Nero Jumps on Blu-ray Bandwagon

By Ian Bell September 1, 2005

Last week we wrote that CyberLink will be supporting the Blu-ray format with their latest software, now Nero will be as well. Designtechnica’s Rob Enderle is predicting that Blu-ray will be the format of choice despite its short-comings.

Nero 6 Reloaded, the all in one CD/DVD/blue laser burning solution, possesses the ability to record data and video with a blue laser onto Blu-ray media. Nero ShowTime 2 allows users to play back all digital recordings including video recorded on Blu-ray discs, movies, TV programs, home videos, DVD video all with high-quality picture and sound quality.

Nero showed off their latest software at this years IFA 2005 conference in Berlin Germany. “Nero’s embrace of Blu-ray technology is integral to our mission to provide the most powerful and up-to-date recording solutions for our customers,” says Nero’s Jim Corbett, Executive Director of Nero AG. “We encourage everyone who attends the IFA show to see it in action at the Philips booth, and to rely on Nero for applications that bring this new standard to life.”

The high-definition (HD) movie features achieved by using Blu-ray single-layer media with Nero applications include six hours of HD movie playback, 11 hours of standard content playback, and Dolby Digital multichannel surround playback with 40 Mbps maximum bit rate for ultra high quality. Nero ShowTime 2 supports playback of Blu-ray video discs in AVC/MPEG-2 high definition.

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Usually $1,500, this HP gaming PC with an RTX 4070 is $800 today

The HP Omen 40L sitting on a coffee table.

While gaming laptops tend to get all the love and attention these days, that doesn't mean that the gaming desktop market hasn't also been booming quite significantly. It used to be that you had to build your PC from scratch or buy from a boutique seller, but now even the big brands have gotten into the pre-built gaming PC market. One great example is the Omen 40L gaming desktop from HP, with this entry-level configuration going for just $800 rather than the usual $1,500, which amounts to a whopping $700 discount.

Why you should buy the OMEN 40L Gaming Desktop
The Omen 40L has a lot of configurations to pick from, and while they aren't all a great deal, this one starts on an excellent foundation. At the heart of the build is an RTX 4060, an excellent 1080p GPU that should handle most modern games just fine with high graphical fidelity and above 100 frames per second. That said, you can do quite a few upgrades in the Customizer, and probably one of the better options would be the RTX 4060 Ti for an extra $160, although if you're willing to spend all of the discount, you could also potentially go for an RTX 4080 for $990.

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Get this HP 17-inch laptop for $300 instead of the usual $660

The HP 17-inch laptop against a white background.

Seventeen-inch laptops toe the line between portability and size, making them more expensive than your average laptop. Some of the best 17-inch laptops can easily cost you thousands of dollars. Luckily, there HP has come up with a very budget-friendly solution in the form of the HP laptop 17z, and while it's not one of the best laptops on the market, it is an excellent budget-oriented choice for a 17-inch laptop. Even better, HP currently discounts it down to $300 from the usual $560 price tag, which is a significant $260 off.

Why you should buy the HP Laptop 17z
As the name implies, the HP Laptop 17z has a large 17.3-inch screen running a 1920 x 1080 resolution and can hit a peak brightness of 250nits, which isn't a lot, but it's good enough for a well-lit room, especially with its anti-glare coating. You could potentially upgrade to a touch version of the screen for $30, but since it would knock the resolution down to 1600 x 900, it's not worth it, especially with a larger 17.3-inch screen. What will be worth the upgrade is taking the networking option from the Wi-Fi5 and Bluetooth 4.2 standard up to the Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5 standard for an extra $20, which will make sure your laptop has a strong connection for streaming or doing online meetings and will be future-proof for at least the next 5-6 years.

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Get a lifetime of 1TB cloud storage for $160

Using Koofr cloud storage on a phone.

One thing about most of the best cloud storage services that you're sure not to like is having to pay for them. Again and again, month after month, they ask for money to continue holding your files. It makes sense, in a way, as their servers take constant real estate and electricity to maintain. Now, though, you can get a lifetime of terabyte cloud storage on Koofr for just $160. The usual price would be $810, so this saves you $650 in total. And, naturally, Koofr's cloud storage has special features that you'll want to know about, too. So, go ahead and tap the button below to find the deal — it'll only be going on for a limited amount of time — and continue reading to see why we like this deal and what makes Koofr special.

Why you should buy cloud storage on Koofr
While Koofr is an advanced cloud storage system, with advanced file management and accessibility from nearly all of your devices, there are two primary reasons to purchase this deal: Security and value.