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Press Release
 
Sony DADC certified as first global DualDisc manufacturer
 
Salzburg, Austria; July 15, 2005 - Sony DADC announces its official certification as DualDisc manufacturer by the Recoding Industry Association of America (RIAA). The official certification is obligatory for all DualDisc manufacturers and stands for high-quality replication standards.
Sony DADC is the first RIAA-certified replicator for a global DualDisc replication solution. This includes the facilities in Salzburg, Austria and Terre Haute, Indiana, USA. The facility in Austria is the only location certified in Europe. Sony DADC has started its DualDisc mass production in the fourth quarter of 2004. Today the current global capacity is at 5.25 million discs per month, making Sony DADC the world's largest provider for this innovative format. RIAA operates the DualDisc program to ensure product consistency and compatibility between manufactured discs and consumer playback equipment. An important part of RIAA's certification and licensing program is that the two-sided discs bearing the DualDisc logo are manufactured by replicators which have demonstrated that their discs comply with the DualDisc physical specification.
Sony DADC engineers have been actively involved in the challenging development of this complicated product. "DualDisc is a format that upholds to consistent and high standards in quality so that consumers can enjoy this new value-adding and innovative product," says Johannes Stegfellner, Sales Director at Sony DADC, Salzburg. "Music labels can be sure that this entertainment-packed format meets today's consumer expectations and therefore is essential in driving music sales." In combination with the certification program for manufacturers, the RIAA has created a DualDisc licensing program for music labels through which record label can obtain a DualDisc license. The use of the DualDisc logo is available to any record label, independent or major after their successful licensing. As of today, majors and independent labels have been seeing excellent sales from already released DualDisc titles in the United States. Labels are currently rolling out their first wave of titles in the European markets, making this anticipated format widely available to consumers in Europe.
DualDisc is a two-sided disc made up of a CD on one side and a DVD on the other. In addition to a full album on the CD side, the DVD side provides the entire album in surround sound and also includes a wide range of special features such as music videos, interviews, photo galleries, Web links, concert footage and lyrics. By combining video, surround sound and Web connectivity in a single disc, labels and artists have a new dimension in creating a listening experience. DualDisc adds an exciting new dimension to the consumer's musical experience. DualDisc is compatible with nearly any device that can currently play a CD or a DVD, including home stereo systems, portable disc players, car stereos, game consoles or PCs. Sony DADC offers an annual global capacity of 2 billion CDs, DVDs and Recordables and has advanced to one of the world's most innovative providers of pre-recorded optical discs, supplying a full line of high-quality products and services. These are especially tailored to the music industry. The services include digital asset management, authoring, editing, copy control, graphic design, mastering, replication, packaging, postproduction, distribution and fulfillment for DualDisc, CD-Audio, CD-ROM, DVD, Super Audio CD, Recordable, UMD and Playstation™ discs. For further questions, please contact Sony DADC at +43 6246-880-555 or via Email at dualdisc@sonydadc.com and visit us at www.sonydadc.com.