When it comes to burning and copying CDs and DVDs there are already plenty of options to choose from, ranging from Roxio to Nero, and that’s without even considering the options Microsoft bundle with Windows for free.

It may be hard for us to think of using something else but it’s also difficult for software designers to offer something new, which is part of the problem with Media Now.

The tools here are put together by PowerDVD, who are one of the leaders in DVD player software, so the playback features are excellent but it’s the new burning aspects we’re interested in here. Media Now wants to manage all your multimedia, so you’ll be able to use this software for backing up data as well as burning audio CDs and even make you own DVD movies.

Along with the standard copying and burn functions found in all packages, there is built-in support for both Blu-ray and HD DVD, so if you’ve invested in a burner and are looking for a more versatile piece of software, this is worth considering. You can import your own movie future and with a simple drag and drop interface, you can edit and re-arrange before burning on to disc. The tools aren’t as varied or as powerful as those we’ve seen recently from Corel or Pinnacle but it’s certainly a step-up from Microsoft’s built-in Movie Maker. What makes it worth using is the simple interface for creating menus and adding features. You can even copy DVD discs, but not commercially protected ones, naturally.

Not many media suites currently offer data backup solutions too but as the name suggests, PowerBackUp allows you to backup your PCs hard drive to a number of different sources. The interface is clean and simple to understand. Once you’ve created you’re initial backup, you can set it to run automatically and save incremental changes. There is nothing new here but as a part of a larger whole, it’s a nice addition.

InstantBurn is a tool that allows you to use a blank disc as though it were a separate hard disc in your PC, so you can drag and drop files from with Windows Explorer, or even set up an icon on your desktop. If that weren’t enough, you also get a digital image editor and photo slideshow creator, offering plenty of options to the first-time user. We found it easy to setup and use, so even kids, as well as first-time PC users, will be able to get the most from the suite.