Sonic Introduces DVD PrePlay; New DVD Emulation System Enhances DVD Quality Assurance Process.

Business Editors/High-Tech Writers

IBC 2002

AMSTERDAM, The Netherlands--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sept. 13, 2002

Sonic Solutions (Nasdaq:SNIC) today introduced at the International Broadcasting Convention (IBC), DVD PrePlay(TM), a new Windows-based DVD-Video emulation system designed to significantly simplify and enhance quality assurance procedures for professional DVD authoring facilities. Leveraging Sonic's years of format and production-critical DVD title creation experience, DVD PrePlay provides DVD producers with a new level of quality control by emulating a DVD Player as it plays through a DVD title, revealing errors that may have been introduced in the authoring process.

"Our DVD customers are demanding larger and increasingly complex DVD titles, and we need a way to accurately identify issues introduced during authoring," said Ian Macdougald, technical director of the Interactive Studio at The Yard, a leading DVD authoring facility based in Dublin, Ireland. "DVD PrePlay enables us to analyze how a DVD player will interact with the advanced DVD titles we create, allowing us to correct problems before they are written to DLT masters, saving us hundreds of lost hours in trial-and-error revisions."

Designed to meet the demanding requirements of professional authoring facilities producing titles for commercial distribution, DVD PrePlay provides detailed auditing of DVD playback functions as the disc plays through the DVD volume structure of DVD-5 or DVD-9 DVD image files. DVD Preplay includes hardware with Y/C video output and SPDIF digital audio output to accurately deliver the end-user experience as a title is viewed on a set-top DVD player.

DVD PrePlay is a comprehensive diagnostic tool, providing accurate viewing of all SPRM and GPRM parameters during emulation as well as Text Data support. With line-by-line debug mode and command sequence logging output, DVD PrePlay allows authors to verify the interactivity programmed into any DVD disc. This essential analysis of a DVD title not only accelerates the debugging process during authoring, but also verifies the functionality of finished discs even after they have been replicated, providing the ability to compare final discs with pre-replicated DVD masters to check the integrity of the manufacturing process.

"Commercial title production studios have been looking for additional means of speeding workflow, as the demand for DVD titles continues to soar," said Matt Palmer, senior product manager for the Professional Products Group at Sonic. "DVD PrePlay gives our customers a huge advantage in the constant race against time by identifying issues early in the authoring process, and enabling the delivery of DVDs in the most efficient means possible."

DVD PrePlay is available immediately through Sonic's worldwide network of Value Added Resellers (http://www.sonic.com/resellers).

About Sonic Solutions (Nasdaq:SNIC)

Based in Marin County, Calif., Sonic (http://www.sonic.com) is the world's leading manufacturer of solutions for DVD creation. Sonic MyDVD(R) (http://www.mydvd.com) is the first DVD authoring application for consumers, and is the leading DVD solution among DVD recorder and PC manufacturers. Sonic DVDit!(R) (http://www.dvdit.com) is the leading DVD authoring application for videographers and corporate video producers; more than two million copies of MyDVD and DVDit! have been shipped. Sonic DVD Creator(R), Sonic Scenarist(R), Sonic ReelDVD(R) and Sonic DVD Producer(TM) are the most widely-used systems for professional DVD publishing, and are installed worldwide at major studios, post production facilities and in corporate marketing departments. Sonic's AuthorScript(R) engine for DVD formatting and burning is licensed by leading software developers including Adobe, Microsoft and Sony. Sonic is a full voting member of the DVD Forum, the standards-setting body for the DVD format.

The above paragraphs of this press release may contain forward looking statements that are based upon current expectations. Actual results could differ materially from those projected in the forward looking statements as a result of various risks and uncertainties including, among others, the timely introduction and acceptance of new products, costs associated with new product introductions, the transition of products to new hardware configurations and platforms and other factors, 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 Registration Statement 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.

Note to Editors: Sonic, the Sonic logo, Sonic CinePlayer, Edit-on-DVD, OpenDVD, and True DVD Slideshow are trademarks of Sonic Solutions. AuthorScript, AutoDVD, DVD Creator, MyDVD, DVDit!, and ReelDVD, Sonic Solutions, and Scenarist 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.