Sonic Showcases Future of Advanced Interactivity for Blu-ray Disc

Demonstration Highlights Huge Potential for Integrated Bonus Features and Connectivity in High-Definition Movie Titles

IBC 2005, Amsterdam (September 9, 2005) – Sonic Solutions® (NASDAQ: SNIC), the leader in digital media software, today announced that it is unveiling a breakthrough demonstration illustrating the interactive capabilities of BD-J, the Blu-ray Disc (BD) specification, enabling advanced interactivity for BDMV (movie) titles. Presented in Sonic’s IBC booth, the demonstration offers show attendees a compelling preview of the future of interactive HD entertainment, when set-top players will support interactive bonus features similar to those now available only via PC playback of DVD-Video discs enabled with Sonic’s widely distributed InterActual® Player. The presentation also underscores Sonic’s role as a key source of tools, techniques, and information for the professional authoring community in preparation for the upcoming rollouts of interactive, HD-capable optical disc formats.

The BD-J specification allows content providers to enhance the HD experience with set-top support for interactive bonus features that are synchronized directly to the main feature, contextually-integrated menus that offer an uninterrupted movie-viewing experience, and content updating via Internet connectivity. The demonstration’s elegant, movie-centric navigation combines seamless video playback with graphic overlays offering instant menu access to chapters, system settings, and special features such as synchronized annotations. The presentation also shows how content such as trailers may be kept fresh and relevant via Internet updating, allowing studios to develop ongoing customer relationships that build loyalty and create additional revenue opportunities.

“Sonic is helping the content industry visualize how to take advantage of all the exciting content and creative capabilities made possible by interactive BD,” said Hans D. Henseleit, Managing Director of Hamberg, Germany-based DVD pre-mastering studio, Enteractive Entertainment GmbH. “Because Sonic has such deep expertise in authoring both standard and interactive content for DVD, they understand the production workflow as well as the new challenges presented by this rich and complex new format. That makes Sonic uniquely qualified to supply the tools that the authoring community will need to fully realize the interactive potential shown in the demonstration.”

Many of the features highlighted in the Sonic BD-J demo build on capabilities that are already supported in Sonic’s industry-leading authoring and workflow solutions for interactive DVDs, and are being integrated into Sonic’s new title development systems for HD-based discs to facilitate the planned launches of next-generation formats in 2005 and 2006. Sonic is providing its customers with early access to these encoding, authoring, advanced interactivity, and workflow tools via the High Definition Authoring Alliance, the first and only worldwide association dedicated to preparing authoring facilities for the launch of new high-definition optical disc formats.

”Support for advanced interactivity will be crucial to the success of new high-definition formats like BD,” said Rolf Hartley, senior vice president and general manager of Sonic’s professional products group. “Sonic is showing content providers how BD-J can take viewers beyond simple games and bonus features to bring them into a new era where interactivity is designed into the core storytelling experience. We’re also giving title developers a taste of the kinds of advanced features that Sonic intends to support in its HD-ready tools, so that HDAA members and others can begin thinking now about how best to prepare for the exciting title creation opportunities offered by BD.”

The Sonic BD-J demonstration is showing in the Sonic booth (#7.731) at IBC.

About Sonic Solutions
Sonic Solutions (NASDAQ: SNIC; http://www.sonic.com) is the leader in digital media software, providing a broad range of interoperable, platform-independent software tools and applications for creative professionals, business and home users, and technology partners. Sonic’s products range from advanced DVD authoring systems and interactive content delivery technologies used to produce the majority of Hollywood DVD film releases, to the award-winning Roxio®- and Sonic-branded CD and DVD creation, playback and backup solutions that have become the premier choice for consumers, prosumers and business users worldwide.

Sonic products are globally available from major retailers, online at Sonic.com and Roxio.com, and are bundled with PCs, after-market drives and consumer electronic devices. Sonic’s digital media creation engine is the de facto standard and has been licensed by major software and hardware manufacturers, including Adobe, Microsoft, Scientific-Atlanta, Sony, and many others. Sonic Solutions is headquartered in Marin County, California.

Sonic, the Sonic logo, Sonic Solutions, InterActual, and Roxio are trademarks or registered trademarks of Sonic Solutions or its subsidiaries in the United States and/or other countries. All other company or product names are trademarks of their respective owners and, in some cases, are used by Sonic Solutions under license.