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(Credit: Nero)

German software publisher Nero has taken the wraps off of Nero 9, the latest iteration of its eponymous software suite. In addition to CD and DVD burning, version 9 includes a wide range of functions, including video editing and transcoding, DVD authoring, media streaming, and file backup.

Among the major improvements that Nero is highlighting:

• Improved Nero StartSmart: Once a glorified program launcher, the latest version of StartSmart is more of a central control for the entire Nero suite that's designed to be easier for newbie users.
• Enhanced format/codec support: FLAC (lossless audio), Matoska video (.mkv), and AVCHD is now supported.
• Ad Spotter: The software can automatically identify and remove commercials from recorded TV programs.
• Music Grabber: Rip the sound track from any video clip.
• Movie Wizard: Theme-based editor for home videos includes preconfigured transitions and music for events such as weddings, birthdays, and vacations.
• Nero Live: TV viewing application for use with PCs with built-in TV tuners.
• Auto Backup: Nero will allow transparent backup of selected files and folders to add-on hard drives or (for an additional fee) the company's own online storage service.

(Credit: Nero)

It's fairly easy to use iTunes to get music, photos, and video onto your iPod. But what if you've got a video that you didn't buy on the iTunes Store? Or you want to get those files onto a PSP--or a Nokia phone? How about getting 6-megapixel photos from your camera to your Sony Ericsson Walkman phone? It's for those sort of digital back-and-forths that Nero's created Move it. The new Windows software lets you transfer most digital photos, audio, and video files between a variety of portable devices using your PC as the middleman.

According to Nero, Move it will offer compatibility with a wide range of devices including the iPod and the PSP. The aim is to make transfers as close to plug-and-play as possible--to that end, the software will automatically convert and transcode files to preoptimized formats and resolutions as necessary. Also of note: Move it can interface with online social networks and sharing sites such as MySpace and YouTube. (Nero is pledging free downloadable updates that will add interoperability with more devices and services.)

Notably, Move it is only compatible with DRM-free files. Don't expect to use it for ripping DVDs or transferring iTunes Store videos to non-Apple products.

There are plenty of commercial and freeware programs around that do exactly the same sort of thing. (Check out Format Factory, for instance.) But Nero's hoping that Move it's ease of use and wide-ranging compatibility will set it apart in the mass market. The software will soon be available in two forms: as a shrink-wrapped box in stores for $50, or as a download for $40.

My questions to you: Would you consider Move it as a worthwhile addition to your digital toolbox? Perhaps more importantly: do you think Move it would be recommendable to your non-techie friends? Or do you have a suggested freeware alternative?

(Credit: Nero)

Traditionally, anyone who wanted to convert a PC into a DVR was limited to the likes of Windows Media Center, SnapStream Beyond TV, or (for the more adventurous DIYers) MythTV.

Starting in October 2008, however, people can turn their Windows PCs into a full-on TiVo DVR thanks to Nero's new Liquid TV package. The software effectively turns a standard PC into a full-service TiVo DVR, replete with the same interface, program guide, and ease-of-use as TiVo's standalone hardware DVRs--but with the added ability to burn recorded shows to DVD or export them to portable devices such as the iPod or PlayStation Portable.

Liquid TV will be available in two versions. The $200 package includes a standard TiVo remote, USB DTV tuner/antenna (for over-the-air analog and digital TV, including HD broadcasts), and an IR blaster (for controlling external cable and satellite boxes, which would then be fed into a video capture card on your PC). The $100 package is software only; it's for people who already have a TV tuner card and remote solution (or who will opt for the software's onscreen mouse controls).

The software is said to support up to four TV tuners, one of which can be an external set-top box. Both versions include a year's worth of the all-important TiVo service (required for use). Nero hasn't officially set the renewal fee for the service, but company reps suggested that it will be less than the $13 per month that's the baseline for owners of the set-top TiVo boxes.

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Just about every computer available these days comes with a CD/DVD burner as part of the package. Whether your primary use for this drive is to make mix CDs for the car, backup data, or burn DVD backups for your movies, you need a good program with the right type of features for the job. Though Windows offers some burning features, you're not going to get the options you'll find in a stand alone app.

There are many paid CD and DVD burning apps to choose from and some of the most popular in this category--like Nero and Alcohol 120%--are probably recognizable by most Download.com users. The only prohibitive trait about these apps (besides cost) is usually they take up too many system resources and offer superfluous features that you may not need for simple burning. I happen to like these apps and some of the extra features are quite useful, but what if you just want something quick and dirty for burning on the cheap?

I did a little research and picked out some top free CD/DVD burning apps that you can download and use for free if you need to get started right away.

The four-paned interface makes moving your media around a snap.

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CDBurnerXP is a quick and easy solution for burning audio CDs, creating data disks, and has extra features for ripping your audio CDs and finding track info on the Web. A four-paned interface makes it easy to find and then drag-and-drop files to your chosen media and an included audio player helps you make sure you get the tracks you want. A handy dropbox window lets you browse your files using Windows Explorer and quickly drag-and-drop files to your burn list on the fly. Judging from the user reviews, some users had trouble with CDBurnerXP when burning data DVDs, but I was able to use this function without problems. The developer site offers a list of compatible drives if you have any issues.

Sometimes an easy way to burn media is all the feature set you need.

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JetBee is another free app for burning CDs, DVDs, BlueRay, and HD-DVDs and offers the option to include these burning commands to your right-click contextual menus in Windows. The two-paned interface is simpler than CDBurnerXP, but good enough for most simple burning projects. This is probably the most bare-bones of the bunch as far as extra features, but if you want a quick-burning program to make backups or audio CDs for free, JetBee does the job nicely. As someone who burns primarily audio CDs, I was a little annoyed I had to drill all the way down from the top level for music files, but this might not be a problem for other users.

The launch page takes all the guess work out of your burning project.

(Credit: CNET Networks)

BurnAware Free Edition is probably the prettiest in the interface department for this collection and offers a step-by-step procedure for your burning projects. A launch window lets you choose the type of project you want and leads you through the process to completion. Navigating your directories is easy with BurnAware's file management system and adding files is as simple as highlighting them and hitting a button. Though you don't have the option of a floating window like CDBurnerXP, BurnAware offers enough features for most burning projects.

Sometimes you just need a simple program for your burning needs and don't need all the extra features of a paid app. For a quick and easy free solution, try one of the apps above. As always, if you have a favorite that is not listed here, let me know in the comments!

Along with "What's the best free video-editing software?" one of the most frequent questions I receive from CNET Download.com users is, "How can I put my photos on a DVD that anyone can watch?" For everyone whom I wasn't able to respond to personally, here's a quick overview.

First off, the most important issue is the DVD player for which you're creating the slide show. Many DVD players nowadays don't need a specially formatted disc to view digital pictures, and some have built-in slide-show features for viewing JPEG images. The best way to find out is to actually try it. Burn a DVD full of digital images (I personally use CDBurnerXP), fire up your DVD player with your new disc, and see what happens.

If your player can read JPEG and AVI files from a regular data DVD, you're on Easy Street. There are numerous free digital-photo-management apps that will create AVI files of your images for burning to DVD. Google's Picasa is an excellent choice. Windows Movie Maker (included free in XP and Vista) is another solid free solution for creating AVI slideshows.

The rub, of course, is that not all DVD players can read AVI or JPEG files. In order to view your slide show on these less-helpful DVD players, you'll need to convert your AVI slide show to a VOB file, and, for maximum compatibility, you'll probably want DVD information files (IFO) and their sometimes necessary backups (BUP).

It's difficult to find VOB encoding in a free DVD slide-show burner. In fact, I don't know of one. If you do, please tell me about it. Luckily, there are several afforable commercial apps that can perform the nitty-gritty work of burning DVD slide shows.

The most famous and most powerful software is likely Nero, which includes a massive amount of slide-show-authoring options for photo DVDs. If you don't need all of the audio and video functionality included in the full suite, Nero PhotoShow Deluxe offers a cheaper alternative for creating DVD slide shows.

Another popular option is VSO Software's simply named PhotoDVD app. The interface and features are sparser than Nero; it's simply a bare-bones program that gets the job done. Nero has a 15-day trial for PhotoShow Deluxe, while the free PhotoDVD trial lets you create slide shows with up to 100 images.

What do you all use to create slide shows for watching on your TV via DVD? Can your players handle JPEG and AVI files, or have you been forced into the wild world of video conversion? Tell me about it in the comments.

If you've been wondering exactly how to program RSS feeds into the new Nero 8, help has arrived. CNET Editor Molly Wood shares a Quick Tip for programming your favorite RSS feeds into Nero 8's feed reader on the StartSmart interface.

For more information about other new features, check out the Nero 8 full review and First Look video.

In addition to the disc-ripping and -burning capabilities with which Nero first made its mark, the digital-media suite also offers a bevy of options for managing movies, music, and photos. Nero helps you create and edit videos and music files, share that content online, turn your PC into a media center, and back up and recover data in case of disaster. Nero 8 includes a revamped entry page in addition to new support for burning and creating HD and Blu-ray CDs and DVDs.

Nero 8 costs $79 to download, $99 for the box, and $49 to upgrade from Nero 7 Ultra Edition. In the past, Nero has not issued a new version of its software every year, unlike so many other brands. Instead, a new package would come onto the market every other year or so. Peppered between each release were significant updates that Nero's 50 million or so active users could download for free. Now, however, Nero will follow an annual version-update schedule.... Read more

What's better than Nero 7's suite of multimedia apps, which bursts with tools to record, edit, save, and distribute audio, video, and data CDs and DVDs in a dozen permutations?

The so-new-you-can't-buy-it release of Nero 8. Tune into the First Look video below, and watch this space on Monday for a full review.