Thread, Article...Sonic Forms 'Corporate DVD Partnership' with Creative Labs and Margi Systems; General Motors to Start Production of DVD-based Content
March 27, 1998
NOVATO, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE) -- Sonic Solutions, the leader in DVD production systems, announced today that it has formed a Corporate DVD Partners Program with Creative Labs, Inc., Margi Systems, and other corporations to foster the use of the DVD format for corporate and industrial applications. Creative and Margi are working with Sonic to help promote the proliferation of desktop, notebook, set-top and hand-held DVD playback devices as well as DVD-recordable and DVD-RAM applications among corporate users.
GM to Start Production of DVD-based Content
General Motors is installing a Sonic DVD Creator system for preparing content on DVD and has agreed to be one of Sonic's first in-house corporate users. "At GM, each year we create and distribute, both internally and externally, thousands of corporate messages that contain rich media content, " said Mark Mathews, Senior Producer/Director of GM's Communications Support Group. "We see DVD as a logical evolution for some of our information delivery because it offers higher quality video and audio combined with engaging interactivity. With Sonic's DVD Creator, we have an integrated DVD production environment that allows us to produce much more compelling content."
For GM's first DVD-based projects, Mathews and his group will create interactive kiosk exhibits for UAW/GM Center for Human Resources in Auburn Hills, Michigan. The DVDs will contain information on subjects of health and safety, skill development, and training. "By taking advantage of DVD, the quality of these programs will surpass what we've been able to deliver on CD-ROM and CD-I," Mathews added.
Dramatic Growth in DVD Infrastructure; Corporate DVD Partnership
Rapid growth in DVD peripherals is accelerating DVD-Video and DVD-ROM adoption in corporate and industrial settings. Manufacturers report that up to one million DVD-ROM drives were sold in 1997, most of them together with video and audio decoding plug-in cards. Industry observers estimate that as many as 10 to 15 million DVD-ready PCs will be in place by the end of 1998. In addition to DVD-ROM playback units and DVD video/audio decoding cards, manufacturers will introduce a broad range of DVD-based peripheral equipment in 1998, including cost-effective DVD-RAM drives, DVD-R recorders, and industrial DVD players.
Sonic has formed the "Corporate DVD Partners Program" with leading DVD peripheral suppliers, providing corporate customers with complete end-to-end DVD solutions. The Partnership includes Creative Labs, leading provider of multimedia solutions for the PC, and Margi Systems, the leader in DVD PC-MCIA cards for laptops. Along with corporate content producers, these companies are working together to promote the widespread use of DVD in a variety of industrial settings.
"By working closely together with leaders like Creative and Margi, we can solve the hardware/software 'chicken and egg' problem of new formats," said Mary Sauer, co-founder and Senior VP of Business Development of Sonic Solutions. "In order to be successful, a new format like DVD requires easy access to a variety of hardware playback devices as well as systems to create high-quality content; together we are working to make this happen in the corporate market."
According to PC Data, Creative has captured more than 60 percent of the multimedia upgrade market which includes PC DVD drive technology. Creative is focusing on the desktop market with its industry-leading PC-DVD Encore solution which includes the innovative Dxr2 Decoder board and the Creative Blaster(R) DVD-ROM drive. "With our new lineup of PC-DVD solutions, we are targeting computer-based training, interactive education and hybrid DVD/Internet applications," said Robert Napiltonia, Director of Sales for the Commercial Division at Creative. "We are pleased to be working with Sonic and the other Corporate DVD Partners to enable the use of DVD in corporate settings around the world."
With its DVD-to-Go(TM), Margi Systems is the first to deliver a PCMCIA card for notebook computers. DVD-to-Go turns any ZV-compliant notebook into a mobile DVD player, and is designed for mobile professionals who use their notebooks for multimedia presentations, sales field force automation, interactive marketing or training. "Our users want to play DVD-based content anywhere -- in the boardroom, on a sales call, on the factory floor, on an airplane," said Dave Westin, Vice President of Sales and Marketing for Margi. "By working with Sonic and the other Corporate DVD Partners, our goal is to make the DVD experience mobile and available in any setting. We are also working closely through our Team DVD Program with Sonic and leading notebook manufacturers to ensure that content will play back seamlessly for the end user."
DVD -- Much More than Movies
The DVD format, introduced in the United States in 1997, has until recently been used primarily to deliver movies and other pre-recorded video entertainment software to consumers. DVD-Video is a cutting edge format that combines stunning, high-quality MPEG-2 digital video with CD-quality surround audio in a convenient optical disc format the size of a CD. DVD-Video supports a host of features including multiple audio tracks, subtitling, and high levels of menuing and interactivity.
While DVD can deliver film and video entertainment at a quality level superior to any existing video format, because of its interactive features, DVD can also be used to deliver a wealth of informational and educational information. For example, training and instructional programs can be developed which clearly illustrate concepts in high-quality moving and still images. Utilizing multiple audio tracks and subtitles permits instruction that is accessible to recipients in many languages. Menu-driven branching permits users to pace themselves and to review concepts at their own pace. Corporate presentations can be significantly enhanced with high-quality video and audio.
Because DVD-Video is inherently a computer-based format, and is built upon the DVD-ROM standard, interesting hybrid combinations can be prepared utilizing the DVD-Video format for playback of digital video and audio, with full compatibility with computer-based database, browser and other kinds of applications.
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Regards, Michael |
