Nero Home User Manual
Nero Home Manual
Nero AG
Copyright and Trademark Information
The Nero Home manual and all its contents are protected by copyright and are the property
of Nero AG. All rights reserved. This manual contains material that is protected by internationally valid copyright. No part of this manual may be reproduced, transmitted or transcribed
without the express written permission of Nero AG
Nero AG rejects any claims that transcend the clauses of the guarantee rights. Nero AG
does not undertake any liability for the correctness of the content of the Nero Home manual.
The contents of the software supplied, as well as of the Nero Home manual, may be
changed without prior warning.
All trade names and trademarks are the property of their respective owners.
The trademarks mentioned here are named for information purposes only.
Copyright © 2006 by Nero AG, Karlsbad, Germany.
REV 4.0 – 1.5.999.8
Contents
Contents
1 General information 6
1.1 About the manual 6
1.2 About Nero Home 6
1.3 Versions of Nero Home 7
2 Technical information 8
2.1 System requirements 8
2.2 Formats supported 9
3 Program start 10
3.1 Starting Nero Home via Nero StartSmart 10
3.2 Starting Nero Home directly 11
4 Nero Home start screen 12
4.1 Direct links to the start screen 12
5 Buttons in the main screens 14
6 Settings in Nero Home 15
6.1 Easy Setup Wizard 15
6.1.1 Basic settings 15
6.1.2 Advanced features 18
6.2 Settings main screen 20
6.2.1 General settings 22
6.2.2 Setting scan options for media 22
6.2.3 Changing the appearance of the program 24
6.2.4 Enabling timeshifting 25
6.2.5 Configuring a TV or recording card 27
6.2.6 Options for TV recordings 28
6.2.7 Video Settings 29
6.2.8 DVD Settings 30
6.2.9 Audio Settings 31
6.2.10 Setting playback defaults for slide shows 33
6.2.11 Defining effects for slide shows 34
6.2.12 Defining favorite transitions for slide shows 35
6.2.13 Save slide show as movie 36
6.2.14 Setting burning options for music collections 37
6.2.15 Setting burn options for slide shows 38
6.2.16 Setting burn options for videos 40
6.2.17 Setting burn options for mixed collections 40
Page 3
Contents
7 Music & Radio main screen 42
7.1 Playing music 42
7.2 Displaying playback buttons 43
7.3 Setting up radio channels 44
7.3.1 Renaming radio channels 45
7.3.2 Adding radio channels to radio favorites 46
7.3.3 Removing radio channels from radio favorites 46
7.4 Burning a music collection 46
8 Photos main screen 48
8.1 Displaying photos 48
8.2 Creating a slide show with background music 49
8.3 Playing a slide show 50
8.4 Finding from region 51
8.5 Burning a photo collection 51
9 Video & TV main screen 53
9.1 Setting up TV channels 53
9.1.1 Displaying TV channels 53
9.1.2 Rename TV channels 54
9.1.3 Adding TV channels to TV favorites 55
9.1.4 Removing TV channels from TV favorites 55
9.2 Watching TV programs 55
9.3 Displaying the information panel 57
9.4 Displaying picture-in-picture 58
9.5 Watching TV recordings 59
9.6 Recording programs in progress 60
9.7 Scheduling new recordings 60
9.8 Playing videos 61
9.9 Configuring the electronic program guide (EPG) 63
9.10 Mapping the electronic program guide (EPG) 64
9.11 Using the electronic program guide (EPG) 64
10 Devices main screen 66
10.1 Live TV streaming in the network 66
11 Collections main screen 68
11.1 Playing a collection 68
11.2 Creating a collection 69
11.3 Editing a collection 71
11.4 Burning a collection 71
11.5 Exporting a slide show 72
Page 4
Contents
12 Search main screen 74
13 Photo, audio, and video discs 75
14 Key combinations 76
15 Index 77
16 Contact 80
Page 5
General information
1 General information
1.1 About the manual
This manual is intended for all users who wish to learn how to use Nero Home. It takes a
practical approach and explains how to reach a particular objective on a step-by-step basis.
In order to make best use of this manual, please note the following conventions:
Symbol Meaning
Indicates warnings or instructions that have to be followed
1. Start…
Æ
Î
OK
Chapter
strictly.
Indicates additional information or advice.
A number at the beginning of a line indicates a request for action. Carry out these actions in the order specified.
Indicates an intermediate result.
Indicates a result.
Indicates text passages, entries or buttons that appear in the
program interface. They are displayed in bold face.
Indicates references to other chapters. They are executed as
links and are shown in red and underlined.
1.2 About Nero Home
Nero Home combines television and the recording of television programs with playback of
DVD-Videos and audio/video files in an easy-to-use interface. Nero Home does more than
just play your media files, however; it can also catalog them and organize them into individual libraries. It allows you to compile files from various media into a playlist, for example a
slide slide with videos and images accented with background music. Intelligent sorting functions allow you to search by file type, track, artist, album, etc., as well as by meta information. Hot-pluggable devices such as cameras and memory cards are detected immediately
and their content can be added directly to the database. Wizards are provided to assist you
with configuration, for example scanning for television channels and regional settings. Nero
Home is controlled via the computer or various PC remote controls.
Page 6
General information
1.3 Versions of Nero Home
Nero Home is available in 3 different versions:
Nero Home, Nero Home Essentials, and Nero Home Essentials SE.
Nero Home and Nero Home Essentials offer the full range of functions, only Nero Home Es-
sentials SE does not offer the following functions:
Timeshifting (see Enabling timeshifting)
Scheduling of TV recordings (see Scheduling new recordings)
Photo collections can only be exported in SVCD/DVD format with a license for the
MPEG-2 codec (see
SVCDs/DVD videos ca\n only be burned if you have a license for the MPEG-2 -codec
Setting burn options for videos)
(see
Finding similar photos (see Finding Similar Photos)
Nero Surround Technology (see Audio Settings)
Exporting a slide show)
Page 7
Technical information
2 Technical information
2.1 System requirements
In addition to the general system requirements for the Nero program package, the following
individual system requirements apply for Nero Home:
Microsoft® DirectX® 9.0b or higher
Optional:
TV tuner or video recorder card for analog and digital (DVB-T, DVB-S, DVB-C and ATSC)
recordings, compatible with the BDA driver standard (Broadcast Driver Architecture);
Nero Home does not support video recording with FireWire® (OHCI 1394)
DVD-Video plug-in for DVD-Video functions and encoding in Dolby® Digital 2-
channel sound (the DVD-Video plug-in is already included in the retail version).
Installation of the latest WHQL certified device drivers is recommended. WHQL stands for
Windows Hardware Quality Labs and means that the device driver certified by Microsoft
compatible with Microsoft
You will find a list of compatible devices on our web page under:
http://www.nero.com/nero7/eng/capture_devices_nh.php.
Operating Nero Home
In addition to using your keyboard and mouse, you can also control Nero Home using a
range of PC remote controls. You will find a list of supported devices on our web page un-
http://www.nero.com/nero7/eng/Nero_Home_Features.html.
der
Note, however, that you cannot select multiple files by remote control at present.
®
Windows® and the respective hardware.
®
is
Page 8
Technical information
A
2.2 Formats supported
Nero Home supports the most popular formats for both audio, video, and photo files as well
as meta data.
Meta data contains details about the artist, album, title, running time, bit rate, resolution, etc.
This makes it possible to categorize recordings by type (audio, video or photos) and users
can find files sorted according to performer, album and genre.
udio formats Video formats
MP3
MP4 (audio)
WAV
AAC
OGG Vorbis*
WMA*
WMA (DRM-
supported)*
AC3 2.0, 5.1
AIFF
CDA
MPEG-1 audio
MPEG-2 audio
* Codec must be installed
** Check the specifications for your player to make sure it can play Blu-ray and HD DVD.
MPEG-1
MPEG-2
MPEG-4
Quicktime
DV-AVI
AVI
WMV*
WMV (DRM-
supported)*
Image for-
mats
JPEG
PNG
GIF
BMP
TIFF
TGA
Meta data Disc formats
ID3 tags
(V1.1/V2)
JPEG
PNG
BMP
GIF
TIFF
AVI
MPEG-1
MPEG-2
Nero Digital™
(MPEG-4)
WMV
MP3
OGG Vorbis
WAV
Blu-Ray Disc**
HD DVD**
DVD-Video
VCD 2.0/SVCD
miniDVD (DVD
files on CD)
Nero Digital™
DVD-Video and
(S)VCD playback
from file
Page 9
Program start
3 Program start
3.1 Starting Nero Home via Nero StartSmart
To start Nero Home via Nero StartSmart, proceed as follows:
1. Click on the Nero StartSmart icon.
Æ The Nero StartSmart window is opened.
2. Click on the arrow button on the left side of the screen.
Æ The extended dialog box is opened.
3. Select Nero Home in the Applications drop-down menu.
Æ The Nero Home window is opened.
Î You have started Nero Home via Nero StartSmart.
The first time you launch Nero Home, the start screen of the Easy Setup wizard will automatically appear to guide you through the basic installation of Nero Home on a step-bystep basis (see
Easy Setup Wizard).
Fig. 1: Nero StartSmart
Page 10
Program start
3.2 Starting Nero Home directly
To start Nero Home directly, proceed as follows:
1. Click on the Nero Home icon on your desktop.
Æ The Nero Home window is opened.
Î You have started Nero Home.
The first time you launch Nero Home, the start screen of the Easy Setup wizard will automatically appear to guide you through the basic installation of Nero Home on a step-bystep basis (see
Easy Setup Wizard).
Fig. 2: Nero Home start screen
Page 11
Nero Home start screen
4 Nero Home start screen
You access the seven main screens within Nero Home by double-clicking on the menu icons
in the start screen.
The following menu icons are available:
Menu icons
Opens the main Settings screen.
The options available here include changing the appearance of Nero
Home, enabling timeshifting, configuring the TV card on your PC, slide
show, video and audio functions and burning discs. You can also reconfigure the basic settings at any time using the Easy Setup wizard.
Opens the Music & Radio main screen.
You can manage and play your music tracks here, as well as compiling
and burning new music collections.
You can also manage and play the web and DVB radio channels av ailable
here.
Opens the Photos main screen.
Here you can manage your photos and slide shows, play slide shows as
well as compile new photo collections.
Opens the Video & TV main screen.
Here you can manage and play your videos and compile and burn new
video collections. You can also select the required TV channels and trigger recordings directly or plan them in advance.
Opens the Collections main screen.
Here you can manage and play existing collections as well as compile and
burn new collections containing music, photos, and videos.
Opens the Devices main screen.
Here you can access all local drives and folders.
Enables the search function and opens an input field for search terms.
4.1 Direct links to the start screen
Three additional direct links are available in the start screen under the menu icons for the
Collections, Video & TV, Devices, Music &Radio, Photos and Settings areas.
The following buttons are available:
Photos
Last Added
By Album
By Date
Opens the Last Added screen.
Opens the By Album screen.
Opens the By Date screen.
Page 12
Nero Home start screen
Music & Radio
Last Added
By Album
Favorites
Collections
View Collected Items
Slide Shows
Music
Video & TV
Live TV
Video
TV
Devices
My Computer
My Documents
MediaHome Network
Settings
Easy Setup
Burning
Configure EPG
A direct link to the relevant disc is available under Devices as long as a disc is inserted in
the drive. The Station link is grayed out.
Opens the Last Added screen.
Opens the By Album screen.
Opens the Favorites screen in the Radio folder.
Opens the Collected Items screen.
Opens the Slide Shows screen.
Opens the Music Collections screen.
Opens the All Channels screen.
Opens the Videos screen.
Opens the All Channels screen.
Opens the My Computer screen.
Opens the My Documents screen.
Opens the MediaHome Network screen.
Starts the Easy Setup wizard.
Opens the Burning screen.
Opens the TV Programs screen.
Page 13
Buttons in the main screens
5 Buttons in the main screens
The following buttons are available in the Nero Home Music & Radio, Collections, Photos,
Video & TV and Devices main screens:
Back
Play
Collect
View Collected
Items
Save as Collection
Remove from
Nero Scout
Select All
Display As ...
Returns to the previous screen.
Plays all the highlighted files or all files stored in the high-
lighted folders.
Selects individual files for storage in a collection.
Lists all the files currently selected for storage in a collection.
Saves the current collection under a new name.
Removes the selected files from the Nero Scout catalog.
Selects all the folders or files shown on the screen.
Changes how the files found will be displayed. The display
mode currently active is shown in the square brackets (me-
dium size or icon).
Operating Nero Home
In addition to using your keyboard and mouse, you can also control Nero Home using a
range of PC remote controls. You will find a list of supported devices on our web page
under
http://www.nero.com/nero7/eng/Nero_Home_Features.html.
Note, however, that you cannot select multiple files by remote control at present.
Page 14
Settings in Nero Home
6 Settings in Nero Home
6.1 Easy Setup Wizard
The first time you launch Nero Home, the start screen of the Easy Setup wizard will automatically appear. This wizard will guide you through the basic installation of Nero Home on a
step-by-step basis and cannot be canceled.
Once you have made all the basic setting entries you can start Nero Home immediately or
use the wizard to make settings.
You can change all the settings at any time in the Settings main screen (see
main screen
You can reconfigure the basic settings at any time using the Easy Setup wizard. Click
on the Settings > Easy Setup menu icon in the Nero Home start screen to start the
wizard.
6.1.1 Basic settings
To make the basic settings proceed as follows:
1. Click on the Let's get started button in the start screen of the Easy Setup wizard.
Settings
).
Fig. 3: Easy Setup wizard
Æ The first wizard screen, Your Country & Language, appears. The country settings are
used to search for TV channels and to set the TV standard.
Page 15
Settings in Nero Home
2. Make the required settings and click on the Continue button.
You can use the
screens of the wizard.
The progress bar in the top right hand corner shows how many steps have been completed and how many are still pending.
and Continue buttons to navigate between the various
Æ The second screen of the TV Format wizard appears. The two buttons are used to set
the screen configuration to 4:3 or 16:9.
3. Select the icon shown as a circle - not an oval - and click on the Continue button.
Æ The third screen of the wizard, Background Settings, appears.
4. Perform the required settings and click on the Continue button.
Æ The first TV and Radio Settings screen appears.
Nero Home provides simultaneous support for a number of TV cards, TV card s with dual
tuner, and/or hybrid tuner cards.
You will find a list of supported TV cards on our web page under:
http://www.nero.com/nero7/eng/capture_devices_nh.php.
You will find a list of compatible devices on our Internet page under:
http://www.nero.com/nero7/eng/capture_devices_nh.php.
5. Mark the found TV and radio receivers that you want to use.
6. Click on the Continue button.
Æ The first TV and Radio Settings screen appears.
7. If you have installed at least one analog TV card, you should choose between Antenna and
Cable as the signal source.
8. If you have installed at least one DVD-S TV card, you should choose the satellite configura-
tion.
9. Click on the Continue button.
Æ The third TV and Radio Settings screen appears and Nero Home scans the TV and ra-
dio tuners to detect all available channels.
Page 16
Settings in Nero Home
The following information areas are available:
Scanning Progress
Signal Quality
Signal Strength
TV channels
found
Radio stations
found
Indicates the progress of the scan for each card on the basis
of a progress bar.
Indicates the signal quality of the antenna.
Indicates the signal strength of the antenna.
Indicates the number of TV channels found.
Indicates the number of radio channels found.
10. To restart scanning, click on the Scan again button.
11. To interrupt the scanning process, click on the Skip tuner setup button.
Æ When scanning is complete, the following screen appears automatically. The basic set-
tings have been successfully completed.
12. To start Nero Home, click on the Start Nero Home button.
Æ Nero Home is started.
13. If you want to use the Easy-Setup wizard to perform advanced settings on a step-by-step
basis, continue under
Advanced features.
Î You have performed the basic settings.
Page 17
Settings in Nero Home
6.1.2 Advanced features
The following requirement has to be fulfilled:
The basic settings for the Easy Setup wizard are complete (see Basic settings).
Fig. 4: Easy-Setup wizard
To use the Easy-Setup wizard to perform advanced settings for Nero Home, proceed as follows:
1. Click on the Continue button.
Æ The Media Folders in Nero Home screen appears. This lists the folders that Nero
Home uses to obtain information about Photos, Music and Videos.
2. To add a folder:
1. Click on the Add folder button.
2. Mark the required folder in the navigation tree and click on the
You can move up one level in the navigation tree by clicking on the One level higher but-
ton. Double-clicking opens a required folder
button.
Æ The folder is added to the list of folders that check photos, music and videos for Nero
Home.
3. To remove a folder:
1. Mark the required folder and click on the
button.
Page 18
Settings in Nero Home
Æ A dialog window is opened.
2. Click on the Yes button.
Æ The folder is removed from the list of folders that check photos, music and videos for
Nero Home.
4. Click on the Continue button.
Æ The Saving Recorded TV screen appears. Here you can select the folder in which the
TV programs you record are to be saved.
5. Click on the Change Folder button.
6. To save recordings in an existing folder, mark the required folder in the navigation tree.
You can move up one level in the navigation tree by clicking on the One level higher but-
ton. Double-clicking opens a required folder.
7. To create a new folder for the recordings:
1. Open the higher folder in which you want to create a new folder in the navigation tree.
2. Click on the Create New Folder setting.
Æ A dialog window is opened.
3. Enter the required name for the new folder in the input field and click on the OK button.
Æ The new folder is created in the navigation tree.
4. Mark the folder.
8. If you want to rename an existing folder:
1. Mark the required folder in the navigation tree.
2. Click on the Rename button.
3. Enter the required new name and click on the OK button.
Æ The folder is displayed in the navigation tree with the altered name.
9. If you want to delete a folder:
1. Mark the required folder in the navigation tree.
2. Click on the Delete button.
Æ The folder and all subfolders will be deleted.
10. Click on the button.
Æ The selected folder is displayed in the Saving Recorded TV screen.
11. Click on the Continue button.
Æ The Loud speaker and mixer settings screen appears.
12. Make the required settings and click on the Continue button.
Page 19
Settings in Nero Home
The Standard item automatically selects the ideal setting for the audio equipment and Mix-
ing-Option.
Depending on the answer you choose to the first question, the Nero Surround Technol-
ogy output modes are available.
Nero Headphone filters the audio input, so that a virtual surround sound is created for
headset playback - in stereo. This can be used for any number of input channels.
Nero VirtualSpeakers filters the audio input, so that a virtual surround sound is created for
stereo speaker playback - in stereo. This can be used for any number of input channels.
Æ The Automatic playback settings screen appears.
13. Answer the automatic playback question with Yes or No and click on the Continue button.
Æ The first Slide Shows screen appears.
14. Make the required settings and click on the Continue button.
Æ The second Slide Shows screen appears.
15. Make the required settings and click on the Continue button.
Æ The final screen of the wizard appears and Nero Home is started automatically after a
few seconds.
Î You have completed the advanced settings.
6.2 Settings main screen
Nero Home allows you to change the appearance of the Nero Home screen and, for example, to make settings for timeshifting, audio and video playback, and burning.
This is where you can change all the basic settings you have made using the Easy Setup
wizard (see
any time using the wizard by clicking on the Easy-Setup button.
To open the Settings main screen, proceed as follows:
1. Double-click on the Settings menu icon in the start screen.
Æ The Settings main screen is displayed.
Î You can now make changes and settings.
Easy Setup Wizard), however you can always reconfigure the basic settings at
Page 20
Settings in Nero Home
You can make the following changes or settings in the General screen (see General set-
tings):
Fig. 5:Settings main screen
Choice of country
Choice of country
Media Scanning Options
In the Appearance screen (see
change the following settings:
Enable/disable the on-screen keyboard
Appearance of the skin
Color of the background
Font size
Playback format for television programs
You can make the following changes or settings in the TV and Radio screen (see
timeshifting
Enable the timeshifting function and by so doing facilitate the simultaneous recording and
timeshifting of television programs (only possible when using Windows XP)
Restrict the length of the timeshift recording (only possible when using Windows XP)
Configuring TV cards.
Setting TV recording options
You can make the following settings in the Photos, Music and Video screen (see
Settings
):
):
Changing the appearance of the program) you can make or
Enabling
Video
Define video and audio settings
Define DVD playback settings
Enable/disable the options Random order play and Repeat side show and select ef-
fects and transitions
Page 21
Settings in Nero Home
In the Burning screen (see Setting burning options for music collections) you can make or
change the following settings:
Burning Music
Burning Slide Shows
Burning Videos
Burning Mixed Media
6.2.1 General settings
You can made a number of general settings to adjust Nero Home to your needs. Proceed as
follows:
1. In the Settings main screen, click on the General button.
Æ The General screen appears.
You can scroll through the various entries in a selection list using the
2. Select the required country in the Country selection list.
3. Select the required language in the Language selection list.
4. To set the scanner for media files, click on the Scan Options for Media button (see Setting
scan options for media
).
5. Click on the Back button.
Æ The Settings main screen is displayed.
Î You have now made the general settings for Nero Home.
6.2.2 Setting scan options for media
You can catalog all media files on your computer using the Nero Scout database program.
Nero Scout supplies the generated database to other programs from the Nero 7 product
package. Unlike other databases produced by the various media players which only catalog
the files belonging to the relevant program and ignore all other file types, Nero Scout supplies its universal database to all playback programs. Nero Scout creates an entry in Win-
®
Explorer, so that you always have a complete overview of the media library. The con-
dows
venient search function enables Nero Scout to find the required files in seconds.
and buttons.
Nero Scout is particularly important for Nero Home because only cataloged files are found
and displayed in a file search with Nero Home. We therefore recommend that you should always have the scanner enabled for media files.
Page 22
Settings in Nero Home
Fig. 6: Settings screen – Scan options
If the scanner is not enabled for media files or is not configured in line with your wishes, proceed as follows:
1. In the Settings main menu click on the General button.
Æ The General screen appears.
2. Click on the Media Scanning Options button.
Æ The Media Scanning Options screen appears.
3. Check the media type boxes that you want to scan, i.e. catalog - Music, Video and or Im-
ages
4. Click on the Select Media Folders button.
Æ The Select Media Folders screen appears. Photos, music and videos for Nero Home
are scanned from folders on the computer and saved there.
5. To add a folder and all subfolders:
1. Click on the Add folder button.
Æ The relevant screen is displayed.
2. Mark all folders whose media files are to be cataloged and click on the Back button.
You can move up one level in the navigation tree by clicking on the One level higher but-
ton. Double-clicking opens a required folder.
Æ The folder is added to the list of folders that scan photos, music and videos for Nero
Home.
6. To remove a folder and all subfolders.
1. Mark the required folder and click on the Remove Folder button.
Page 23
Settings in Nero Home
Æ A dialog window appears.
2. Click on the Yes button.
Æ The folder is removed from the list of folders that scan photos, music and videos for Nero
Home.
7. Click on the Back button.
Æ The Scanning Options for Media screen appears..
8. To start the scanning process, click on the Start Scan button.
Æ Scanning is started.
Indexing stops automatically as soon as you start working on your computer. This is so as
to offer you the best computing performance when using other applications.
9. If you want to interrupt scanning for a particular time, select the duration of the interruption in
the Stop scanning for selection list.
Æ The scan is paused for the specified time and then starts again automatically.
10. To interrupt scanning, click on the Stop Scanning button.
Æ Scanning is interrupted.
11. Click on the Back button.
Æ The General screen appears.
Î You have set the scanning options for media.
6.2.3 Changing the appearance of the program
You can make a number of general settings to customize the appearance of Nero Home to
your own preferences. To do this, proceed as follows:
1. Click on the Appearance button in the Settings main screen.
Æ The Settings screen is displayed with various input options for changing the appear-
ance of the program.
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