Sony RDR-HXD-890 Hard Drive & DVD Recorder

Advantages: Record to hard drive, DVD drive, watch and record at the same time.
Disadvantages: I needed to read the instruction manual!

...Last weekend our old video-recorder started chewing tapes, so it was about time that we upgraded. We already had a DVD recorder, but had been using it in tandem with our video recorder through an aerial booster that split the signal between the two machines without loss of quality. When it comes to such gadgets, being the sort of person that likes to see what I am buying, I went off to Comet's to see what was available. Being a Sony lover I was impressed by the RDR-HXD-890, one of the latest hard disk drive/DVD recorders from Sony's Range. It seems that black is back in vogue which I have always preferred; when I bought the last recorder, all I could get was silver, but there is a choice of black or silver with the RDR-HXD-890. When I got the machine home, I discovered that there were so many options on this machine that I had to...

derek-j-a 23.11.2008 · Read review
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Review of Sony RDRHXD890B.CEK

Sony RDR - HXD970 DVD recorder

Advantages: Own internal tuners, easy to use and quiet.
Disadvantages: 250gb might not be big enough but there is the 500 gb version.

...An excellent DVD recorder. I am transferring my VHS tapes to DVD as well as recording new TV programmes. It is fairly easy to use and the quality is excellent. I particularly like the way you can list your recordings by category (film, documentary etc) making it easy to find what you are looking for. Recording using the Electronic Programme guide is very simple and there is a facility to time slip programmes if your viewing is interupted by a phone call. Having its own internal tuner allows you to watch a different programme to the one you are watching. The DVD recorder employs upgrading of DVD playback using the HDMI connection. So, if you have one of the HD ready TVs you will enjoy a better picture. One further attribute of this machine is that it is very quiet in operation....

Bob77 04.03.2008 · Read review
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Review of Sony RDR-HXD970

A really excellent DVD recorder / tuner

Advantages: Features, quality of picture & sound, build quality, looks
Disadvantages: Pricey, can be slow to respond

...I was looking for a DVD recorder with a hard drive so that can watch programmes from the hard drive & erase them at will rather than have to record everything to a disc. I also wanted it to feature a built in tuner so that I could wire it into another tuner & be able to record a programme whilst watching another. I did some research & narrowed down my selection to Panasonic, Toshiba & Sony. The Sony RDR-HXD860 got the best reviews in the press at the time but it wasn't cheap. Three versions were available with either 80 GB, 160 GB or 240 GB hard drives; I wanted a 160 GB version which retailed at £399.00. I searched the internet & got one from Amazon with free delivery at £299.00 two weeks before Christmas 2006. It wasn't the cheapest on the market but it was loaded with features I wanted & there is Sony's reputation for making...

ScottishWestie 08.11.2007 · Read review
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Review of Sony RDR HXD 860

User Friendly Entry Level DVD Recorder

Advantages: Slimline, Good Remote Control, Chasing Playback, Good Menu System
Disadvantages: Lack of Hard Drive, Lacks Freeview Tuner, Little Pricey in it's Class

...only) Dialog Enhancer Connections: SCART Connectors (Input / Output x 2) Inputs: RF (TV) x 1, RGB (via SCART), Composite (via SCART), S-Video (via SCART) Outputs: Composite x 1, S-Video x 1, Component x 1, RGB (via SCART), Analogue Audio x 1, Digital Audio Coaxial x 1, RF x 1, S-Video (via SCART) Front Panel: Composite Input, S-Video Input, Audio Input Remote Control OSD Display Dimmer Parental Control Instant Skip / Replay: Skip / Replay Record and Play Features: Chasing Playback Recordable Media: DVD+R, DVD+RW Recording Speeds: SP, LP, EP, SLP, HSP, HQ DVD Recording Time: 1 Hrs. Minimum / 8 Hrs. Maximum Recording Formats: MPEG1 / MPEG2 Programmable Timer: VCR Plus+, 40 Events within 30 Days Dimensions: Depth: 11.46 in. / Height: 2.28 in. / Width: 16.93 in. Weight: 6.83 lb. Exterior Colour: Silver The RDR-GX120 is...

ben_keene 09.01.2007 · Read review
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Review of Sony RDR-GX120

The Sony RDR-HXD 790 is a finicky but effective piece of kit.

Advantages: Does exactly what it should. Quite smart-looking. Lots of different features.
Disadvantages: Finicky to begin with. Instruction manual not crystal clear.

...For a first time buyer of a DVD recorder, the RDR-HXD 790 is admittedly not the simplest machine to operate. To begin with is the initial connecting and setting up of the recorder. Although the instruction manual gives varying options of how to connect it to televisions, sound systems, cable receivers, etc, it was not terribly clear. I bought this DVD recorder to live in the same corner as a digital television, DVD player, and Sky + box, but the instructions seemed to imply that only an analogue signal could be received through the DVD recorder, which also has a digital input and hard drive recorder built in that allows you to pause live television. However, there is a way around it: For example, if you want to record two things on Sky +, record another on the DVD hard drive, and watch another through the television, you will need to...

tuckers87 22.07.2009 · Read review
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Review of Sony RDR-HXD 790

worst dvd recorder

Advantages: picture quality is not to bad
Disadvantages: Will not play back JPEGs,Buttons on the Remote too small ....

.... I would just like to say that I have one of these DVD Recorders and it is rubbish. Not ony did I have to send one back because the Record Mode would not record what I had set it to, but also because it lacks so many features that the list of non features is far greater than its list of ones it does have. A) As is already commented on, There is No Pause whilst recording. (B) No Thumbnail replacement (C) Poor picture quality (D) No Delete of Part of recording for cutting out Adverts - only A - B delete - not the same, and this not work when played back on another brand of DVD Recorder. (E) Buttons on the Remote too small. (F) Title Thumbnails do not appear when played back on a Philips machine. (G) Will not play back JPEGs (G) This recorder is very poorly priced for what you get, a lot of much cheaper ones...

Aarkian123 05.09.2007 · Read review
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Review of Sony RDR-GX120

Combined DVD Recorder and VCR

Advantages: Seems to do everything the maker claims
Disadvantages: hav'nt found one yet

...I have recently purchased the Toshiba D-VR16SB combo unit, and am initially very pleased with it. It is a neat looking unit, and I found the initial connecting and set up relatively easy.The unit has an auto tune facility to find the terrestial TV channels, and scart connection for satellite, and facilities are there for s video or audio/video cables if required. For DVD recording it has a choice of six modes, giving up toa max of 600 minutes on a 12cm DVD disc, down to the highest quality level of recording, giving 60 mins of very high quality.I have used the recorder on the standard setting, which gives 120 mins at a fairly good quality level. You can use DVD RW disc, which you can wipe and reuse, or normal discs which you finalise, and they can then be played on any DVD player. If you wish to record onto Video tape, then the VCR...

johnboycoastie 11.07.2006 (12.07.2006) · Read review
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Review of Toshiba D-VR16SB DVD Recorder/VCR Combo

One stop HDD/DVD recorder and Freeview with photo support

Advantages: It's a Sony, fully compatible with existing kit and buckets of features
Disadvantages: Not as cheap as third party units

...The Sony RDR-HXD995 is a combined DVD and hard disk recorder with built in analogue and freeview tuners with analogue and digital outputs. It could be seen as providing the same functionality of several ?set top boxes? namely a freeview receiver, DVD player/recorder (as well as supporting Audio CD) and a Hard Disk recorder ? giving essentially the same functionality as a VCR machine. The main advantage of such a system is that it greatly simplifies wiring it all up to your TV set, as well as providing a much neater package, and of course, works from a single remote control. Additional benefits include support for USB devices, allowing audio and picture files to be transferred from mp3 players, cameras etc, as well as letting you print directly to a ?pict bridge? printer, obviating the need for a computer. Being Sony, it...

dobieg 07.06.2009 · Read review
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Review of Sony RDRHXD995B.CEK

80 GB HDD Sony DVD Recorder

Advantages: Instant One Touch Recording. 80GB Hard Disc Drive. VideoPlus.
Disadvantages: Poor Manual Layout

...I decided that it was time to purchase a DVD Recorder for the first time. (don't buy videos anymore - DVD's are just as cheap). After speaking to friends and scouring the internet the main features I wanted were HDD (Hard Disc Drive) of at least 80GB. Even in Standard Recording Mode (for which you wont notice any real difference from HQ (High Quality) you get 26 Hours of recording. In SLP Mode you have 106 Hours which is similar to Video (VHS) Recording. It is easy to Record from Video onto either DVD or HDD (after which you can then Edit). For Recording from your Digital Camcorder I stronly suggest your purchase an I-Link Cable (Sony sell these for £19.99) these can be easily purchased from E-Bay etc. One of the excellent features of this DVD Recorders is that it comes with VideoPlus. This means that you simply type in the code...

NORTHERNSOUL21 29.05.2006 · Read review
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Review of Sony DVD Recorder RDRHX525 Multi-Region

The Best DVD Recorder Around

Advantages: To many to list, but buries all competition.
Disadvantages: A slightly dated looking remote

...Some years back I bought a Liteon DVD player, at the time it was revolutionary. Not only did it play any region DVD (the world is split up into different regions, each region has its own format for DVD's which means that for example a US disc would not work in the UK) so I could order DVD's from all over the world, but it would also play media in any format. So I could download video clips or movies from websites, and play them on my DVD player without the need to converting them. I was so impressed with the first one I bought that I went off and bought a second one for the bedroom. Six years on and they both still work as good as they did the day I bought them. With this in mind, I found myself with a bit of extra cash flow recently, and decided to invest in a new DVD recorder. I already have two DVD recorders which work fine, but I...

sghawken 29.06.2006 · Read review
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Review of LIteOn LVW-5055GDL+