Sonic Solutions Adopts Advanced Authoring Format.

AMSTERDAM, The Netherlands--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sept. 10, 1999--

Joins Avid and Microsoft to Promote Open Interchange of Authoring

Data between Content Creation Tools and DVD Authoring Systems

Sonic Solutions (Nasdaq:SNIC) today announced at the International Broadcasting Convention that the firm will support the Advanced Authoring Format (AAF) to speed the interchange of digital data between content creation tools such as Avid(R) (Nasdaq:AVID) Media Composer(R) and Sonic's line of DVD production systems: DVD Creator, DVD Fusion and DVDit!.

By streamlining the movement of data between digital content creation and authoring systems, the AAF format will allow video production professionals and DVD authors to generate interactive content much faster and more efficiently.

"Sonic Solutions is committed to open interchange of authoring information in the DVD production market," said Ed McDermid, Manager of Market Development, AAF for Avid Technology, Inc.

"Sonic provides cross platform solutions for DVD authoring. Combined with AAF, Sonic's DVD systems will be able to directly share projects with video editing systems, speeding title production and enabling greater creative freedom for content creation."

Advanced Authoring Format (AAF) is a professional file interchange format designed to meet the needs of rich media content creation and authoring. AAF solves the problem of multi-vendor, cross-platform interoperability for computer-based digital production.

A broad industry initiative, AAF is supported by leading providers of professional media authoring applications and hardware, including Adobe, Avid Technology, Discreet Logic, Matrox, Microsoft, Philips, Pinnacle Systems, Quantel, Softimage, Sonic Foundry, Sony and now, Sonic Solutions.

AAF will benefit the professional film, video and audio production communities by allowing them to work with a broader range of tools and to focus their creative energies on the quality of their content without having to convert media file formats. Tools developers will be able to focus on a broadly accepted file format that works with a wide range of systems.

"We are pleased to be a part of AAF," said Mark Ely, Director of Product Marketing for Sonic Solutions. "The more closely we can integrate the video and audio creation process with the authoring process, the more creative and dynamic the resulting DVD titles are going to be. We look forward to ensuring that our AuthorScript DVD interchange format is compliant within AAF."

All MMTF members contributed intellectual property, component technology and ideas in the development of this new format. AAF is a truly open format in that its specification is publicly available, it is not owned by any single company, and has been submitted unencumbered to industry standards organizations.

Additionally, the specification builds on a number of recognized industry formats including the Open Media Framework Interchange format (OMFI), from Avid, and Structured Storage, an open container format by Microsoft, both of which have been submitted to standards organizations including SMPTE.

About AuthorScript

Sonic AuthorScript is a simple script language that conveys information about DVD interactivity and the source video, audio and graphic data targeted for DVD production. AuthorScript files can be as simple as a video edit list or can contain interactive information for menus, multiple video angles, or any other DVD-Video or DVD-Audio supported feature.

Sonic Solutions DVD Creator, DVD Fusion and DVDit! applications all support the AuthorScript format. Pioneer New Media's DVDesigner also supports the format.

About Sonic Solutions (NASDAQ: SNIC)

Based in Marin County, Calif., Sonic Solutions designs and manufactures DVD publishing systems used by video, audio and multimedia professionals around the world to prepare music, video, film, graphics and entertainment software. Sonic DVD Creator is the leading system for producing content for the DVD format, and has been used to create thousands of DVD titles worldwide, for applications ranging from feature film releases to corporate and industrial titles.

Sonic DVDit! is the easiest way to publish on DVD and for the first time makes DVD production available to the consumer market. Sonic also offers SonicStudio HD, the leading digital audio workstation used by audio professionals to prepare recorded sound for release on DVD and CD, as well as for film and video soundtracks and broadcast.

Sonic is a leader in advancing DVD-Video and DVD-Audio technology and is a full voting-member of the DVD Forum, the standards-setting body for the DVD format. Sonic Solutions can be contacted on the web at www.sonic.com.

Note to Editors: Sonic, Sonic Solutions, the Sonic logo and DVD Creator are trademarks of Sonic Solutions. Avid, Media Composer, OMF and Open Media Framework are registered trademarks of Avid Technology, Inc. All other company or product names are trademarks of their respective owners. Specifications, pricing and delivery schedules are subject to change without notice.

The above paragraphs of this press release 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 and quarterly report on Form 10-Q 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.