creation software for professional, industrial and consumer applications. The majority of major film releases on DVD have been produced on Sonic's professional DVD authoring systems in studios around the world. Sonic's MyDVD® and DVDit!® are the most widely used DVD creation applications by consumers and video enthusiasts and are the solutions of choice among the key PC and after-market drive suppliers. Sonic's RecordNow is a leading solution for audio and data mastering. Sonic's AuthorScript, the DVD and CD formatting and burning engine that underlies Sonic's applications, is the most widely deployed DVD software engine and has been licensed by Adobe, Microsoft, Sony, and many others.

Sonic, the Sonic logo, Backup MyPC, CinePlayer, DVD PrePlay, DVD Producer, Edit-on-DVD, OpenDVD, PrimeTime, RecordNow and Simple Backup are trademarks of Sonic Solutions. AuthorScript, AutoDVD, DVD-Audio Creator, DVD Creator, DVDit!, DVD Fusion, MyDVD, NoNOISE, ReelDVD, Scenarist and Sonic Solutions 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.