The Nero software package started as Nero Burning ROM, a CD/DVD-burning program, but 2015 Platinum now covers nearly all the media bases, through a multitude of interrelated applications. These are divided into four main areas on Nero 2015 Platinum’s annoyingly non-windowed launcher screen. Nero MediaHome, Nero Media Browser and a Blu-ray player sit under Manage and Play; Nero Video, Nero Recode and Creative Content live under Edit and Convert; Nero Burning ROM and Nero Express sit under Rip and Burn; and Nero BackItUp and Nero Rescue Agent, unsurprisingly, are headlined Backup and Rescue. See also: best backup software. Nero BackItUp and Creative Content aren’t included on the Nero 2015 Platinum DVD and have to be downloaded separately, like other optional extras, such as Nero WaveEditor. The backup product is fully automated and can either use the 5 GB of online storage supplied with the suite, or your own local storage. It only handles files only, though, not drive/system backup. Backing up music and especially videos is almost bound to require more than 5 GB, of course, and £5.49 a month rents unlimited storage. Nero has always been good at following trends and as CDs and DVDs have given way to other forms of storage, it has steered its way toward media management and streaming. Nero 2015 Platinum continues this move by covering mobile devices and many of the new features are aimed at Android and iOS users. There are five new applications available: BackItUp, AirBurn, MediaHome Receiver, MediaHome WiFi Sync and Nero Manuals. The last of these displays manuals for the Windows programs on an Android or iOS device, although it would be good to have them on the PC, too – they’re only via your browser. BackItUp can be used to backup your entire phone or tablet to a memory card, a Windows PC via WiFi or again to that 5 GB of online storage. Backups can include phone settings and messages, if you select them. AirBurn helps you compile media from your mobile device and burn it to optical disc via Nero Burning ROM, as a one-click task. MediaHome Receiver links your device to your PC for playing music, slide shows or videos from the library on your PC. MediaHome WiFi Sync syncs selected media between PC and Android device – iOS users still need to use iTunes. Nero MediaHome can also stream from your PC, via your wireless router to any DNLA device that can latch into the network. This includes smart TVs and media receivers. The application indexes all your photos, music and videos and enables you to match faces in photos and display your media on a timeline or in other categories. You can add folders for it to watch, although it’s harder to get it to disregard ones it has picked for itself. The main PC applications in Nero 2015 Platinum generally benefit only from minor tweaks. New facilities such as being able to change disc formats on the fly while authoring a video and the addition of extra, professional-grade fonts improve the Nero Video offering. You can tag photos and videos with name and place info, to help with indexing and selection in Nero MediaHome. (See all software reviews.) Read next: Best media streamers.
