Sonic Launches 'The Essentials of DVD' Seminar Series; Forum to Cover Business Strategy and...

Business Editors/High-Tech Writers

MARIN COUNTY, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jan. 9, 2001

Sonic Solutions announced today the launch of a 35-city seminar series entitled "The Essentials of DVD" to be offered in January through March of this year. The seminar is designed

to help creative professionals learn about the latest developments in DVD technology, with a special focus on automated DVD production, web-enabled DVD production, and developing DVDs for distribution on multiple formats including DVD-R, DVD-RAM, DLT, CD-ROM and the soon-to be-introduced DVD+RW drives. To register or to learn more about the seminars, interested participants can visit the Sonic website at http://www.sonic.com/seminars.

Designed to assist video post production facility owners and managers, corporate communications groups, video production managers, multimedia publishers, and DVD title authors, the latest seminar series by Sonic will introduce attendees to all of the steps involved in authoring DVD titles and integrating DVD content with the Web. In addition, the sessions will cover how to leverage cDVD(TM) technology to create DVD titles that play from CD-ROMs on virtually any PC. DVD project workflow will also be discussed, covering configurations from a single computer workstation to distributed workflow models across a workgroup for further efficiency and productivity.

Special attention will be taken to explain how DVD producers can create high-quality DVDs by seamlessly converting video from Avid, Media100, or other non-linear editing systems into interactive MPEG-2 video and Dolby Digital audio. Other topics covered at the event include approaches to tap the entertainment power of DVD, methods of creating DVD-based products for their clients, ways to find and keep DVD customers, keys to understanding today's market and customer demographics, project planning strategies, and rethinking facility design for DVD production.

"DVD is finding its way into new applications, and is now a key business tool for diverse applications like multimedia publishing, product promotion, event videography, and training," said Matt Palmer, product manager for Sonic's Professional DVD Products. "Sonic's seminar provides a foundation for making decisions about what to buy and how to plan DVD production to create compelling titles. Attendees will learn about the latest technology, including eDVD(TM) for DVD-to-internet connectivity, cDVD for creating CD discs with DVD content, and AutoDVD(TM) for easy, one-step DVD production."

Step-by-step demonstrations of the DVD production process will feature solutions such as DVD Creator, the worldwide system of choice for professional DVD production and DVD Fusion, an advanced DVD production system designed to integrate seamlessly with nonlinear video editing systems.

The first of the Essentials of DVD seminars will be held in Miami, Dallas and New York, with additional seminars scheduled in cities across North America, including Los Angeles, Chicago, Atlanta, Washington DC and others, through April 2001. To register or to learn more about the seminars, customers can visit the Sonic website at http://www.sonic.com/seminars. For additional information, customers may also email the seminar coordinator at dvdseminar@sonic.com.

About Sonic Solutions (Nasdaq:SNIC)

Based in Marin County, 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.

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.

Note to Editors: Sonic, Sonic Solutions, the Sonic logo, cDVD, AutoDVD, eDVD and DVDit! are trademarks of Sonic Solutions. DVD Creator and DVD Fusion are registered 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.