Sonic Solutions announced new partnerships with authoring facilities across Europe to power the production of HD DVD and Blu-ray Disc (BD) titles

Media firms, such as Eyeframe, PIMC and Videolab, have now joined the long list of European facilities updating their state-of-the-art production suites with Sonic's Scenarist(R) 4 and CineVision(TM), significantly adding to the momentum for the launch of high definition in Europe.

Based on direct feedback from members of Sonic's High Definition Authoring Alliance, Scenarist 4 and CineVision have been designed to enable creative professionals to efficiently and effectively author and encode highly-interactive BD and HD DVD commercial titles. The products are being showcased at the International Broadcasting Convention (IBC), taking place in Amsterdam from September 8th through the 12th (Hall #7, stand #738).

"Authoring and encoding expertise, combined with a deep understanding of Hollywood's creative production requirements, make Sonic an ideal partner," said James Greenwall, head of sales and marketing, Eyeframe. "With Sonic's technology support we are at the forefront of HD development in Europe, delivering cutting-edge titles that fully realize the interactive potential of high-definition while delivering the exceptional quality that our clients demand."

Sonic's newest partners represent a broad range of authoring houses across Europe, from large firms developing content for major Hollywood studios, to smaller companies developing speciality content. All of these facilities are now leveraging Sonic's tools for high-definition video and audio encoding, HD DVD (Standard Content) and Blu-ray Disc (HDMV) authoring as well as tools for advanced interactivity (BD-J and iHD).

-- Eyeframe -- London, UK, is the Digital Media sister company of Dubbs Post production, specialising in Feature Films, Corporate Projects and Music DVD's, from concept to delivery. Its current clients include Saatchi, Optimum Releasing, Sony BMG, Flynn Productions, Manga, Intro and 20th Century Fox.

-- Infinia -- Barcelona, Spain, provides production and postproduction services for the audiovisual sector in the areas of publishing, film and television. It is already working on a large number of feature films for HD DVD and Blu-ray Disc for the Spanish market.

-- PIMC - Diepenbeek, Belgium. The PIMC studio is an expert in DVD authoring since the early 90's. PIMC has produced more than 3000 DVD titles for companies like Warner Home Video, Sony Pictures, Paramount, Universal, BBC Worldwide, 2entertain, etc.

-- The Site -- Hilversum, Netherlands, specialises in DVD authoring, pre-mastering, translations and other associated post-production services. Customers include major feature film distributors including Buena Vista Homes Entertainment (Walt Disney), Warner Home Video and 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment. The Site is already working on several HD-DVD and Blu-ray feature films for the European market.

-- Videolab -- Barcelona, Spain, is one of the leading companies in the world for post production of video and multimedia. Its services include HD editing and shooting, conversion of all systems HD and SD to all formats PAL and NTSC, HD up down and cross conversion, DVD authoring, 3D and 2D animation, CD and DVD duplication.

-- STAY TUNED -- Villers-La-Ville, Belgium, specializing in post production and DVD authoring for more than 8 years, provides a full range of services for corporate, film distributor and television demand. The company is already working on several HD-DVD and Blu-ray feature films for the Benelux market.

"As these latest deliveries highlight, Sonic continues to provide professional facilities throughout Europe with the advanced authoring technology they need to drive their business with the next generation formats," said Richard Linecar, managing director of European Operations for Sonic's Professional Products Group based in London, UK. "In fact, our commitment to our customers extends beyond just providing the technology solutions. To ensure the smooth release of content, Sonic is also offering our partners the comprehensive training and support services they need to quickly master the complexity of high-definition authoring."

Taking a leading role in helping the industry make a smooth transition to the new high-definition optical formats, Sonic forged the High Definition Authoring Alliance (HDAA) in 2005 to prepare Hollywood and their authoring facility partners for the rollout of BD and HD DVD titles. More recently, Sonic announced an extension to the Alliance with the formation of an Advisory Group (HDAA AG). Comprised of top-tier computer and consumer electronics companies, the HDAA AG is collaborating with the HDAA to ensure the high-definition formats deliver reliable, consistent and dynamic viewing experiences across all playback platforms. Most recently, Sonic Scenarist advanced interactive authoring and CineVision high-definition encoding solutions were used by German-based HDAA member Imagion AG to author Elephant's Dream -- the first commercially-available HD DVD title released in Europe.