Sonopress Becomes First In Europe To Offer DVD-Audio Production Services; Expands DVD Capabilities Using New Sonic Solutions DVD-Audio Tools.

KARLSRUHE, Germany--(BUSINESS WIRE)--November 20, 1998--Sonic Solutions (Nasdaq:SNIC) announced today at the Tonemeister-Tagung, the major audio exposition in Germany, that Sonopress, a division of Bertelsmann Music Group and Germany's leading CD and DVD production and replication facility, is adding Sonic's new DVD-Audio tools to expand its extensive range of DVD-Video and DVD-ROM production services. With Sonic's DVD A-V Workstation, which supports complete multiformat audio production and DVD-Audio and DVD-Video authoring, Sonopress will become the first facility in Europe to prepare titles in the new DVD-Audio format and the first to offer end-to-end DVD-Audio premastering, replication and fulfillment.

Sonopress is also participating in Sonic's DVD-Audio Developer Program, which includes a group of selected electronics companies, major record labels and leading studios who are now starting to prepare titles in the new DVD-Audio format. Members of this group have the advantage of working in the new audio format as it is being finalized, designing the optimal DVD-Audio production workflow, and influencing the development of Sonic Solution's DVD-Audio production tools.

With a strong history of pioneering new media, Sonopress was the first facility in Europe to premaster titles in the DVD-Video format using Sonic DVD Creator. Sonopress has produced hundreds of DVD-Video titles and is established as the market leader in Europe.

Sonopress collaborated with Sonic to develop DVD Producer, Sonic's DVD-Video authoring tool, which is now the leading authoring tool in Europe. With Sonopress' installation of the Sonic DVD A-V Workstation, this innovation will continue as the firms work together to create the tools to produce the next generation of listening experience for the consumer.

"We look forward with great anticipation to adding DVD-Audio to our DVD production capabilities," said Hans-Dieter Queren, Director of Premastering at Sonopress. "The addition of the Sonic DVD-Audio tools will allow us to leverage our existing DVD production capabilities and to deliver, for the first time, a complete DVD publishing solution that includes DVD-Audio. Our relationship with Sonic goes back many years, and we have chosen their system because they offer the most comprehensive suite of DVD tools available, providing us with the high level of sound and picture quality which our clients demand."

"With Sonopress' long history as a leader in CD and DVD production and replication, it is only natural that they take a pioneering role in producing the first DVD-Audio discs," said Kirk Paulsen, Vice President of European Operations for Sonic Solutions. "With their strong expertise and talent in DVD-Video production, Sonopress is well-positioned to be a leader in DVD-Audio."

At the recent AES exposition in San Francisco, Sonic Solutions announced and demonstrated the SonicStudio HD family of production systems for producing multichannel high-density audio and creating DVD-Audio titles. These tools expand on the company's significant experience in DVD-Video production and CD-Audio premastering. The members of the DVD Forum and WG-4 have reached agreement on the 1.0 DVD-Audio specification. As the spec is finalized, Sonic is developing a complete suite of DVD-Audio tools that includes recording, recording and editing of 44.1 to 192kHz audio in 16 to 24-bits; multichannel mixing and panning; DVD-Audio authoring from simple DVD-Audio AOTT (Audio Only Title) to full DVD-Audio AVTT (Audio and Video Title) with audio, text, graphics, navigation and full-motion MPEG video; DVD proofing and formatting. When the full details are published, Sonic also plans to support directly in the SonicStudio environment Meridian Data's Meridian Lossless Packing ("MLP") for lossless data compression of multichannel audio.

About DVD-Audio

DVD-Audio is the next-generation consumer audio format. Designed to store 4.7 Gigabytes of content (seven times CD capacity) on a single-layer, single-sided disc, DVD-Audio enables greater sound quality and provides a multitude of new features, including multichannel sound; higher resolution audio; menu navigation; direct web connections and added-value content such as visual display of lyrics, artist commentary and audio/video discography.

The DVD-Audio format is supported by the industry's leading audio companies, electronics manufacturers, content developers and computer manufacturers including Intel, LG Electronics, MEI, NEC, Nippon Columbia, Pioneer, Sanyo, Sonic Solutions, Time Warner, Toshiba, Victor Company of Japan, Yamaha and many others. It is expected that DVD-Audio will be released by most major record labels and that DVD-Audio and "universal" DVD-Video/Audio players will be introduced by the major consumer electronics manufacturers in 1999.

About Sonopress

Based in Gutersloh, Germany, Sonopress is a leading information media manufacturer and offers services for all stages of DVD production, from premastering and mastering, to replication, fulfillment and distribution. Sonopress has the technology to guarantee the highest quality and precision in the shortest production times. Applying this knowledge to everything from printing and packaging to unrivalled logistics and distribution management, Sonopress develops and manufactures products that will always stand out and guarantee their users a competitive advantage.

Sonopress' global presence and the equally global presence of its parent company, Bertelsmann, has become an extremely attractive option for customers who need worldwide exposure and sales. Sonopress was the first manufacturer in Europe to produce a DVD-Video in the PAL standard and also introduced the first DVD-9 in Europe at CeBIT 1998.

About Sonic Solutions

Based in Marin County, California, Sonic Solutions (Nasdaq:SNIC) 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 and DesktopDVD are the leading systems for producing content for the DVD format, and have been used to create thousands of DVD titles worldwide, for applications ranging from feature film releases to corporate and industrial titles. Sonic also offers SonicStudio, 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. Web: http://www.sonic.com

Note to Editors:

(c) 1998 Sonic, Sonic Solutions, the Sonic logo, DesktopDVD, DVD Creator, DVD PrePlay, DVD Producer, DVD Production Alliance, Sonic Lightspeed, Universal File System UFS and DVD Studio are trademarks of Sonic Solutions. 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.