Nero 2014 Platinum review: Burning and media creation suite gets easier to use

Nero 2014 Platinum $130.00 Nero is still one of the most capable of the burning suites, and it fills most users' needs in the creative department (video editing and production, slideshows, etc.), but most improvements in version...

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The ever-competent Nero disc-burning and multimedia creation suite takes on almost easy-to-use status in its latest incarnation, Nero 2014. Considering that the platinum version of 2014 burns all manner of optical discs, converts video for nearly all devices, plays Blu-ray movies, and provides about 90% or the media creation and editing features of more expensive suites, it's also a bargain at $130 (with a 15-day free trial).

The new look of most of Nero 2014's modules is clean and easy, and it introduces drag-and-drop features that were formerly missing.

Under-the-hood improvements in version 2014 include faster encoding, streaming video to TVs, and support for 4K video. But the big changes are in usability. Other modules have adopted the modern look of the included Nero MediaHome app, which is a very good media librarian and player for video, audio, and photos.

The modules that have fully adopted the new look are Nero Video, a very competent video editing program with near pro-level abilities including Blu-ray and 3D disc authoring; Nero Recode, a program for transcoding video to a number of formats and devices that's up there with the best standalones; and the Nero Blu-ray Player for BD (plain and 3D) playback.

Alas, both Nero Burning ROM (the original disc-burning Nero program that started it all) and Nero Express (the lite version of Burning ROM) still suffer under the clunky old interface. Nero claims users are resistant to change. Me? I'd rather see the new look.

The new launch application for Nero looks good in Windows 8 Metro, but runs only full-screen and is less easy to work from on the desktop.

There always seems to be one what-were-they-thinking element in Nero suites. In this case, it's the nod towards Windows 8 in the form of the new launch center. It looks Windows 8-ish and works well, but it only runs full screen or minimized. As everything else in Nero runs in desktop mode, the approach makes little sense. Note that the Nero BackItUp program is no longer included, but there is a very large collection of pre-fab artistic content such as templates, backgrounds, video FX, etc.

In my hands-on with the suite, Nero 2014 seemed less buggy than the first release of Nero 12. That's a good start, but you should also know that the company is usually very quick with the bug fixes, should you run into any.

Nero remains at the top of the heap when it comes to disc creation, and it has more than enough video, photo, and audio creative abilities to satisfy the average user. It should definitely be on your short shopping list of budget suites, along with Cyberlink's Media Suite 11 and Roxio's Easy Media Creator NXT 2.

Note: The Download button takes you to the vendor's site, where you can download the latest version of the software.

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Design or Remodel With HGTV Home & Landscape Platinum Suite

I watch a lot of HGTV, and I'm always impressed when the network's designers whip open a laptop and reveal an entirely redesigned living space, as if by magic. I was hoping to tap into a little of that magic with HGTV Home & Landscape Platinum Suite Version 3, a $50 buy-only application designed to allow novices like me to create interior and exterior plans for a new house or a redesign of an existing one.

Several hours and one uncompleted kitchen design later, I'm still waiting for the magic to kick in. Home & Landscape Platinum Suite may be designed for novices, but it requires a sizable learning curve. Even after watching video tutorials and perusing the 672-page user manual, I still find some aspects of the software confusing. But that is, in large part, because this low-priced application offers many, many features.

HGTV Home & Landscape Platinum Suite lets you pretend to be one of the network's home design experts.To its credit, Home & Landscape Platinum Suite does guide you through using its many features as best it can. When you begin a project, a tutorial window appears to guide you through the process. And every time you click a new tool, the tutorial window helps you use it. You can turn these tips off, but I never felt comfortable enough to do so.

I used the HGTV software to create my dream house, based on nothing more than a design in my head. The experience was fun, though it took a bit of time, especially when it came to adding doors, windows, and interior design elements, like fireplaces. The result was impressive, especially when viewed with the application's 3D capability.

The results were less impressive when I tried to use the software to remodel my existing kitchen. That's because I found it cumbersome to place all of the existing elements, like cabinets, sinks, and load-bearing walls, in their exact location. When I was creating my imaginary abode, I was able to fudge on the details a bit whenever necessary, but when held to a more exacting standard, I found the experience frustrating. To be fair, the same was true when I tested the kitchen-specific IKEA Home Planner and Punch Software's Home & Landscape Design NexGen 3.

In fact, much about HGTV Home & Landscape Platinum Suite is similar to Punch Software's design suite. Both applications feature many of the same drag-and-drop tools, and the 3D renderings of the buildings you design look very much alike. HGTV's application does come with the branding that many do-it-yourselfers will trust, and it does offer a bit more hand-holding than its similarly-priced rival from Punch Software.

I also like how it allowed me to take a photo of an existing room and view it with a different color of paint. This is a trick that HGTV's designers accomplish on-air as if by magic, while I sat at my computer, struggling through my first few attempts. HGTV Home & Landscape Platinum Suite is a capable, complete package, but it also can be a confusing one.

-- Liane Cassavoy

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