Sonic Solutions announced today at the National Association of Broadcasters Convention (NAB), the introduction of DVD-Audio Creator LE, a highly-affordable DVD-Audio authoring system with advanced features. Incorporating core technology from fellow DVD-Audio pioneer Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd. (MEI), Sonic DVD-Audio Creator LE enables audio mastering studios or DVD-Video authoring facilities to expand their business by adding authoring and mastering for the advanced, high-resolution DVD-Audio format.
“We are very excited that Sonic’s flagship DVD-Audio Creator system is now available in an even more affordable version,” said Markus Hintz, Managing Director of MediArte GmbH, Sonic’s European Distributor for DVD-Audio Creator products, based in Dusseldorf, Germany. “DVD-Audio Creator LE offers support for most key features of the DVD-Audio specification, placing the means to create market-ready DVD-Audio titles well within the grasp of any audio, DVD, or multimedia professional.”
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 LE is the result of over four years of research and development, and facilitates the most efficient creation of DVD-Audio titles, using a powerful, graphically-driven authoring environment. Combined with Sonic Scenarist(R), DVD-Creator(R), DVD Producer(TM) or DVD Fusion, DVD-Audio Creator LE is uniquely equipped to format 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.
“Sonic DVD-Audio Creator LE delivers a powerful DVD-Audio authoring solution for making practical, release-quality DVD-Audio discs, yet is very affordable, easily fitting within most studios’ budgets,” said Dietrick Hardwick, DVD-Audio Product Manager at Sonic Solutions. “Sonic’s collaboration with MEI has delivered an unparalleled and cost-effective solution for bringing feature-rich Hybrid DVD-Audio/DVD-Video titles to market.”
DVD-Audio Creator LE provides the capability to author all nine groups, 99 tracks per group, sequential and browseable slideshows, CPPM copy protection, and menus for accessing either High-Density Audio(TM) in Meridian Loss Packing (MLP) or LPCM formats, compressed Dolby Digital or DTS audio streams, and motion MPEG-2 video.
Running on Windows 2000, DVD-Audio Creator LE can be used in conjunction with Scenarist, DVD-Creator or DVD Fusion to provide the ultimate DVD-Authoring suite, and upgrades to the full version of DVD-Audio Creator are available. Targeted for shipment in May, DVD-Audio Creator LE is priced at $6,500 U.S.; interested customers should contact their DVD-Audio Creator reseller for more details.