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Sonic Releases New Scenarist V4.3 to Streamline Hollywood Blu-ray Disc Production (14/4/2007)

World's Only Comprehensive BD Authoring Solution Optimizes BD-Java Workflow for Creating the Most Advanced Blu-ray Disc Titles

Sonic Solutions(r) (NASDAQ: SNIC), the leader in digital media software, today launched Scenarist(r) BD Edition 4.3, an important upgrade to its revolutionary high-definition authoring system that makes the creation of Blu-ray Disc (BD) titles with advanced interactive content significantly more accessible and straightforward. Bringing speed and efficiency to all aspects of the BD title authoring workflow, Scenarist BD Edition includes new networked multiplexing capabilities, streamlined asset management capabilities, and the industry's best-of-breed still-image encoder for the highest-possible quality menus and HD slide shows. Scenarist BD Edition is also the world's first application to allow professional authors to enable BD-Java functions used to create advanced interactive programming with drag-and-drop simplicity and produce BD-Objects and JAR files through a wizard-based workflow. The simplified workflow is integrated into a full-featured Java editor to provide the ideal balance between ease and control and make Scenarist BD Edition the world's only comprehensive authoring system for creating Hollywood-class Blu-ray disc titles. Sonic will be demonstrating Scenarist BD Edition at NAB (Stand SL4314), April 16th to the 19th in Las Vegas Nevada.

"Creating the advanced interactive content that our major motion picture clients demand for BD can be extremely time consuming and expensive," said Duncan Wain, President of Scope Seven. "Scenarist BD Edition 4.3 streamlines our Blu-ray development process, improves our ability to deliver innovative productions, and significantly increases our output capacity."

Now featuring the world's first graphical user interface (GUI) for creating BD-Java, Scenarist BD Edition 4.3 allows professional authors to create compelling interactivity and menu navigation without knowing the rigors of BD-J programming. Combining an efficient drag-and-drop user model with the ability to gain access to the deepest levels of Java programming, Scenarist BD Edition 4.3 provides users with the simplicity they need for base-line capabilities as well as the fine-tune control required for developing first-of-kind advanced interactive titles.

Scenarist BD Edition 4.3 is also available as part of Scenarist High-Definition Workgroup which also includes Scenarist HD DVD Edition; CineVision(tm), for high definition video compression; and Scenarist Designer(tm), which provides a highly efficient menu creation facility for both HD DVD and Blu-ray Disc.

"Sonic's continuing role at this important stage in the rollout of high-definition formats is to arm high-end authoring facilities with an enriched set of refined tools that enable them to create titles more efficiently for their customers, the Hollywood studios," said Rolf Hartley, senior vice president and general manager of Sonic's Professional Products Group. "Our professional customers are rapidly moving into full production mode and capacity demands are increasing exponentially. Scenarist BD Edition 4.3 comes at exactly the right time to power the high-impact BD titles that Hollywood demands."

www.sonic.com/scenarist

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