Sonic Solutions today launched Qflix, a licensing and certification program to enable the legal burning of video content to DVDs playable on standard and high-definition players. The Qflix technology and intellectual property program empowers for the first time factory, in-store, and in-home systems for on-demand, electronic sell-through of movies and video programs that can be recorded to DVD with Content Scramble System (CSS) encryption. The Qflix brand will appear on compatible drives, media, and video download services as a symbol for consumers looking for legitimate and reliable "purchase, download, and burn" home solutions. Sonic will be demonstrating Qflix solutions by appointment in its private meeting room at the Renaissance Hotel (Copa Conference Suite A and B) during the Consumer Electronics Show (CES), January 8th to the 12th, Las Vegas, NV.

The program involves a broad set of services that includes technical information, certification testing, and an intellectual property license pool formed by Sonic and its technology partners to enable media and drive manufacturers to create optical discs and drives for recording CSS-encrypted video.

Two different programs are being put into place: Qflix, for direct consumer use, and Qflix Pro, for enterprise use. Rolling out in early 2007, Qflix Pro will enable replication facilities to manufacture DVDs at the time of online order; reducing the cost of carrying physical inventory while simultaneously opening extensive catalogs of content. .

The consumer Qflix program will follow Qflix Pro and will support, promote, and extend the DVD Forum's new disc format, which is mandated to be completed in January 2007. The consumer-branded Qflix program will empower manufacturers of DVD recorders and media, in addition to online movie delivery services, to establish secure and compatible in-home solutions for recording downloaded entertainment on computers and consumer electronic devices such as set-top boxes, networked DVD recorders, and DVRs.

Initial Qflix program participants include drive manufacturer Plextor; media manufacturer Mitsubishi Kagaku Media (MKM)/Verbatim; kiosk manufacturers Lucidiom and Polar Frog Digital; in-store digital media solutions provider MOD Systems; digital content fulfillment provider TitleMatch Entertainment Group; end-to-end retail solutions provider YesVideo; retail on-demand disc publishing solution provider Rimage; retail and professional DVD and Blu-ray Disc publishing developers Primera Technology; duplication and printing system technology developer Microtech Systems; printing service provider Allied Vaughn; entertainment distributors Movielink and Akimbo; and the nation's largest drugstore chain, Walgreens.

Qflix implementation is made possible through Sonic?s DVD On Demand technology platform. Sonic DVD On Demand provides an end-to-end solution for digital distribution, including a DRM gateway for secure export of content from approved download systems, precision video codecs that simultaneously convert Internet-delivered video into MPEG-2 video for DVD during the download process, automated DVD formatting tools for converting video into interactive DVDs, and an Extensible Media Protection Architecture (XMPA) that allows a wide variety of studio-approved copy protection mechanisms to be applied to DVDs as they are being burned. In addition to supporting CSS encryption through Qflix, Sonic DVD On Demand also integrates Macrovision?s RipGuard and ACP technologies, which provide a content protection solution that prevents the digital ripping and analog copying of DVDs. Sonic and Macrovision announced the integrated, "triple protection" solution in October of 2006.

For technology and licensing information, please contact the Qflix Licensing (licensing@qflix.com) or visit www.qflix.com.