Sonic Solutions (Nasdaq:SNIC) announced today at the International Broadcasting Convention (IBC), that DVD-Audio Creator(TM), the world’s first and only full-specification DVD-Audio authoring system, is now shipping. Incorporating core technology from fellow DVD-Audio pioneer Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd. (MEI), Sonic DVD-Audio Creator enables any audio mastering studio or DVD-Video authoring facility to expand their business by adding mastering for the advanced, high-resolution DVD-Audio format.

Since the origination of the DVD-Audio format, Sonic and MEI have worked closely together to develop a suite of DVD-Audio authoring and formatting applications. DVD-Audio Creator is the result of over three years of research and development, and facilitates the most efficient creation of fully-featured, compatible DVD-Audio titles, using a powerful, graphically-driven authoring environment. Combined with Sonic Scenarist, DVD-Creator or DVD Fusion, DVD-Audio Creator is uniquely equipped to format both single-and dual-layer titles in the industry-standard `Universal“ DVD format, enabling content holders to publish titles that are “backwards-compatible”’ with the millions of DVD-Video players already installed.

DVD-Audio Creator provides the capability to author all nine groups, 99 tracks per group, all modes of sequential and browseable slideshows, CPPM copy protection, scrolling lyrics and multiple-page menus for accessing either High-Density Audio(TM) in MLP or LPCM formats, compressed Dolby-Digital or DTS audio and motion MPEG-2 video.

Running on Windows 2000, DVD-Audio Creator can be used with any of Sonic’s professional DVD-Video authoring products to provide the ultimate DVD Authoring suite. It is immediately available through Sonic’s worldwide network of professional resellers at a suggested U.S. list price of $20,000.