Nero 5 preview - Page 2

New Features:
- Multiple Burning!!
- Video CD (VCD) Still Images and Slideshows!!
- Super Video CD support!!
- Enhanced audio filters
- Support of M3U playlists
- CD Database support
- Twin VQ audio compression support
- Copying of CD-Extra and Multisession CDs

Impressions:
We got a preview version from Ahead in order to test the new features. We installed the v5.0 preview over v4.0.9.1. After rebooting, we immediately run it. The basic look of the program is still the same. Let's see what's new:

File>>Preferences. (Added Database and Buffer Tabs)

Database Tab:
Nero 5 supports a CD and title database. This database is used to find title and artist of a given audio CD. This information is not stored on normal audio CDs unless the CD contains CD Text. The title and artist information will be stored within the audio file, if the file format supports this kind of information (VQF (Sound VQ), MP3 (MPEG 1 Layer 3) or WMA (MS Audio)). The user can also automatically add CD Text information to copies of audio CDs. Such copies are in some ways "better" than simple 1:1 copies, because the copied CD contains more information than the original CD. If a CD contains CD Text information, some audio CD players can display title and artist of the CD.

Buffer Tab: You can specify Nero's Buffer.
The Nero buffer feature has two options: Automatic or Manual configuration. As you can see below Nero suggests using at most 40% of the physical memory.

Let's get back to main program window.

Edit Tab: Nothing new here.
View Tab: Nothing new here.
CD-Recorder Tab: Nothing new here. But! Let's search submenus...Let's select "Erase RW". Something new added here: The "Multiple Recorders" option.

With this new feature, if you have more than one CDR-W drive installed in your system you can now use both. However, notice that Nero doesn't support different simultaneous jobs (as Prassi PrimoCD does!) in the same program window. As Ahead told us this new feature is mostly added more for "duplication needs".

This means you must open a second program instance and tick the "Use Multiple Recorders" option in order to be able to use the CDR-W drives that are left. Nero is smart and if one drive is occupied will not appear it in drive selection window. The Preview version of Nero 5.0 supports simultaneous burning on two recorders only. However the retail version might support more recorders. How much? It isn't known yet...

Extras Tab: New option added. With them you can manage your Databases.

Also you can do "File Encoding" for wav,mp3,wma,vqf files (convert them to other format:
- MP3 (both VBR and CBR from 96kbits to 320kbit)
- WMA (from 64kbits to 160kbits)
- PCM Wav File (convert in wav files from 11025/22050/44100, 8/16 bit and stereo/mono options)
- VQF Files (80/96kits with Low/Medium/High quality)