IFA 2007: Nero 8 announced with Blu-ray support

Gives users the ability to edit ready for HD content

31 August 2007 18:57 GMT / By Stuart Miles

Nero, the main competitor to Roxio, has announced the release of its next multimedia suite; Nero 8 at IFA 2007 in Berlin, Germany.

The new software package, which has been optimised for Windows Vista, promises a newly-designed Nero StartSmart user interface and will let users edit photo slide shows and create High Definition video in both Blu-ray BD-AV and HD DVD video formats.

BD-ROM playback in Nero 8 will provide users with access to a wide range of commercially available Blu-ray disc titles. Nero 8 also supports 5.1 audio in Dolby Digital, DTS and high-definition audio in Dolby TrueHD and the uncompressed studio quality PCM soundtracks (up to 7.1 channels) that are found in many Blu-ray titles.

In addition, Nero RescueAgent has been developed and integrated based on Nero customer feedback, and allows users to restore deleted files and recover data from CDs and DVDs that may have been lost due to scratched discs, interrupted recording operations, or poor recording quality.

Nero 8 will be available worldwide at participating retailers and online on October 1, 2007 and will have a suggested retail price of 69.99 euros.

Finally, the company also announced that its SecurDisc software will be used in PC drives from LG Electronics.

The addition of SecurDisc technology to the new LG GSA-E60N/L LG 20x External DVD Rewriter and the LG GSA-E50N/L Slim Portable provides secure data protection and content access control for data recorded on regular CD and DVD formats.

According to Nero, SecurDisc technology provides a full feature set of security-related functions through a combined hardware/software solution.

It will offer things like encryption with password protection, digital signature, as well as copy protection for PDF files and a data integrity checker.