Tech Blog

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Nero’s name has been synonymous with burning CDs and DVDs, but the company has developed software that goes well beyond just basic burning. Since optical media is on its way out, the reinvention of the Nero brand has already begun, and this year’s Multimedia Suite 10 is a good step in that direction.

In a nutshell, Multimedia Suite 10 is an all-in-one offering that combines Nero Vision Xtra, Burning ROM and BackItUp & Burn. Of the three, Vision Xtra (which is actually composed of both Vision and MediaHub) is the one that has the most promise, though you sometimes wonder if Nero could’ve gone further with it. Aside from those main three apps, there are several that fall under their respective umbrellas as well. Recode helps you convert video files to other formats. SoundTrax helps you digitize old cassette tapes and vinyl. WaveEditor offers music editing features.

What I liked the most was the Vision Xtra stuff. I never would’ve expected the kind of depth I saw in playing around with clips, adding effects and elements and the user-friendliness of the timeline. And since it’s so easy to bring in music and photos into the mix, the combination is great. I could do with a bit of a better interface though. This one isn’t bad, but Nero needs to make it a little simpler and easier on the eyes moving forward.

You can download a 15-day trial and try it out before committing to a purchase. It is a pretty hefty download at 300MB, which after decompression turns out to be 1.5GB. It’s also available in box at Future Shop stores for $99.99 . A downloadable copy direct from Nero’s website is $79.99. Problem with the trial version is that it takes away the ability to playback and work with AVCHD, MPEG-4 and BD-AV formats, which might defeat the purpose of trying out the suite if you’re working with those all the time.

It’s generally not a major resource hog, but it can be if you’re really putting it to work, so don’t be surprised if you have some trouble with overall CPU speed. You can use this with Windows XP, but only if you have SP3 installed. Otherwise, it’s all Vista and 7. Sorry, Mac users, but there’s no support for you — yet. That is coming sooner than you think.

It’s no pro-level software suite, but you wouldn’t know that after you start delving into all the options available here. This is an impressive set of tools for a good price, especially when you consider there are software packages out there that offer less, but cost more.