Sonic Solutions and Widevine Team to Expand Mobile Movie Access

Thursday, August 5th, 2010
Widevine logo

Enable Retailers to Deliver Movie Streaming Services to iPhone, iPad, Blackberry, and Android Smart Phones

NOVATO, Calif. and SEATTLE — Sonic Solutions® (Nasdaq: SNIC) and Widevine, today announced they are collaborating to provide retailers the opportunity to offer movie services on a broad array of mobile devices and smart phones from a range of manufacturers. Combining Widevine’s digital rights management (DRM) and adaptive streaming technologies with Sonic’s RoxioNow™ entertainment platform, the expanded device support will help increase the reach of retail partner storefronts by facilitating the efficient, secure, and optimized delivery of movies and other video content to popular Android, iPad, iPhone, and Blackberry devices. New device support is expected to be rolled out by partners this holiday season.

“By teaming with Widevine, a clear leader in the industry, we are able to seamlessly overcome the technical hurdles of digital rights management and platform optimization behind the scenes, enabling our partners to deliver a compelling, hassle-free movie experience to their customers,” said Mark Ely, Executive Vice President, Sonic Solutions. “With the new mobile support, we continue to build out an open, multi-manufacturer ecosystem of ‘movie-enabled’ devices and allow our partners to touch more consumers in more places.”

The Widevine platform is deployed by major Internet content services and large cable, satellite, and telecommunication companies launching over-the-top and TV Everywhere strategies. The company’s software platform optimizes the entertainment experience for content delivered over any network to any device. The solution is natively supported in nearly all major brands and types of network-connected consumer electronics including televisions, Blu-ray players, mobile devices, gaming systems and more.

“Widevine’s technologies are arming the industry with the capabilities they need to provide today’s consumers what they crave – their favorite entertainment on their preferred device at a time that most convenient to them,” said Brian Baker, CEO, Widevine. “With Sonic, we will deliver an unbelievable mobile movie experience to the latest range of next-generation handsets.”

The latest support for iPhone, iPad, Blackberry, and Android devices further enhance the RoxioNow platform’s mobile capabilities, which already offers support for handsets running the Windows Mobile Operating System, as well all DivX Certified® portable devices. In addition to powering on-the-go movie access, RoxioNow offers support for a complete range of connected home devices including HDTVs, Blu-ray Disc players, PCs, and set-top boxes, from a range of manufacturers. RoxioNow has been selected to power digital entertainment services for a range of companies including Best Buy, Blockbuster, Dell, HP, Kmart, Lionsgate, and Sears.