Say goodbye to VCR's
Written: Mar 04 '07 (Updated Mar 04 '07)
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Pros: Easy to use and many options.
Cons: No internal hard drive.
The Bottom Line: Works great and easy to use.
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| averedy's Full Review: Sony RDR-GX300 DVD Recorder |
DVD recorders are the thing to get! I wanted to update from using my VCR since the only thing I use it for like most people these days is to record television shows. If you ever rent or buy a movie, you’ll want it on a DVD so it will last longer and the quality is so much better. After a minor trial and error phase, I decided to go with the Sony DVD recorder RDR-GX300.
There are two reasons I decided to convert to a recordable DVD player. First and most important was to convert all my home movies from VCR tapes to DVD. Second, is to get rid of my VCR which is not used or needed anymore. Plus, I wanted only one device to watch and record movies and television. My VCR was on its last leg. The heads in it were getting to the point that a simple cleaning wasn’t doing the job. The last straw for me was when I tried to eject a tape and the tape was stuck and wound up in the heads and mechanisms.
At my first attempt at trying to find a DVD recorder, I made the mistake of not doing enough research and just went out and bought what looked good. I decided to buy a Panasonic. I’m not trying to say Panasonic itself is bad. I’ve owned many products of theirs in the past, but as I soon discovered the hard way, the player I choose had many limitations on the format of DVD’s I could use and it didn’t have many options. I decided to return it and do a little more research. From all the name brands out there, I discovered the Sony RDR-GX300 would read and write in every format except DVD-ROM and had many other options that I didn’t even know I would want until I tried them.
When I first unpacked it and plugged it into my television, it seemed too simple to be true. It has all the input/output connections a normal VCR would have and more. I just used the existing cable running to my VCR and substituted the DVD recorder one for one at first. Once I turned it on, I went to the main menu and had the tuner scan for all my cable channels with no problems.
The recorder has many external jacks and buttons. On the front panel you have audio, video and even an S-Video jack to connect an external device like a video camera. It also has all the standard play and record buttons just like on a VCR. On the back panel, you have two more Line in/Out jack capabilities. The one major thing you won’t see on a VCR is the option to hook up a digital output via optical or coaxial to a receiver so I have true surround sound. It also has the capability to connect to my television using the component video out jacks (Y, Pb, Pr). The recorder has the option to output in the progressive format so the component video will give you an even better picture quality than S-video.
The remote has all the functions you need to control the player along with the option to control other devices like a cable box or television. I had no problems programming my remote to control my JVC television so it can do the basic things of changing the volume, channels, and power.
As I stated above, this machine has the capability to record and play the most common DVD-R/W and DVD+R/W. I love this option. I use the DVD-RW’s all the time to record my television programs. That way, when I’m done watching them, I just erase them to make room to record on the same DVD again. I have the option just like on a VCR to record in six different speeds. I’m able to record from 60 minutes all the way up to 360 minutes on one DVD. I always use EP mode when recording the television and see no difference in the quality from the standard cable input. Another nice little feature I use is I’m able to set up the recorder to record in a 16x9 format (wide screen) to match my television.
The recorder has every option your VCR would have and more. It would take too long to go into every little detail on this item. The bottom line is it’s easy to use and dependable. The only thing I wish it had is an internal hard drive so I can totally get rid of all my DVD’s to record television. That will be my next purchase. If you’re looking to get rid of your VCR or just want to upgrade the current DVD player you have then look no further, this is the one for you. I’ll never go back to tape!
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 250.00
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Epinions.com ID:
averedy
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Reviews written: 4
Trusted by: 1 member
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