Nero Software with Blu-ray Technology to Showcase at Philips Booth at IFA Show in Berlin; Nero 6 Reloaded Among First Platforms to Support New High-Capacity Blue Laser Optical Disc Format

Business Wire, Sept 1, 2005

BERLIN -- Nero, leaders in digital media technology, and Royal Philips Electronics, a world leader in optical storage and a founding member of the Blu-ray Disc Association, announced today that Philips will demonstrate the new Blu-ray optical disc format at IFA 2005, September 2 through 7 in Berlin, Germany.

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.

Blu-ray Disc (BD) is a next-generation optical disc format jointly developed by the Blu-ray Disc Association (BDA), a group of leading consumer electronics and PC companies. While current optical disc technologies such as DVD, DVD R, DVD RW, and DVD-RAM use a red laser to read and write data, the new format uses a blue-violet laser with a shorter wavelength (405nm) than a red laser (650nm), which makes it possible to focus the laser spot with even greater precision. This allows data to be packed more tightly and stored in less space, so it's possible to fit more data on the disc even though it's the same size as a CD/DVD. Blu-ray is expected to replace VCRs and DVD recorders with the transition to HDTV over the coming years. The format is also likely to become a standard for PC data storage and HD movies in the future.

Using Philips triple writer Blu-ray Disc drive features in Nero applications offers a number of advantages, beginning with writing support for Blu-ray single-layer (25GB), and a new "pseudo-overwrite" method for BD-R. Nero Burning ROM and Nero Express use the Blu-ray disc features for data mastering, and InCD uses the Blu-ray disc features for packet writing.

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.

"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."

Frank Simonis, Strategic Marketing Director Philips Optical Storage, says: "In bringing a new high-capacity recording standard to the market, addressing the needs of people who want to play pre-recorded content is only part of the equation. It's also vital to ensure that users around the world will have a powerful, easy way to create their own recordings using the new format. It's natural for Nero to take the lead with software that unlocks Blu-ray Recordable and Rewritable format potential."

The Philips display at IFA 2005 will be located in Hall 22, at the Blu-Ray Disc corner and moreover live demonstrations will be shown at Nero booth in Hall 1.1, booth 203.

For additional information on Nero products, visit www.nero.com.

About Nero

Nero provides state-of-the-art software solutions for the global digital media market. Since the company was founded in 1995, its products have established a loyal clientele of more than 180 million users throughout the world.

Nero offers the industry's most reliable CD/DVD-software applications. Its award-winning flagship product, Nero 6, includes all the applications and functionalities needed in the digital media field. Other Nero products include the MPEG 4 based audio/video technology - Nero Digital(TM), the simple and complete photo solution - Nero PhotoShow Elite, and SIPPS(TM) and SIPPSTAR PBX, which provide voice-over IP solutions for private and business customers.

Nero products are globally distributed by leading hardware manufacturers, international distribution partners and online portals, as well as directly via www.nero.com. Nero Inc. in Glendale, California, USA and Nero K.K. in Yokohama, Japan are subsidiaries of Nero AG, based in Karlsbad, Germany.

Nero(R), Nero Digital(TM) and SIPPS(TM) are trademarks of Nero AG and its subsidiaries. Any other product names are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective owners.

(C) 2005 Nero. All rights reserved.