Ahead Nero 7 Premium Reloaded review

Are you ready for burning?

28 November 2006 11:00 GMT / By Stephen Patrick

The Matrix movies have a lot to answer for; not just the stop-frame 360-degree camera angle but also the notion that you don’t need to call a follow-up Part Two, but something far more exotic like "Reloaded".

This package is essentially an update of Nero 7 Premium but unlike The Matrix sequels doesn’t leave a nasty taste in your mouth.

The most natural reason for the update is that Roxio’s Creator, which is Nero’s nearest rival, has just been updated to version 9, so in order to stay in the game, we have Reloaded.

The good news is, if you already have Premium 7, this is a free upgrade but with the wealth of new features you’ll feel as though you’re getting a new program. If you haven’t already got a copy, the £60 asking fee is well worth the money.

So what do these updates consist of? For starters, you can now copy your digital media directly to your portable device, as there is built-in support for the Sony PSP and the Apple iPod, as well as smartphones and PDAs. What makes this addition worthwhile it that it takes the strain out of things like Sony’s convoluted naming conventions.

Also keeping up with changing times, is the addition of high-def support for both Blu-ray and HD DVD. We’ve already seen these additions included in Creator, so we were expecting them to be here too. You may not have such a drive in your PC at the moment but it’s likely to be core in the next year or so.

When you install Reloaded, you’ll find that 20 different applications are actually installed. This is a mammoth install that is listed by item in your Start menu but it covers everything you’ll need. For instance, you’ll find audio editing as well as video editing tools or you can opt to back up your data. The new interface is easy to use and if you have a fairly powerful PC, you’ll find that it’s not too much of a train when transcoding, for instance. We used it with a 2GHz notebook and found that it transcoded a DVD to a 1GB memory key with no trouble at all. If this all seems too much, you can always opt for the now old fashioned looking Nero Burning ROM, which was the original core application.

The only problem we had with the suite is that with so many applications, Nero installs its own search taskbar to help you find what you need. However, it isn’t a seamless search, so it’s actually easing to go looking for the right tool your self.

Verdict

In a bid to stay ahead of the game, Ahead has put together a great package. The idea of it being an update may initially deter you from checking it out but there is certainly enough here to keep the casual, as well as hard core user, happy.

Score

Review Recap

Made by: Nero
Price as reviewed: £55
The good: Comprehensive updates, great value
The bad: Heavy install
Quick verdict: Whether you have Nero 7 or not, it’s an essential upgrade that offers a wealth of new additions
Score