Sonic Solutions is to acquire CinemaNow, the online entertainment provider based in California. With an offer of over 6,000 Hollywood movies, TV shows and music videos, CinemaNow will combine with Sonic's Qflix team to form a new Premium Content Group under the direction of Mark Ely, Sonic's EVP of Strategy.

Sonic and CinemaNow had recently announced a collaboration to enable the download and burn of DVD movies by integrating CinemaNow's content delivery system into new Qflix DVD drives. Qflix drives have recently become available from a number of companies including Dell, Pioneer and Plextor.

CinemaNow has relationships with more than 250 content providers, including all major Hollywood studios, and supplies premium entertainment services to a host of PC and consumer electronics device manufacturers such as Dell, HP, Samsung, TiVo, DivX, and ARCHOS.

The Premium Content Group will focus on increasing the placement of CinemaNow's storefront on PCs and consumer electronics devices, and expanding the adoption of the Qflix technology platform.

"The digital delivery of premium content is at a tipping point," said Dave Habiger, president and CEO, Sonic Solutions. "By providing consumers and OEMs user-friendly content services and software that works across multiple platforms, we will make it possible for any device or PC manufacturer to add an online movie store of Hollywood hits to its products. With CinemaNow, we look forward to expanding and deepening our relationship with OEM and retail partners as well as with the millions of consumers that we touch today through our Roxio-branded digital media applications and online services."

As the leading provider of professional software systems used in the creation of Hollywood titles on DVD and Blu-ray Disc, Sonic has deep ties to the entertainment industry. Sonic's technology solutions and Roxio applications power the management and playback of Hollywood content on PCs and CE devices ranging from set-top DVD players and game consoles, to in-car entertainment systems and portable media players.
CinemaNow's vast content libraries and innovative delivery systems will enable Sonic's product portfolio and technology expertise to span the entire premium entertainment supply chain - from creation through distribution and consumption.

Story filed 24.11.08