Sonic Announces Scenarist 3

Sonic Solutions have announced the International Broadcasting Convention (IBC) that it is shipping Sonic Scenarist 3, the latest version of its industry-standard professional DVD authoring system for feature film and commercial DVD title production. Scenarist 3 is available through Sonic's distribution and reseller partners, with systems ranging in price from $4,999 to $35,000. So now you know what to ask for for Christmas.

New in Scenarist 3
Advanced Copy and Paste of DVD Commands -- In addition to the already rich and powerful copy and paste functions in Scenarist, users now have the ability to paste entire command sections from one command area to another, significantly streamlining the process of creating complex and feature-rich DVD titles.

Import and Export VTS -- Sections of a finished project may be used in a new project, and complex title authoring can be distributed across multiple authoring seats, providing significant time savings, and yielding a more efficient authoring process.

Pan-Scan Video Support -- Scenarist 3 enables any 16:9 encoded video to be imported, centering the image as intended.

PlantDirect Tapeless Premastering -- Successfully introduced in Sonic ROM Formatter 2, PlantDirect Tapeless Premastering enables facilities to transfer their DVD images electronically via a network connection to the replication facility, saving time and money over conventional DLT writing and shipping.

Auto Update from Track Editor -- Moving from a DVD Creator(R) or DVD Fusion authoring environment to Scenarist is facilitated with this new capability.

Improved Template Handling -- Scenarist template functions are enhanced with additional integration into the workflow, improving the efficiency of creating DVD box sets, preparing titles prior to receiving video and audios assets, or creating a standardized authoring template from which to start new projects.

Enhanced Simulation Window -- With significant enhancements and the introduction of a new Menu Editor and Command Editor, Scenarist 3 lets users focus on the task they are performing. By using specialized editors for the most frequently required tasks, programming a DVD is made even simpler.

Expanded DVD Recorder Support -- Scenarist 3 adds support for a large number of DVD and CD writing devices and support for all currently available formats, including DVD-RW, DVD+RW, DVD-R and DVD+R as well as writing to CD media.

"The demand to deliver more complex and advanced DVD titles faster has increased dramatically and there's no end in sight," said Gerald Hinton, Technical Projects Manager at Deluxe Digital Studios, based in Soho, London. "With Scenarist 3, we can productively deliver more titles that incorporate the high-end features and interactivity that are required with the proven DVD compatibility that our customers demand."

"Scenarist 3 represents the very best in technology, power and flexibility for high-end DVD title development," said Matt Palmer, Senior Product Manager for Sonic's Professional Products Group. "Combining the industry-standard authoring solution with the latest developments in DVD means that more titles will be created in less time with a level of efficiency that until the release of Scenarist 3 was simply unattainable."

Sonic website: sonic.com.