Roxio's New Toast 7.0 is Available Today

Roxio today released their latest version of optical media burning software with new key features that go beyond those built into Mac OS X 10.4.x (Tiger) or iDVD. Here are some brand new features in Toast 7:

• Span large files, folders and applications across multiple CDs and DVDs. Easily restore an entire disc set or a single file with one click.
  
• Easily create hybrid discs with unique contents for Mac or PC users.
  
• Personalize your data discs with custom icons and backgrounds.
  
• iLife browser provides easy access to all your important data.
• Compress and copy an entire 9 GB dual-layer DVD video to a standard 4.7 GB recordable DVD disc.
  
• Maximize video quality and available disc space by extracting the main movie, language and audio format.
  
• Import and copy from VR discs created in set-top DVD recorders and camcorders.
  
• "Mount It" desktop menu mounts images to create virtual disc drives — avoid disc swapping and extend laptop battery life.
• Enjoy over 50 hours of music on a DVD, with on-screen menus for navigation to your favorite song, automatic “SmartLists”, and shuffle play. Add photos and music videos for a complete multimedia experience.
  
• Add rich Hollywood-style Dolby Digital sound or full-quality 96 kHz, 24 bit audio to your music DVDs and DVD-Videos.
  
• Instantly capture and digitize audio with the desktop recorder Dashboard widget (requires Mac OS 10.4).
  
• Seamless support for OGG and FLAC - popular enthusiasts audio formats – in audio CD and music DVD projects.
  
• Convert audio files to OGG, FLAC, AAC and more.
  
• Create Video CDs and DVDs with selectable menu styles, automatic scene menus, and slide menus with shuffle mode.
  
• Automatic and professional quality encoding settings.
  
• Widescreen (16:9) DVDs.
  
• Download DivX movies and create DVDs to watch in your living room.
  
• Turn iMovie HD or Final Cut HD projects into DivX HD discs.
  
• Turn still photos into stunning multi-image HD slideshows with collages, motion effects, and soundtracks.
  
• Convert video files to DivX, 3GPP, H.264 and more. Watch on your portable player, cell phone or PlayStation Portable. Extract audio from DVDs and turn into CDs or put onto your iPod.

There are also many improvements to Toast 6's existing features. The new Toast 7 is available today from Roxio (now owned by Sonic Systems). [Bill Fox]