Adobe Systems, Inc. has licensed Sonic Solutions’ DVD authoring technology for the foundation of a new Adobe-branded DVD authoring application for the emerging desktop DVD publishing market. Under the terms of the agreement, Adobe will license the technology underlying Sonic’s desktop DVD authoring applications, including the company’s AuthorScript formatting engine.
Sonic’s AuthorScript technology — which Sonic licenses to third parties like Avid — is a set APIs and C++ libraries that provide functionality like data conversion, MPEG compression, DVD multiplexing and formatting, and driver support for DVD recorders. Cross-platform compatible with both Mac OS and various flavors of Windows, the AuthorScript libraries enable direct publishing of video, pictures and audio on DVD-Recordable and CD-Recordable discs in DVD-Video, Video CD and Super Video CD formats.
“We expect DVD to become the medium of choice for video publishing, and DVD authoring to be one of our fastest-growing market segments,” said Bryan Lamkin, Senior VP of Adobe’s Graphics Business Unit, in announcing the licensing agreement.
Adobe and Sonic Solutions will team up to initiate the development of Adobe-branded DVD software, he added. What’s more, the companies plan on cooperating to market their respective product lines. Sonic will continue its focus on home and consumer markets, as well as on systems for Hollywood studios, professional post production and high-end corporate applications.