Nero will now include DVD ISO/UDF/UDF Bridge, Bootable DVD, DVD Copy, and DVD Image. The latest upgrade of InCD, version 3, will incorporate UDF packet writing for compatible DVD+RW and DVD-RW drives.

Supporting a multitude of formats and applications, Nero is the industry's premier CD Recording solution earning numerous accolades and awards worldwide for offering unrivalled power, performance and feature sets.

Addressing the needs of both the CDR and Recordable DVD users, the new breed of Super combo drives (CDRW/DVD/RW) are set to give an unparalleled amount of options to users. Moreover the controllability and feature set of the software takes on a new meaning if this is to be fully realised, and Nero is the best example of a truly integrated solution for any CDRW/DVD/RW application.

InCD 3 is an integrated packet writing solution that has the utmost stability, ease of use, and compatibility, across all Windows operating systems. Automatically launched when Windows is booted, InCD 3 provides flexible drive letter access to the CD-RW, DVD+RW or DVD-RW drive providing simple drag and drop or direct save options within applications. Files can be saved, renamed and deleted, just as with other rewritable storage mediums such as MO, floppy, or hard disk. InCD 3 uses UDF v1.5 file system, the world standard file format endorsed by OSTA (Optical Storage Technology Association).

Nero's MPEG-2 encoder has been born out of a need for fast, highest quality 2-pass encoding, with seamless Nero integration for SVCD creation without the need for a separate application. Nero already includes a high quality MPEG-1 encoder, and this is also set to receive an update to make it the only choice for VCD conversion and recording.

Jenny Menhart, Ahead Software's Marketing Manager said, ``The unparallel growth of consumer based DVD systems, and new lower cost DVD ReWritable systems, mean affordable desktop video creation is very much a reality. To compliment the MPEG-2 encoder and Nero's overall DVD support, we can look forward to more related products in the future''

Pricing and Availability

Ahead's Nero MPEG-2 encoder will be available at the end of August directly from the Nero web site at www.nero.com. Nero, with DVD support, is available immediately for download from the Nero site with InCD Version 3.0 to follow next month. Ahead products can be purchased directly from www.nero.com or at local retail outlets.

About Ahead

Ahead Software AG is one of the industry's leading privately held developers of software applications for CD-R/RW, DVD, and Internet Audio. Its flagship product Nero can be found bundled in many regions of the World with leading drive manufacturers including: Acer, Asus, Aopen, HP, Lite-On, Mitsumi, NEC, Philips, Plextor, Ricoh, Samsung, TDK, Teac, Ultima and Yamaha. In addition to a strong global retail and distribution presence Ahead maintains strong OEM relationships with major computer system and hardware manufacturers, as well as other strategic partners. Ahead Software is headquartered in Karlsbad, Germany. US Technical Support is available by telephone: 515-288 2608 or Email: [email protected]

Nero® is a registered trademark. InCD is a trademark of Ahead Software AG. Any other product names are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective companies.