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Throwing my toys

MyNeroUserWithNicknameUncleDave@nero.com (UncleDave) — 09 Jun 2007 21:32:31 GMT

I can not believe how frustrated I am getting with Nero. This has got to be the worst support ever! When I look at the suite of products I think - WOW great idea, good tools, that makes sense. But when I try to use them it appears that the only things that work are the CD/DVD writing utilities, everything else is "almost there" or if it does work it's undocumented so I can't use it.

Allow me to expand on my rant.

1) This website - I honestly wonder what's the point! I can see a lot of people enjoying it and it looks like a really nice community...but! There is no way to search for any text - Mr Chuck has some great posts but the only way to find what may be of interest is to read each of his posts ..... Please can I have a text search - even a tag search would be a start! On one hand I'd rather your developers were fixing the core products, on the other maybe I'll get the support that I expect/want/need! I have seen people flamed for posting messages like this - I am blogging this out of desperation....

2) There is no forum for any of the core Nero products - if you are serious about the community then realise that we are here because we get or see value in your software. People like me are going to moan out of frustration - I have spent weeks trying to setup Web Radio in Nero Scout - there is precisely zero documentation or help to be found. Give me somewhere to ask the question! Just show me how to setup one radio station, give me an example and I'll work out the rest.

3) Your support - well that is just about non existent - one week ago I asked this question "When installing the upgrade and trying to uninstall via control panel I get the following error "Error applying transforms. Verify that the specified transform paths are correct". This is a Windows Server 2003 R2 machine (SP2)." Nero's' response to date is - nothing. Why am I not surprised?

4) Your product offering - great suite of products, but I'd like to run the Home Server on my file server and everything else on my PC - how about looking at that model? I am not going to pay for two full licences! How about a home licence that lets people slice and dice the products? What product are you going to roll out for Windows Home Server? Are you going to?

5) I have ripped my DVD collection that scout has indexed (and that little dear can really roast a CPU if it wants to 100% for hours) and published on my home network with Media Home . Some DVDs won't play via Nero Home on my PC, I click on the folder name it opens the screen with recorder controls then - "failed to play the video disk". I Open up ShowTime, click on Media Files, click on MediaHome Network (all movies) click on the same movie and it plays in ShowTime..... any ideas? BTW when does one use the mouse or keyboard in ShowTime or Home - never been able to figure that one out - sorry I don't have a remote on my PC.

6) Scout - I remove items from the database and they just keep coming back <----- frustration!!!!!

That's enough of a rant for now. Why am I moaning? I paid money for this product and expect some support.

But more importantly I think the concept is great and would really like the software to work.

WTF " - Tags: The tag "support" is inappropriate." what are you trying to tell me??????

How to Install one NERO Module and Skip the Rest

MyNeroUserWithNicknamemrchuck999@nero.com (mrchuck999) — 12 Feb 2008 17:27:33 GMT

"WHY can't they make their cd's so you can explore them and pull out what you want"...

==================

You can ...

Run the install
Click Custom
Uncheck everything
Check Nero Burning Rom
INSTALL
DONE

Mrchuck

Windows Vista SP1 Reviewed

MyNeroUserWithNicknamemrchuck999@nero.com (mrchuck999) — 19 Dec 2007 18:14:27 GMT

Amidst all the conflicting reports about Vista Service Pack 1 (some say it'll arrive soon, some say 18 months from now), the fact of the matter is that some people have a beta of SP1 already, and that means it's now been leaked to the rest of the world. APC acquired and installed that beta, and posted some opinions on it here. Here's what you need to know.

Performance is "very noticeably" improved, with "far less hard drive thrashing" and better responsiveness.

There's only one new feature included in SP1: A "Create a Recovery Disc" system that lets you build your own recovery DVD which lets you create a new install disc without a Vista install disc. Sounds useful.
There are over 130 updates included (rumor confirmed), but little information on how exactly these updates work or what they do. APC includes a long list of components that have been updated, but no news on what exactly has been fixed in them. It's not their fault: Since Microsoft hasn't released the beta officially, APC has no way of knowing. That said, various changes (likely just stability bug fixes for the most part) have been made to a wide variety of services, including the backup system, indexer, MovieMaker, IIS web server, remote assistance, tablet PC system, and storage management. Look at the list about halfway down the linked post: Virtually no part of Vista appears to have gone untouched.
The two fixes released last week are also included.

As for their opinion, APC doesn't speak much about its hands-on experience except to say that those performance improvements are worth the price of the upgrade alone. Frankly, that's good enough for me.

============

Testers can download the BETA Here [techies only] (Be sure to read the pre-install directions.)

http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=be34577a-e925-48fb-9d6d-50fe9461f808&DisplayLang=en

Windows Vista SP1 Details List

Quality Improvements

These improvements target some of the issues Microsoft has identified as the most common causes of operating system crashes and hangs, giving customers a more
reliable experience. These updates also improve performance in key scenarios—for example, when copying files or shutting down the computer.

Security
Security improvements that will be in Windows Vista SP1 include:

• Provides security software vendors a more secure way to communicate with Windows Security Center.

• Includes application programming interfaces (APIs) by which third-party security and malicious software detection applications can work with
kernel patch protection on x64 versions of Windows Vista. These APIs help ISVs develop software that extends the functionality of the Windows
kernel on x64 computers without disabling or weakening the protection offered by kernel patch protection.

• Improves the security of running RemoteApp programs and desktops by allowing Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP) files to be signed. Customers can
differentiate user experiences based on publisher identity.

• Strengthens the cryptography platform with a redesigned random number generator, which leverages the Trusted Platform Module (TPM), when present,
for entropy and complies with the latest standards. The redesigned RNG uses the AES-based pseudo-random number generator (PRNG) from NIST Special
Publication 800-90 by default. The Dual Elliptical Curve (Dual EC) PRNG from SP 800-90 is also available for customers who prefer to use it.

• Enhances BitLocker Drive Encryption (BDE) to offer an additional multifactor authentication method that combines a key protected by the Trusted
Platform Module (TPM) with a Startup key stored on a USB storage device and a user-generated personal identification number (PIN).

Reliability
Windows Vista SP1 will include improvements that target some of the most common causes of crashes and hangs, giving users a more consistent experience.
Many of these improvements will specifically address issues identified from the Windows Error Reporting tool.
The following list describes some of the reliability improvements that Windows Vista SP1 will include:

• Improved reliability and compatibility of Windows Vista when used with newer graphics cards in several specific scenarios and configurations.

• Improved reliability when working with external displays on a laptop.

• Improved Windows Vista reliability in networking configuration scenarios.

• Improved reliability of systems that were upgraded from Windows XP to Windows Vista.

• Increased compatibility with many printer drivers.

• Increased reliability and performance of Windows Vista when entering sleep and resuming from sleep.

Performance

• Improves the speed of copying and extracting files.

• Improves the time to become active from Hibernate and Resume modes.

• Improves the performance of domain-joined PCs when operating off the domain; in the current release version of Windows Vista,
users would experience long delays when opening the File dialog box.

• Improves battery life by reducing CPU utilization by not redrawing the screen as frequently, on certain computers.

• Improves the logon experience by removing the occasional 10-second delay between pressing CTRL-ALT-DEL and the password prompt displaying.

• Addresses an issue in the current version of Windows Vista that makes browsing network file shares consume significant bandwidth and not perform as fast as expected.

Click Here to Learn More

Bier aus dem Schwarzwald

MyNeroUserWithNicknametruss@nero.com (truss) — 08 Jan 2008 12:23:23 GMT

Das es die badische Braukunst in Kneipen in Berlin und München geschafft hat finde ich schon erstaunlich. Jetzt kommt das Bier aus dem Schwarzwald auch noch ins Fernsehen

Beer Bot

MyNeroUserWithNicknameJanosch79@nero.com (Janosch79) — 21 Jun 2007 06:35:59 GMT

Finally he has arrived. The beer bot. Ever wanted a cold beer but you've been to lazy to get one? Well the beer bot takes care about that.

Saw that one in the IT News today. Will be available in japan for about 600 bucks. 6 cans fit inside the small fridge. And, and that's the point, he's serves you with a lovely and icecold beer.

Hmm, I'm just glad that I quit my barkeeper job a week ago :-D

Community Q&A with Patrick Peeters of Nero

MyNeroUserWithNicknameken1701@nero.com (ken1701) — 12 Dec 2007 09:37:49 GMT

Cdfreaks had a Great Q&A with Patrick Peeters ,General Manager EMEA, Nero

Please Check out www.cdfreaks.com, if you haven't done so.

I find this site to be up on all the New Tech, and just plain Great when it concerns information for the average User and Pro user base.

Cdfreaks Forums are some of the Best, and if you need more help with a Wide Variety Of Questions, they Can Help.

www.cdfreaks.com (Check It Out)

~~_______________________________________________________________________________________________________~~

Patrick Peeters of Nero (INTERVIEW At CDFREAKS)

Patrick Peeters is the General Manager EMEA, Nero

Questions and Answers for Nero

1. What does Nero think about Blu-ray and HD-DVD, do you favor any of the formats?

Different from some of our competitors, Nero does not favor any of the 2 mentioned formats. Nero supports them both.

2. Who do you consider to be your biggest competitors and how do you differentiate from them?

Seeing the functionalities and possibilities of Nero 8, we have many competitors.

We first have the companies targeting 1 application like photo or video editing, CD/DVD burning, backup software, …

Then we have companies trying to offer a similar package like Nero, covering a full spectrum of multimedia applications. En then last (but not least) we have Microsoft offering some basic multimedia functionalities in XP or Vista.

Nero differentiates from its competitors, to always offer new features and formats/standards in the fastest possible way. The user can then obtain them free of charge within the same version.

3. How many people use Nero worldwide?

Seeing the fact that Nero software is bundled with leading Optical Disc drive and PC manufacturers, and the best sold multimedia software in Retail and Online, there are several hundred million Nero users worldwide.

4. With Nero, which group is your target? is the advanced user or the family and beginners?

Nero 8 targets both the entry level as well as the advanced user. In several of our applications, the user can choose the “basic” or the “advanced” version.

5. A lot of users switch to different software because Nero has too much features, functionality, different applications, is this a problem for Nero? Any solutions for this?

By offering a full range of multimedia applications, we try to give the user the best price/performance ratio. If a user wants to buy all the functionalities that Nero 8 offers, he/she needs to spend over 200€. For 69,99€ for Nero 8, they get more than 20 advanced multimedia applications; or around 3€ per application. This is the best value available in the market.

6. Why can't Nero make a easy to read tutorial? Nero makes it so complicated, I can't even understand it.

We are constantly improving our documentation and tutorials. For Nero 8 for example, we took the feedback of our users from Nero7 and implemented this in Nero 8 (documentation, software and tutorials).

But any suggestions that can improve the software and the manuals/tutorials, are very welcome. This is the only way for us to give the user an even better experience in the future.

7. What does Nero think of free burning software, for those who only want to burn a CD/DVD what does offer Nero more?

In order to be able to offer some key technologies for the users like Dolby or MPEG, we need to pay royalties to the patent holders. Free software can never offer these key technologies, and therefore they can only offer a very limited functionality.

8. Why does Nero not allow to make backup’s of movies that people have purchased but which contain a copy protection?

Nero fully supports anti-piracy and copyright laws, and the fact that it is illegal to remove or work around any type of copy protection. Nero allows the copying of any type of content that is not copy protected.

9. What is the strategy behind Nero? What is your aim to achieve? Becoming the largest downloadable all-round application?

Nero´s main strategy is to offer the user the best multimedia experience and the best price/performance multimedia software in the market. If these efforts result in market leadership, then this is an asset, but has never been a target itself.

10. Why are you forcing Nero indexing, Nero Scout to be installed, when people don't want it?

Nero Scout is currently required for some of our applications such as Nero MediaHome and Nero Home to properly function. The indexing services running in the background are also necessary for creating and maintaining the Nero Scout multimedia database, making it more convenient for a user to stream or playback content from an indexed database than it would be to search the system for content. It is also less time consuming and much more user-friendly, especially if the user has their PC configured to run as a media center. Nero Scout is simply a database and is therefore not system stressing or resource consuming, nor does it require much storage place. We have significantly improved the performance of the indexing services and we have implemented them to run only when the system is idle. As soon as there is any user activity, the services become inactive. There is also an option for deactivating Nero Scout and the related services completely. For future versions, we will evaluate other possibilities regarding Nero Scout and its services. I have to say, this type of question always amuses me, since I do not hear many people complaining about iTunes or its services, which are far more system stressing and invasive than Nero Scout.

11. Why won't NERO8 automatically install LightScribe? NERO7 did

There have not been retail versions or web demo versions of Nero 7 that installed the Lightscribe API automatically. The Lightscribe API always had to be downloaded and installed separately. Only a few OEM versions, which were bundled with Lightscribe drives, did the installation automatically. The reason is pretty simple; we want to make sure that users install the latest available Lightscribe API, which we provide on our website, guaranteeing the proper function of Lightscribe features.

12. Are you concerned that many advanced users have not 'upgraded' from Nero 6?

I don´t understand where this information comes from.

Seeing the sales figures of Nero 7 and now the new Nero 8, and the number of users upgrading from previous versions (also Nero 6) I can only conclude that the above statement is not correct.

Additionally, I can state an anecdote that I had this year at the IFA in Berlin. I had a chance to talk to a 65 year old person that was already using Nero since version 3, and told me he is so satisfied with Nero software that he has been upgrading every single new version that has come out, and he told me he will upgrade to Nero 8 as soon as it is available. I can assure you that these kinds of conversations give me a tremendous satisfaction and show that the products we offer really offer something to the people.

13. Why does Nero not issue details of the changes made from version to version. With the large file size having to be downloaded each time, I would like to know if the problems I am having have been fixed.

Nero publishes release notes after every update, and we have been doing so for many versions over many years. Of course we present only the most important changes in these release notes, which can be found on our website.

http://www.nero.com/eng/support-nero7-release-notes.html

http://www.nero.com/eng/support-nero8-release-notes.html

14. Why is support so slow? With most of my software I can get an answer within 24 hours. Nero takes a week if you are lucky.

Our aim is to give feedback within 24-48 hours.

I can not judge individual case-by-case why sometimes it would take longer (I can only imagine that this could happen when it concerns very complicated questions or during the release of a new version. Furthermore, let me point out that we try to provide our customers not only with answers, but with solutions. We provide responses which should solve the problem so that the user does not have to call or write again. Other software companies’ support departments give canned answers just for the sake of a prompt response. We do not believe this is effective technical support.

15. Does Nero 8 have the ability to transcode video files from PAL to NTSC and vice-versa? If so, what element of the product suite offers that feature?

Nero Vision 5, like its predecessors, has the ability to convert PAL to NTSC and vice versa. Nero Recode will be able to do that during encoding procedures to MPEG-4 with the upcoming Nero 8 update.

~~_______________________________________________________________________________________________________~~

Great Information,

And Thank's Again to www.Cdfreaks.com for this interview and indepth look into Nero Common Q&A.

"This is the unedited version of the interview that was published on Cdfreaks.com"

posted by L. Lukacs11/12/2007.

Good information is hard to find, CDFREAKS ***** 5 Stars

Thanks To Everyone at cdfreaks and to there community forum !!!

And Thank you to Patrick Peeters Of Nero!!!

"This show's Nero's Interest in the Community and Users of Nero’s Product's"

Ken

Duke Nukem Forever Teaser

MyNeroUserWithNicknameJanosch79@nero.com (Janosch79) — 20 Dec 2007 07:56:13 GMT

I just don't believe it. Duke Nukem Forever, the game wich just never will been published, has finally released a small teaser. Well have a look yourself. There might be one day where we all can say again "Shake it baby!" ;-)

Frohes neues Jahr

MyNeroUserWithNicknameAAxel@nero.com (AAxel) — 31 Dec 2007 22:09:12 GMT

und einen guten Rutsch ins neue Jahr allen My Nero Besuchern und dem ganzen Nero Team.

gruss axel :)

Nero 7 Update released 7/5/07

MyNeroUserWithNicknamebinkie7@nero.com (binkie7) — 06 Jul 2007 14:07:48 GMT

Nero released an update yesterday - 7.10.1.0

No release notes posted though on what fixes and/or enhancements are in this release. Nero can you help us out here?

I did a clean install just to check the audio sync problems - wiped out everything Nero/Ahead related.

Looks like this release may just take care of some of those audio sync problems that have been going on for some time in Nero 7.

I just spotted checked a few avi's that the audio was totally out of whack in previous versions w/ Showtime. To my amazement the audio was in sync :)

Now I just need to check if it fixed the problem burning to multiple recorders in 7.9.6.0.

I'll edit this blog if anything changes once I use this latest version a bit more.

Happy New Year !

MyNeroUserWithNicknameVistaboy2007@nero.com (Vistaboy2007) — 30 Dec 2007 09:07:43 GMT

Hallo !

Ich wünsche allen My Nero Usern einen guten Rutsch ins Neue Jahr. Viel Glück und Gesundheit. Lg. Ronald

PS: Ich war auch gestern wieder unterwegs in den Bergen um das Jahr ruhig ausklingen zu lassen. Ich hoffe die Bilder gefallen Euch. Bis bald

Trek autour de la cordillère HUAYHUASH, la plus belle et la plus sauvage du Pérou.

MyNeroUserWithNicknameAngevin@nero.com (Angevin) — 04 Jan 2008 07:51:57 GMT

Au jour le jour...

J0 Chiquian. Journée libre puis transfert en 4x4 à PACCLON.
J1 LAGUNA JARHUACOCHA 4066m
J2 JARHUACOCHA SAMBRUNYA PASS 4750m MATACANCHA 4100m
J3 CACANAN PASS 4750m Lac MITUCOCHA 4250m
J4 Lac CARHUACOCHA 4138m
J5 CARMICERO pass 4600m HUAYHUASH 4350m
J6 PORTACHUELO4750m Lac VICONGA 4500, troupeaux d'alpagas, mais aussi baignade dans l’eau chaude d’une source volcanique!
J7 CUYOC PASS 5050m QUEBRADA HUANACPATAY 4100 18h30, séisme à Huanacpatey. Aussitôt le groupe est debout sous un ciel noir où se lisent les étoiles et les constellations. Sous nos pieds, la masse colossale de la cordillère se déhanche. 2 longues minutes. Fin du séisme, mais lent retour au calme dans les poitrines. Ce n’est qu’à HUAYLLAPA, que nous saurons le drame d’ICA, 500 morts.
J8 Descente au village de HUAYLLAPA 3600m. Deuil et cérémonies à l’école.
J9 TAPUSH PASS 4800mGASHGAPAMPA 4500m Dernier bivouac : traditionnelle pachapampa avec un mouton tué 2 jours plus tôt.
J10 GASHGAPAMPA PACLLON 3350m

white & nerdy

MyNeroUserWithNicknametreskaan@nero.com (treskaan) — 24 Jan 2008 16:20:17 GMT

click here to watch the included content

How to make creative labels for DVD storage cases

MyNeroUserWithNicknameAVEYE@nero.com (AVEYE) — 24 Apr 2008 00:16:22 GMT

This TechCorner tutorial takes a step by step process on how to make original labels for printing on your home printer. This tutorial shows you how to do DVD box covers/storage cases; however you can use the same techniques for making other labels, like mini-cd.

Nero Applications used: Nero CoverDesigner

Duration: 5:30

Enjoy!

Foosball match

MyNeroUserWithNicknametruss@nero.com (truss) — 10 Jun 2008 14:28:02 GMT

As you might know, the European Soccer Championship has started :-)

What you probably don't know is that they installed an XXL foosball at the bowling centre Lago in Karlsruhe (Germany). The table provides 22 bars on each side which suits a complete soccer team! Sound fun! To increase the level of action and stress, they play with six balls simultaneous.

This is a really big idea, i reckon.

Viruses and Related Pestilences

MyNeroUserWithNicknamebinkie7@nero.com (binkie7) — 01 Jul 2007 03:05:18 GMT

Viruses, Worms and Trojans

What are they, how did they come about, signs of infection and what can I do to protect myself?

The term virus for computers is also commonly used for other malware just like the human virus can be many different types. This blog is just a broad view focusing on viruses, trojans and worms – the most common and destructive of the spread malicious software.

What’s the difference between them?

Viruses

Computer viruses act much in the same way as human viruses – they need to be spread from a ‘host’ and can range from being annoying to very serious. So basically they attach themselves to another object which can be a program, file etc.

A computer virus as a computer program written to alter the way a computers operates, without the permission or knowledge of a user. A true virus must replicate itself, and must execute itself.

Microsoft describes a virus as ‘software programs that are deliberately designed to interfere with computer operation, record, corrupt or delete data, or spread themselves to other computers and throughout the internet'.

Worms

Unlike like viruses worms do not need to be spread by a host file. A worm is a piece of software that uses computer networks and security flaws to create copies of itself. It’s an independent program that replicates itself by copying itself from computer to computer. Like real world worms internet worms replicate themselves. Though unlike real world worm they spread quickly which can cause havoc by overloading a system resource like an email server for example.

Trojans

We all know the story from Greek history -the gift that looked like a horse but had other intentions. Computer Trojans appear the same way. A Trojan is an imposter file(s) that claim to be something desirable but, in fact, are malicious.

Trojans are unlike viruses in that they cannot replicate automatically. They need to be invited in.

Trojans have two parts – server and client. Once run the server infects the user’s computer while the client allows the hack to manipulate data on the infected pc.

When did they come about?

Different dates are cited on when viruses were introduced. The earliest found though was from 1982. The virus called The Elk Cloner started as a joke and was made by Rich Skrenta. It was spread by floppy disc and put on a game. When the game was played for the 50th time instead of starting the game a blank screen appeared that read a poem about a virus name Elk Cloner.

The first worm that appeared was in 1988 created by a Cornell University student Robert Morris. It exploited a buffer overflow in the Unix Sendmail program. The worm spread quickly eating up resources and causing massive disruptions.

Trojans came a year after the first worm. 1989 introduced the AIDS Trojan. This Trojan was famous for holding data hostage. It was sent under the guise of an AIDS information program. Once executed this Trojan encrypted the unsuspecting user’s hard drive preventing them from accessing it. It even demanded payment for the decryption key or password!

How they are spread

As pc’s, networks and the internet have become more widespread so have ways of spreading viruses, worms and trojans. They are no longer limited to how they originally spread. In fact new ways of spreading are appearing all the time. As technology advances you can be sure ways of pc infection will not be far behind.

The most commons ways they are spread is through email attachments, web pages, website downloads, P2P and Bit Torrent networks, IRC, instant messaging, floppy discs and other portable media/storage devices like cd’s and flash drives.

Signs of Infection

Infections can come in many sizes and shapes. Here is a list of signs to looks out for:

· PC is running slow

· CPU is always at 100%

· A friend(s) tell you they received an email for you with an attachment that you didn’t send

· Anti Virus program is disabled and can’t be restarted

· Increase in files sizes

· Strange popup’s or alerts

· PC shuts down unexpectedly or reboots without warning

· Icons appear on your desktop of programs you didn’t install

· Files have been deleted from you hard drive mysteriously

Some from this list may not even be signs of infections – they can be signs of problems with your operating system or a buggy program for example. But be paranoid and try and get to the root cause of the symptom(s).

How to Protect Yourself

Each day new malicious software appears. At time it’s seems you need more protection on your pc’s then you do for your house! PC security is just as essential as home security – you wouldn’t leave you home open to invaders so don’t leave the pc open to them either.

First and foremost you’ll need anti virus software installed that offers ‘real time’ protection. Antivirus software will try and identify, stop and eliminate viruses and other malicious software. Real time protection or on access protection refers to the ability of the antivirus to scan files on the fly as they are either created/read (opened)/modified or executed (or some combination of). Also important is keeping the virus definitions updated of the program you are using. Most anti virus software have this set by default. Most antivirus software also have the option to run scans on demand or they can be set to scan on a regular basis. It’s a good idea to run these scans at least weekly.

Just as important is installing a firewall. A firewall is hardware or software solution to enforce security policies. In the physical security analogy, a firewall is equivalent to a door lock on a perimeter door or on a door to a room inside of the building - it permits only authorized users such as those with a key or access card to enter. A firewall has built-in filters that can disallow unauthorized or potentially dangerous material from entering the system. It also logs attempted intrusions. The firewall is your barrier against the potentially dangerous users and programs on the internet.

Keep up to date on all patches and updates for operating system. Some of these updates are specifically for new security holes that have been found. The updates and patches help close them.

If you receive an email with an attachment from an unknown sender don’t open it. Chances are it’s not something good. Delete it even if your antivirus didn’t flag it as suspicious. Even opening an attachment from someone you know may be harmful. They may be infected. If you weren’t expecting it confirm the attachment with the sender.

If you’re using a Windows operating system have it set to show the file extensions. This will show you what the file really is. What you may think is just a jpg could turn out to be .jpg.exe. Developers of malicious software know some of the flaws, vulnerabilities and default settings of Windows and will try to disguise the file so that you are more apt to open it. Showing the file extensions helps take that mask away from them.

Even though most pc infections are spread thru email and the internet now don’t let your guard down on floppy discs, cd’s and portable storage devices. Always scan them first before copying any files or running any programs from them.

HD-DVD vs. Blu-Ray: The Australian Perspective

MyNeroUserWithNicknameIanFarquhar@nero.com (IanFarquhar) — 06 Dec 2007 22:03:16 GMT

I was at a major retailer yesterday, and saw a large pile of Toshiba HD-DVD players for sale. HD-DVD is the "also ran" format in Australia by a wide margin, with the XBOX360 add-on drive holding the majority of the HD-DVD player market.

This is the first time I'd ever seen HD-DVD players available "on the floor" from a major retailer. Previously, if I'd ask about HD-DVD, they'd shuffle and say they could get a player in, but didn't carry them, and that I really should consider Blu-Ray instead. Everyone carries Blu-Ray.

The Toshiba HD-A2 (list price US$299) is not available here, but its equivalent in Europe and ANZ is the Toshiba HD-E2. This is retailing at around AUD$550, which is about US$480. Like the A2, the E2 is limited to 1080i. Externally it looks like the same unit, so I'm guessing it is probably mostly identical internally too.

BTW, before anyone calls the HD-A2 the "$99" player, it's not. The BOM (Bill of Materials) cost for the A2 would be close to $99, without including distribution or marketing or retailer profit. The $99 price was a "loss leader" sale, designed to get headlines. It is not a sustainable price, and while interesting for political reasons - especially the question of who subsidized the promotion (I'm looking at you Microsoft) - it doesn't represent a true market entry.

Back to the store: the sales manager had some interesting news. He said that the Toshiba rep had told him that post-Christmas prices would drop significantly, putting the HD-E2 in the AUD$299-$349 range. This makes it still more expensive than the HD-A2, but the difference is less egregious.

So, Toshiba's strategy: price gouge until after Christmas, then sell them at closer to the price the rest of the world enjoys.

My strong feeling is that the "tipping point" price for the low-end player is AUD$250. Right now, the format war makes either format a risky purchase. But most middle- to high-income earners would consider AUD$250 to be low enough to accept the risk. Below AUD$199 and it's a killer. The advent of the sub-$200 player around 2000 is when DVD's really look off in Australia, so my $250 is really just that, scaled for 7 years of inflation.

In Blu-Ray news, players are still start at around the AUD$650 mark, comparable to the price of a PS3. Blu-Ray titles are still moving off the shelves significantly faster than HD-DVD's (3:1 is what I was told by one retailer), but it's also notable that many stores are discounting both formats right now. JB, for example, has a "buy two get the third free" offer right now, which could suggest that their HD disk sales for both formats are not meeting expectations.

Perhaps this is also due to the price premium of around 33% for a HD titles, with a new-release DVD averaging AUD$25 to AUD$30, and the equivalent HD-DVD or Blu-Ray in the AUD$40-AUD$45 price range?

Another possibility is that they're expecting a post-Christmas rush of new titles, and need to clear the shelves of the first batch, which were largely back catalog reissues. This is supported by a rumor I heard, which suggested that Sony was holding back a lot of releases with the aim of tidal-waving HD-DVD in the new year (mostly on the back of Christmas PS3 sales). If true, that's a risky strategy.

Finally, a thought on the format wars. I was listening to a commentator on TV the other day, bemoaning the format wars. He had very little interesting to say, but it did remind me of an old conundrum.

One thing which is always forgotten is that DVD was, mostly, a good format. I could argue about the hideous frame rate conversion hacks (inverse telecine for NTSC and 24 to 25 upspeeding for PAL), and PuOPs, but otherwise the DVD design was pretty damn good.

But saying just one format is better for consumers assumes that the one format was good. I'd call that an unreasonable assumption, especially where Hollywood studios are involved.

So that's the conundrum, and definitely something worth thinking about. Which is worse, a bad standard, or no standard at all?

Haus

MyNeroUserWithNicknameAAxel@nero.com (AAxel) — 12 Dec 2007 14:12:59 GMT

blumios lieblingsrapper

MyNeroUserWithNicknametreskaan@nero.com (treskaan) — 18 Jan 2008 08:52:51 GMT

click here to watch the included content

Deutsche Sprache, schwere Sprache

MyNeroUserWithNicknameJanosch79@nero.com (Janosch79) — 06 Mar 2008 13:21:25 GMT

Was der Aldi so alles im Angebot hat :-D

Nero v Roxio: Episode 1-The Phantom Photos

MyNeroUserWithNicknameChronophage@nero.com (Chronophage) — 08 Jul 2008 00:26:20 GMT

Ok guys, so I could start our epic comparison from just about any angle. But, I'll keep it simple and begin with something almost every average photographer (like myself) could find helpful: Getting my hundreds of trapped photos onto my computer so my friends will stop nagging me to send them...

Don't worry, I'll get to the disc copying, music lineups, etc. very soon.

*** Just so we're all on the same page I have one quick note: Most of these will read as my thoughts... Imagine that I'm writing down my reactions while using the software. How many times have we thought: "Why doesn't it just......." I'm trying to make sense for your average Joe.

First up: Roxio's Photo Guide:

"Is it just me or does Roxio seem to freeze up all the time? All I tried to do is import photos from my camera, but suddenly I couldn’t get back to the window that showed the photos. Good lord, but I know there are pics in those spaces, but I’m getting the no smoking symbol covering the half of them.

Moving photos into folders is fairly important to me and so far, I’m not particularly impressed. I cannot even move these files that have the red bars on them… not good. If there are going to be a couple hundred of these pics, I'm sure not going to put up with this issue for too long. I'm going to see if Nero can do a better job of recognizing the photos on my Canon camera."