Sonic and Digital Vision Team Up To Deliver the Ultimate in High-Def Video Mastering

Sonic Solutions® (NASDAQ:SNIC), the leader in digital media software, and Digital Vision, a leading developer of advanced digital media applications for film and video, announced today a strategic partnership to integrate Digital Vision’s best-of-class DVO finishing tools for high-definition video content with Sonic’s CineVision™ high-definition encoding platform for AVC, VC-1 and MPEG-2 stream creation. Sonic will offer Digital Vision’s image enhancement technologies - including tools for managing film grain, reducing unwanted electronic noise, and increasing picture sharpness - with its well known CineVision encoder. The CineVision/Digital Vision combination will enable authoring facilities to efficiently master high-definition titles for the Blu-ray Disc and HD DVD formats with the highest possible image quality. Sonic and Digital Vision will be demonstrating the integrated solution at NAB (Stand SL4314), April 16th to the 19th in Las Vegas, Nevada. "We are very excited to be partnering with Sonic to deliver our award-winning image enhancement technology to the packaged media creation market. Our two companies’ respective leadership positions in compression and image processing represent a powerful value proposition for professional authoring facilities everywhere," said Lars Taflin, chief executive officer, Digital Vision. "By providing access to Digital Vision image controls at the encoding stage, professional facilities will be able to harness their creative potential to deliver never before achieved high-definition image quality.” Based on 20 years of experience in developing high-performance image enhancement algorithms, Digital Vision Optics (DVO) are a collection of resolution-independent, software-based image enhancement tools for fine-tuning image quality. Included in CineVision will be DVO Grain, which is designed specifically to manage the look of film grain and to reduce unwanted electronic noise in film or video material. Grain allows creative professionals to produce clean, sharp pictures and to match the look of film grain from shot to shot, including grain matching for underexposed film. Also to be included is DVO Aperture, a high-quality spatial filter that increases the apparent sharpness of the picture. Aperture is a great tool for use in conjunction with DVO Grain in order to increase image clarity while still creatively managing the look of film grain. Additional components incorporated from Digital Vision will enable professional authors to effectively remove high-frequency noise and reduce banding. The final component of the suite of tools is DVO Dust that enables automatic removal of film dust, dirt and scratches providing a cost effective route to re-master archive titles that have been damaged in storage. "While providing a stunning viewing experience for consumers, working with high definition video is an unforgiving process that demands the best possible tools and technologies,” said Rolf Hartley, senior vice president and general manager of Sonic’s Professional Products Group. "Working with Digital Vision, the industry leader in image enhancement solutions, we’ve been able to extend the breadth, depth, and value of our CineVision encoder – giving authoring facilities the power to deliver the best looking HD and BD titles possible.” Sonic CineVision is the world's first comprehensive encoding system built to tackle the complex encoding challenges of the next-generation Blu-ray Disc and HD DVD optical disc formats. Designed to enable complete workflow flexibility, CineVision has been optimized for professionals requiring comprehensive support for a wide range of input types, including QuickTime®, AVI, and DPX image sequences, and all three of the next-generation HD video codecs: H.264 (AVC), VC-1, and MPEG-2. In the latest update, the application takes image quality to a new level for all three next-generation HD format and includes new advanced tools, such as adaptive quantization, to improve the handling of video effects. In addition, the application improves timeline information, giving the compressionist a clear view of the bit rate and quality metrics for the encoded files. About Digital Vision Digital Vision provides innovative image restoration, enhancement, colour correction and data conforming systems that major movie studios, television networks and post-production facilities use to produce and enhance feature films, TV programs and commercials. The company’s Nucoda product line provides a strong suite of products for tapeless and non linear grading for HD broadcast and 2k/4k digital intermediate productions. The company’s award-winning products are a standard of the media and entertainment industry and are deployed at top facilities and broadcasters around the world. Digital Vision AB was founded in 1988 and is headquartered in Stockholm, Sweden, with two wholly owned subsidiaries, Digital Vision (US) in Los Angeles, California, and Digital Vision UK in London, England. The company maintains its global presence through a network of qualified distributors. Digital Vision is listed on the Stockholm stock exchange. For further information, go to www.digitalvision.se 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 CineVision including the Digital Vision Optics product. 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, CineVision, 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.