Sonic Streamlines HD DVD and Blu-ray Disc Menu Creation with
Designer PS 2.0 Plug-in for PhotoShop
New Version also Supports Macintosh and Turns Industry-Standard Graphics Platform into an Authoring-Ready Menu-Creation Engine for High-Definition Formats
April 10, 2007 — Sonic Solutions®
(NASDAQ: SNIC), the leader in digital media software, today introduced
Scenarist® Designer PS 2.0, a major advance in menu-design workflow
for high-definition formats. Scenarist Designer PS 2.0 automates the
conversion of Adobe Photoshop graphics into standardized interactive
menu components suitable for authoring for both Blu-ray Disc (BD) and
HD DVD format in Sonic Scenarist. Extending the efficiency and precision
of automated menu generation to designers on all Photoshop-supported
platforms, Scenarist Designer PS 2.0 handles the advanced content modes
of both high-definition formats and is now available for both Macintosh
and Windows platforms.
Designing menus for HD DVD and Blu-ray Disc titles is very different
from DVD-Video. Scenarist Designer PS 2.0 is unique in that it returns
the control of menu component creation to the professional graphic
designer who can create menus for high-definition titles using the
industry-standard Adobe Photoshop. By basing the menu-design process
on familiar concepts such as using layer sets to group button elements,
Scenarist Designer PS 2.0 lets designers stay focused on the visual
aspects of their work without worrying about the details of conversion
for various output formats. Once a menu’s background and button-state
graphics are defined, the export from Photoshop of a compatible menu
for one or more target formats is handled automatically via the Scenarist
Designer PS 2.0 plug-in, saving hours of authoring work for each project.
Offering flexible control and customization of dithering options for
HDMV’s RGBA palettes, Scenarist Designer PS 2.0 ensures that menu graphics
are of the highest-image quality.
“Scenarist Designer PS 2.0 is a huge step forward for us, as it seamlessly
bridges the workflow gap between the environment preferred by our graphic
designers and the authoring tools that we depend on to create compelling
titles for both BD and HD DVD,” said Ole Lütjens, Creative Director,
of MX Production Services in San Francisco, California. “Once we’ve
achieved just the right look for our menus, it’s now a quick, painless
task to bring them into Scenarist with all the elements appearing exactly
where they’re supposed to be. And, the menus never look different after
they’ve been multiplexed, which is a problem we have seen with many
other systems. This simplifies our work tremendously, especially for
projects that are to be released in more than one high-definition format.”
Depending on the selected output formats, Scenarist
Designer PS will output all components required to automatically
reconstruct a menu in either Scenarist BD or Scenarist HD DVD authoring
workstations, including button positioning information and graphics
for each button state (dithered to associated RGBA palettes if needed
for HDMV menus in BD projects). The menus are then completely ready
for assignment of navigation commands by authoring specialists, either
directly in the Scenarist environment (for Blu-ray’s HDMV and BD-J
modes) or in a simple text editor (for HD DVD’s HDi mode).
“Scenarist Designer PS is a massive value proposition for menu designers
and graphic artists who are grappling with the vast complexities that
HD DVD and Blu-ray Disc introduce,” said Rolf Hartley, senior vice
president and general manager of Sonic’s Professional Products Group.
“By working within their graphics’ platform of choice, Designer PS
enables these artists to save a significant amount of time by outputting
not only the art but also the BD data structures and the HDi markup
required all from within the same job.”
Scenarist Designer PS 2.0 is available immediately through Sonic’s
resale channels worldwide, and will be demonstrated at NAB (Stand SL4314),
April 16th to the 19th, Las Vegas, Nevada.
About Sonic’s Professional Products Group
Sonic’s Professional Products Group (PPG) develops authoring and encoding
systems used in the release of a wide variety of video entertainment
including major motion pictures on DVD-Video, DVD-ROM, HD DVD and
Blu-ray disc. Sonic’s world-renowned Scenarist® authoring and CineVision™
video and audio encoding systems are intended for highly skilled
professional content creation facilities including high-end authoring
and design houses, major motion picture studios, and disc replicators.
Sonic’s Professional Products Group is actively involved in the development
and implementation of new entertainment standards and formats.
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 authoring systems and
interactive content delivery technologies used to produce Hollywood
DVD, HD, and Blu-ray film releases, to the award-winning Roxio®-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.
Forward Looking Statements
This press release may contain forward-looking statements
that are based upon current expectations, including the launch, distribution,
and market acceptance of Designer PS 2.0. Actual results could differ
materially from those projected in the forward looking statements
as a result of various risks and uncertainties, including those discussed
in the Company's annual and quarterly reports on file with the Securities
and Exchange Commission. This press release should be read in conjunction
with the Company's most recent annual report on Form 10-K, Form 10-Q
and other reports on file with the Securities and Exchange Commission,
which contain a more detailed discussion of the Company's business
including risks and uncertainties that may affect future results.
The Company does not undertake to update any forward-looking statements.
Sonic, the Sonic logo, Sonic Solutions, Scenarist, 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.
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