Sonic Redefines Authoring by Cutting Production Time As Much as 90%
Scales Scenarist Publisher for Any Size Facility
April 11, 2007 — Sonic Solutions® (NASDAQ: SNIC),
the leader in digital media software, today launched Studio and Professional
editions of Scenarist® Publisher, a revolutionary system for the creation
of full-featured DVD-Video titles from a simple, yet powerful, wizard-driven
interface. Simplifying the authoring workflow to enable facilities
to maximize title output while maintaining player compatibility, the
new editions, in addition to the previously released Scenarist Publisher
Enterprise, provide solutions to meet any budget. From an off-the-shelf
entry-level solution all the way to a custom-integrated product, the
Scenarist Publisher line automates the authoring workflow, allowing
multiple titles to be generated from a single Scenarist DVD project
with virtually no additional authoring. Scenarist Publisher also dramatically
reduces QC requirements to allow authoring facilities to effectively
serve content owners wishing to prepare catalog video entertainment
for release to DVD or for on-demand electronic distribution. For further
information on Scenarist Publisher, contact Sonic at scenaristpublisher@sonic.com.
“The authoring community is undergoing a dramatic shift with even
greater demands being placed on them with the emergence of high-definition
formats, said Rolf Hartley, senior vice president and general manager
of Sonic’s Professional Products Group. “Facilities are being asked
to maintain or even lower production costs, while at the same time
increasing title output. That is why Scenarist Publisher comes at just
the right moment, in some instances cutting production time by as much
as 90% or more, which helps facilities maintain DVD revenue streams
while leveraging their in-house expertise and key resources for new
HD business opportunities.”
“Automation and quality performance are key to surviving in today’s
fast paced authoring market, and there’s no question that we need a
solution for managing authoring resources more efficiently - especially
as we are moving quickly to high-definition adoption,” said Dieter
Schlautmann, Director New Media Development at Sonopress GmbH in Gütersloh,
Germany. “As always, Sonic has responded to our needs and provided
the right solution for our media-production business that delivers
the quality output our customers demand.”
Titles produced in Scenarist Publisher are created using the same
powerful engine used in Sonic’s Scenarist Professional DVD-Video authoring
platform, which has been used to deliver over four billion DVDs worldwide.
The Form Builder component of Publisher analyzes the structure and
features of a Scenarist SD project and by simply selecting assets from
the original project, automatically creates a “form” for building similar
titles. With a simple user interface that allows the video, audio,
and graphics for the title’s movies and menus to be specified in minutes
by semi-skilled staff, Scenarist Publisher forms can save days of re-authoring
and QC work for each new title in a given series. With a single click,
completed forms are then processed in the Mux Manager all the way to
disc image in Scenarist Publisher Professional and Enterprise editions,
completely freeing other Scenarist authoring systems for custom work.
Or, in the case of the entry-level Scenarist Publisher Studio edition,
customized projects are read back into a Scenarist SD station for muxing
and image creation.
Scenarist Publisher Version Features:
Scenarist Publisher Studio: Includes
automatic Form Builder and a Windows-based version of Project Builder.
Scenarist Publisher Professional: Includes
automatic Form Builder, a Windows-based version of Project Builder
and a single-user version of the Scenarist Multiplexer.
Scenarist Publisher Enterprise:Includes
a programmable version of Form Builder, a remote Web-based version
of Project Builder, a multi-user, Web-based version of Scenarist
Multiplexer, and a Job Manager that allows for the prioritization
of jobs in the Multiplexer queue.
Scenarist Publisher also serves an important role as the ingest system
for Sonic’s digital-distribution initiative, providing an effective
way for entertainment content owners to quickly prepare premium back
catalog items for electronic sell-through. Introduced earlier this
year, Sonic DVD On Demand™ is a comprehensive technology platform for
the electronic sell-through of digital entertainment that can be burned
to DVD. For Hollywood studios and other content owners, on-demand distribution
opens new low-cost channels to sell products directly to customers.
With physical costs such as manufacturing, distribution and inventory
management all but eliminated, Sonic DVD On Demand makes otherwise
cost-prohibitive distribution of special interest or catalog content
possible for the first time. Scenarist Publisher will become an important
addition to Sonic’s systems for electronic distribution, creating an
end-to-end solution from content preparation through delivery.
Scenarist Publisher for DVD production is available now, and will
be demonstrated by Sonic 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 Scenarist Publisher. 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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