Sonic Solutions will purchase DivX for $323 million this September, forming a union that will greatly expand online video viewing options on millions of consumer electronics devices.
Sonic Solutions is best known for online video distribution service CinemaNow (renamed RoxioNow after Best Buy bought the CinemaNow trademark), which offers 14,000 videos including feature-length films and television episodes on the web and supported consumer electronics devices. Sonic also makes popular DVD authoring software for Macs and PCs
.
DivX got its start as a desktop and web video codec very popular among video pirates on file-sharing networks due to its excellent balance between high image quality and conservative file size. The company went on to sign deals with consumer electronics manufacturers like LG so millions of TV-attached devices would support the format, and it’s working on an online video service and interface called DivX TV.
The merger between Sonic and DivX will combine Sonic’s massive library with DivX’s technology and footprint on the consumer electronics market — not that Sonic’s existing presence or DivX’s current library are anything to scoff at. The DivX tech offers a few unique features, though; for example, you can burn DivX videos, which you can download to DVDs that are playable on any device that supports DivX’s Digital Rights Management (DRM) standard.
Given Sonic’s popularity as a maker of DVD-burning software, you can probably see why the two companies are a good match. However, competition is fierce in the frontier of living room-based online video. Apple TV, Google TV, Yahoo TV Widgets — it seems like everyone has a plan for this space. The combined consumer electronics clout of Sonic and DivX is a massive advantage.
Do you think the new Sonic/DivX alliance will be a frontrunner in this competition? Let me know in the comments.
Sonic Solutions is best known for online video distribution service CinemaNow (renamed RoxioNow after Best Buy bought the CinemaNow trademark), which offers 14,000 videos including feature-length films and television episodes on the web and supported consumer electronics devices. Sonic also makes popular DVD authoring software for Macs and PCs
.
DivX got its start as a desktop and web video codec very popular among video pirates on file-sharing networks due to its excellent balance between high image quality and conservative file size. The company went on to sign deals with consumer electronics manufacturers like LG so millions of TV-attached devices would support the format, and it’s working on an online video service and interface called DivX TV.
The merger between Sonic and DivX will combine Sonic’s massive library with DivX’s technology and footprint on the consumer electronics market — not that Sonic’s existing presence or DivX’s current library are anything to scoff at. The DivX tech offers a few unique features, though; for example, you can burn DivX videos, which you can download to DVDs that are playable on any device that supports DivX’s Digital Rights Management (DRM) standard.
Given Sonic’s popularity as a maker of DVD-burning software, you can probably see why the two companies are a good match. However, competition is fierce in the frontier of living room-based online video. Apple TV, Google TV, Yahoo TV Widgets — it seems like everyone has a plan for this space. The combined consumer electronics clout of Sonic and DivX is a massive advantage.
Do you think the new Sonic/DivX alliance will be a frontrunner in this competition? Let me know in the comments.
0 comments:
Post a Comment