Avid Licenses Sonic DVD Technology; Integrates Sonic's DVD Solutions Across Avid Video Editing Product LinesLAS VEGAS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--April 19, 2004--Sonic Solutions (NASDAQ: SNIC) and Avid Technology, Inc. (NASDAQ: AVID) today announced that they have entered into a multi-year licensing and co-development agreement to integrate Sonic's industry-leading DVD technology across Avid^® nonlinear editing product lines. As part of the agreement, the two companies are debuting Avid DVD by Sonic^™, a professional DVD creation product that is fully integrated with the new Avid Xpress^® Studio suite, as well as the Avid Studio Tools option for Media Composer^® Adrenaline^™, giving customers the ability to quickly and easily create advanced DVD titles from their finished video projects. Avid also plans to bundle Sonic's DVDit!^® 5 and ReelDVD^® LE software as standard components of the award-winning Avid Xpress DV, Avid Xpress Pro, and Media Composer Adrenaline products.

"We're committed to providing our customers with top-quality tools for editing, finishing, and mastering high-profile film and video projects. For the past five years, we've bundled Sonic's industry-leading DVD authoring applications with our editing products, and now we're extending our relationship with Sonic to deliver a DVD authoring tool that is even more integrated into the nonlinear editing environment," said Charlie Russell, senior manager of product marketing for Avid. "Avid DVD by Sonic combines Sonic's top-of-the-line DVD technology with the Avid interface our customers know and love. And our Avid MetaSync^™ capability ensures that this new tool works with our editing applications in ways never possible before - such as enabling editors to create DVD chapter markers right within the Avid timeline."

Rolf Hartley, senior vice president and general manager of Sonic's Professional Products Group, said, "DVDs generate more revenue than any other format for theatrical, corporate, and educational videos. With Sonic's industry leading DVD technology, Avid editors can now offer complete end-to-end video production and world-class DVD creation services."

Avid DVD by Sonic offers easy creation of sophisticated, interactive DVD titles and supports the OpenDVD^® standard, which allows finished DVDs to be edited without requiring re-authoring. The product also smoothly combines 4:3 and 16:9 video aspect ratios in a single project, supports the new double-layer disc burning technology, and includes up to eight tracks of 5.1-channel Dolby Digital audio and 32 subtitle tracks for easy versioning and localization.

Pricing & Availability

Avid plans to include Sonic DVDit! with Avid Xpress DV 4.5 software, scheduled to ship in Q2 2004. ReelDVD LE will be included with both the Avid Xpress Pro 4.5 and Media Composer Adrenaline 1.5 products, also scheduled to be available in Q2 2004. Avid DVD by Sonic is expected to be available in Q2 2004 and will be priced at $1,995 USMSRP as a standalone product; it will also be included in the Avid Xpress Studio and Avid Studio Tools packages.

About Avid Technology, Inc.

Avid Technology, Inc. is the world leader in digital nonlinear media creation, management, and distribution solutions, enabling film, video, audio, animation, games, and broadcast professionals to work more efficiently, productively, and creatively. For more information about the company's award-winning products and services, please visit: www.avid.com.

About Sonic Solutions

Based in Marin County, California, Sonic Solutions (http://www.sonic.com) is the world's leading supplier of DVD creation software for professional, industrial, and consumer applications. The majority of major film releases on DVD have been produced on Sonic's professional DVD authoring systems in studios around the world. Sonic's MyDVD^® and DVDit!^® are the most widely-used DVD creation applications by consumers and video enthusiasts and are the solutions of choice among the key PC and after-market drive suppliers. Sonic's RecordNow!^™ is a leading solution for audio and data mastering. Sonic's AuthorScript, the DVD and CD formatting and burning engine that underlies Sonic's applications, is the most widely deployed DVD software engine and has been licensed by Avid, Adobe, Microsoft, Sony, and many others.

Sonic, the Sonic logo, Backup MyPC, CinePlayer, PrePlay, DVD Producer, Edit-on-DVD, HyperMux DL, NoNOISE, Sonic PrimeTime, RecordNow! Simple Backup, Sonic JumpSafe and Sonic SmartBalance are trademarks of Sonic Solutions. AuthorScript, AutoDVD, DVDit!, DVD Fusion, MyDVD, OpenDVD, PrePlay, ReelDVD, Scenarist, Sonic DVD Creator and Sonic Solutions are registered trademarks of Sonic Solutions. Avid, Media Composer, Avid Xpress, MetaSync, and Adrenaline are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Avid Technology, Inc. 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 under license. Specifications, pricing and delivery schedules are subject to change without notice.

    CONTACT: Avid Technology
             Alice Eubank, 978-640-3325
             978-640-0648 fax
             alice_eubank@avid.com
             or
             Sonic Solutions
             Paul Lefebvre, 415-893-8000
             415-893-8008 fax
             paul_lefebvre@sonic.com

    SOURCE: Avid Technology, Inc.