Sonic Scenarist World's First Authoring to Support Warner Bros Total Hi Def Disc Creation

Sonic Solutions has announced that its Scenarist Workgroup authoring systems for HD DVD and Blu-ray Disc will support Warner Bros. Total Hi Def disc through a new product called THDassign.
With Sonic THDassign, facilities and content providers will have a simple and streamlined way to combine finished high-definition projects created in Scenarist HD DVD and Scenarist Blu-ray Disc authoring systems for release on the Total Hi Def disc, which plays the HD DVD format on one side and the Blu-ray Disc format on the other.
THDassign is expected to be available as a separate add-on for Scenarist systems in February 2007.
"We welcome Sonic's support of Total Hi Def within their well known Scenarist authoring systems," said Stephen Nickerson, Senior Vice President of Market Management at Warner Bros Home Video in Burbank, California. "Total Hi Def is the right answer for studios that wish to publish content in the new HD formats, but have been delaying in hopes that a single disc format would emerge."
THDassign works by providing essential meta-data and volume tagging information for the CMF outputs from both Scenarist HD DVD and Scenarist BD authoring systems. This information is essential to maintaining volume integrity when combining the format layers in a Total Hi Def disc. Scenarist is the world's only system that provides professional-level authoring for both HD DVD and Blu-ray Disc formats, providing specification-level access and the hands-on control required for advanced interactive title creation.
"For some of our major studio clients, the prospect of creating two sets of SKUs per high-definition title is a daunting prospect. Now thanks to Total Hi Def, our clients have a single SKU option," said Charles Potter, vice president of digital media services at Ascent Media Group, a world-class authoring facility in Burbank, California. "Sonic's Scenarist Workgroup authoring for BD and HD DVD already play a key role in our high definition business plan. With the addition of THDassign, we'll be able offer Total Hi Def disc creation services quickly and easily."
"Sonic has been providing essential technology for media creation facilities since the company's inception," said Rolf Hartley, Senior Vice President and General Manager of Sonic's Professional Products Group. "Our renowned Scenarist Workgroup along with THDassign to support Total Hi Def, is representative of our continuing support for Hollywood content holders and professional authoring companies everywhere."
(SP)