After much research I had narrowed down the selection to 2 products - 1 from Panasonic and this 1 from Sony. Both were similarly priced when I bought the Sony RDR-HX510 at £320.
There was not much in it when quality was compared, but the clincher was compatibility - I have mostly Sony everything so I reasoned that it was more likely to work well with own brand then competitor brands.
What's in the Box? ----------------------- Recorder unit, basic audio/visual cables, manual, power cable and remote control (with batteries).
What's not in the Box? ---------------------------- No sample recordable disc (very poor Sony !!!) No Scart cable(s) No Progressive scan connection cables (these will set you back £20-£30 for a cheap set) No sample memory stick (again - poor Sony !!!!) No channel changing mechanism for Satellite box.
What's Good? ------------------- The fundamental idea behind the hard disk (HDD) recorder is great - record onto a computer hard drive rather than tapes or DVDs. More reliable, flexible and easier to edit out the bits you do not want. Up to 134 hours or recording (low quality), but in reality about 6-8 in a very high quality
mode.
The bonus is the DVD recorder so that you can keep any programmes that you really like.
The DVD has a wide range of formats available but this is really only important if you share discs with friends.
As a concept I can highly recommend this type of machine.
The ability to record to HDD allows chasing or paused playback - it saves the program while you are busy on the phone or preparing dinner so that you can watch from the start. The clever bit is that you can record whilst you watch.
The HQ+ recording format for the HDD replays a good quality image to the TV screen. There is no perceptible loss of quality
Progressive scan connectivity really enhances quality on modern DVD films (but makes little difference on the TV images). You need special cables, a compatible TV and some know how to get it working though !
What's Not So Good? ----------------------------- The cooling fan is very noisy - it runs continuously and is noticeable in quiet programs. This may be common to other manufacturers though.
The menu response time is poor - it often takes time to display the graphics on screen. With multiple menus / options to select the operation you require, you have to plan ahead for complex operations. No 'spur of the moment activity'. The upside is that most basic functions can be activated from the remote control (albeit with a small delay of about a second).
The so called Intelligent Chaptering does not work - it places chapter markers in a recording at seemingly random points - you would at least expect them to be at the start and end of adverts - but no. Hence you have to scroll through to skip adverts in most instances.
The fast forward on HDD play back is crude - the 1.5* with speech is amusing but too slow. The 2* skips forward best. The 3* is so fast you often have to back up.
Dubbing speeds to DVD are slow at HQ recording level - it can take 45+ minutes to burn a DVD disc from HDD. Sony make much of the 64 times dubbing speed in advertising but I suspect this relates to the lowest quality recordings on HDD.
There is no program guide function - at best you can link to a teletext page but this adds no features, requires an aerial connection and that you are on a teletext channel. Your satellite channels are not catered for. This is probably the biggest weakness of this model.
The manual is okay for basic setup but gets hopelessly lost on the advanced features. Many are described for setup but with little reason as to why or how you would want to use these. More advanced connections are poorly illustrated and require a fair bit of intuition to work out the best was to connect all your equipment. This is common to all manuals I have ever had though.
Another major weakness is the lack of integration to the Satellite box. You have to rely on the Satellite program unit changing channels if you are recording whilst on holiday. I have not found a way with my old Pace Skydigibox to make this any easier.
What Do You Need To Know? ----------------------------------------- The dual layer record capability is important - you cannot fit a 1.5 hour film onto a standard DVD at the higher quality recording levels. The dual layer (8.5 Gb as opposed to 4.7Gb) allows you to fit a reasonable quality film onto 1 disc. The discs are hard to find on the high street and cost a lot. The technical down side of this dual layer recording though is no widescreen format - the technology only allows 'normal' ratio recording.
Checking though all the DVD recording formats, each has some negative points. Some cannot re-record, some cannot record widescreen format, some cannot record all the sound channels. Basically, if you want cinematic and surround sound - buy the original disc from the local store. For recording you soaps, or documentaries it is great. I stick to one of the re-recordable formats, mostly -RW.
You cannot watch a satellite channel and record another - the current models only have the one analogue tuner in-built. You can watch a terrestrial channel (via your aerial connection) whilst recording from your Satellite connection. You can also watch a DVD film whilst recording to the HDD from either your aerial or Satellite channel. I believe that the soon to be release Sony equipment will start to have dual tuners so that you can watch and record different channels, and will also start to include the digital tuners needed to do the same on Satellite signals.
Support ----------- So far I have not had reason to call on this - but a review of the Sony web site is not exactly reassuring. Technical and other information is sparse, there are not user forums and the information on the products is very 'high level'. Make sure you buy from a knowledgeable local dealer who can support you.
Features ------------- - DVD-R/DVD+R/DVD-RW/DVD+RW Recording (dual RW). - Hard disk capacity: 80 GB. - High Picture Quality : HQ+ - Chasing Playback / Pause Live TV.
Other features: -------------------- Sophisticated GUI and Quick Response GUI. Precision Cinema Progressive with 12bit/108MHz Video DAC. DVD Video/CD/Video CD Playback and DVD-R/DVD-RW/DVD+R/DVD+RW Playback. MP3 Playback & JPEG Playback ( CD-R/RW ). Compatible with +R double layer disc ( 8.5 GB Disc ). D-Matrix Noise Reduction System. Intelligent Scene Chaptering & Visual Search ( HDD & DVD-RW VR Mode ). Fast Playback with Sound ( HDD ) : x1.5. High Speed Dubbing : Up to x64 ( x8 Drive ). S-Video In/Out / Analog AV In/Out / Component Video Output. 2x Scart ( 1 including RGB input ) and Digital Audio Output. VIDEO + and VPS/PDC A/V Synchro and STB Synchro REC. Automatic Program Naming of your recorded programmes (names extracted from Teletext).
Overall ---------- An excellent purchase which is well used. I could go on and on about the weaknesses, but in current technology terms, this is a great unit. If you are really hung up on programme guides though, this is not the model for you.
Pictures of Sony RDR-HX510S
Sony RDR-HX510
How helpful would this review be to a person making a buying decision? Rating guidelines
Nice review, but I have to disagree with a couple of points. First, the fan is barely noticeable, as it is silent for about 80% of the time - it is quite noisy when it does activate though. The speed of recording depends on which setting it was made on. A 2 hour film recorded on SP will burn to an 8x DVD-R in about 6 minutes. Recordings that are re-encoded as they are dubbed are re-recorded in real time, so it takes much longer.
NATI 14.11.2005 00:18
Another great review, I like your style of writing and your critical angle on the products you review.xxx
RICHADA 10.11.2005 23:32
I found that an Exceptionally well written review on a subject that I am currently interested. I too am a Sony Digital fan, we have not had reliability problems with our camcorder and P100 digital camera - although Roy knows his stuff when it comes to music / DVD I think! We have actually been eyeing up the Panasonic version of the HDD theme - waiting for the price to come down to about £250. Ideally I'd like a VHS player incorporated too - although there's no problem linking with scart leads I guess. Richard.
Nov 10th, 2005
exceptional by (7%):
very helpful by (64%):
helpful by (29%):
