Rating: 
Summary: Do not buy freezes!!!!!!!!
Review: I bought this recorder because of the features and the ability to record in -RW VR mode, which means I do not have to finalize the disc and can play this recorded disk in any of my other DVD Players. Well only in the -RW VR mode whatever you have recorded, when you play it back it ALWAYS FREEZES on the very last frame of the playback and the only way to stop it is to manually push stop, the pause light comes on and it is stuck. I called Sony tech support 3 different times and got as high as a 4th level technician, and no one could explain it. I took the machine back to best buy and the new machine did the same thing, took it back and my 3rd machine did the same thing, took it back and best buy managers took their floor model and recorded 10 seconds in the -RW VR mode and sure enough it freezes too. I did not want this to happen because if you happen to fall asleep while watching something you have recorded (as sometimes I do) then it is frozen on your screen at the end which can fog the lens in the player and cause ghosting to your TV. I am still looking at other recorders now. Any suggestions????
Rating: 
Summary: A Solid Performer
Review: I decided to get a DVD recorder when my video deck died - and I'm glad I did!! Picture and sound quality are improved at least ten times, and DVD has too many cool convinience features to count compared with VHS. The Sony RDR-G7X is as easy to operate as your familiar video recorder; just select your channel and push the record button - that's it! Plus the unit gives you lots of versitility as it can handle DVD - R; - RW; and + RW. Basically, I use - R for programs I want to keep as you can't rewrite this format (and are the cheapest to buy). I use - RW Video Mode like I used to use VHS video tape as you can erase and rerecord on this disk. - RW VR mode will give you lots of editing features (and is also rewrittable), and is compatible with newer DVD players. Unfortunately, + RW has been stripped of it's editing features, and seems identical to - RW Video mode with this Sony unit. However, I'm still learning the ins-and-outs of this recorder, but so far have been very impressed by its quality, good looks, features, and performance. I shopped around a lot, did a ton of research, and concluded it to be the best consumer DVD recorder currently on the market.
Rating: 
Summary: Editing features leave a lot to be desired
Review: I had a Phillips for 3 years and was very happy with it. Newer version had issues with extended recording so I returned it. Circuit City wasn't carrying Phillips DVD recorder anymore so I was left with Sony. DVD + and - is a great feature, but the editing on +RW and -RW is WAY too limited. Cannot create 2 titles from 1 unless in -RV mode, which won't play on any other DVD player. So that's pretty useless. So now if I want to edit any of the DVD's I make, I'll still have to buy another Phillips model.
The picture is great on record/playback, and it plays the previous Phillips DVD's with no problem. It won't read the menu created by Phillips- with tag pictures.
All in all, the DVD recorder works, but it could use a LOT of improvements. For the cost, I expected at least something that could compete with Phillips.
Rating: 
Summary: john white
Review: I have had this recorder since 1/19/04. so far i have transferred 20 vhs tapes to dvd-r, the picture is great. I bought sony for 2 reason: 1st--i don't think the dvd-ram will sell well for long--most dvd players want play them. 2nd: sony RDR-GX7 recorder records dvd-r, dvd+rw and dvd-rw. -r and +rw can be played back on most dvd players. i do not like sony vcr's, but their cd and dvd players have proven to be very reliable. i own the cdp-991 cd player which is about 8 years old and a dvd player [dvp-s360] which is about 3 years old. my point is this, i would think that the dvd player and the cd player would have some of the same parts as the dvd recorder making this recorder very reliable. Only time will tell for sure. This recoder does a good job of recording off of the tv, the picture is the same as the original. but in ths case i have to recommend TIVO for tv recording, it will do alot more for the money. hope my review was helpful
Rating:
Summary: Excellent but some limitations
Review: I have owned this machine for only two weeks, and consumer DVD recorders have a distressing tendency to fall apart after a month or so, so what I say must be taken with a grain of salt. So far, so good. This machine offers excellent image quality and is notably more tolerant of different brands of discs than some other recorders I've owned. Far fewer "disc error" or "can't read disc" messages than my Philips or my Go-Video. Although this machine bridges the format gap by recording on DVD+RW (not +R) discs as well as DVD-R/RW discs, it does not afford the full functionality of a DVD+RW recorder. Most notably, one cannot do "thumbnail" picture icons for chapters, and I was also unable to add them using a +RW recorder to a disc first recorded on this machine (perhaps this could be done with a computer). Also, the editing capabilities of this machine, which are formidable, do not apply in +RW mode. So this is not truly a "dual" machine. Another minor note: the "one-touch" dubbing function, which operates via the firewire connection, does not work unless the tape being dubbed was digital to begin with. Thus it does not work if you're using a Digital 8 camcorder outputting a digitized signal from an older analog tape. But these images can be recorded in the "normal" way just fine. All in all, I'm very pleased, so far. Hint: check out the "used and new" merchants before you pay amazon's price.
Rating:
Summary: Great recording quality
Review: I have recorded on this Sony unit for several weeks now. Recording off a TV signal is as easy as a VCR. The SP record time is 3 hours with excellent quality. HQ speed is 1 hour with superior quality. I recorded home movies by hooking up my VCR to the convenient ports in the back of the unit, and they turned out perfect. I recorded old 8 mm tapes by hooking up the old camcorder to the jacks in the front of the unit. They recoreded perfectly with no problem. I will next record off my newer Sony camcorder using the fire wire jack. I can do a lot of editing off of the DV mini tapes. I have recorded DVD-R and DVD+RW and they play in 4 of 5 of our DVD players (all except the old Toshiba that we bought 5 years ago ofr $450!) This is an excellent, multi-compatible product that is very easy to use, especially with a Sony TV and camcorder. The only reason it did not get 5 stars was because it is a bit pricy compared to some other models with less features.
Rating:
Summary: Sony reduces DVD compatibility issues.
Review: I havent used this product but have been doing plenty of reading about it. This recorder stands out from the others as it supports recording in 2 of the 3 major DVD recording formats. Much like the competition between betamax and vhs, there is competition between the (1)DVD-R/-RW, (2)DVD+R/+RW and (3)DVD-RAM recording formats. The RDR-GX7 records in DVD-R/RW and DVD+RW formats, thus helping to avoid potential compatibility issues in the future. Most DVD recorders record using a red laser (and pretty much all players use the red laser). However, there is now a blue laser format which is different again (of which there are 2 of these blue laser formats, 1 of which is supported by Sony and the other companies in the so called "DVD+RW Alliance") and which stores between 5 to 10 times more data than red laser recorders such as this one. The first blue laser dvd video recorder to be released comes from Sony, which will only play DVD-R/RW discs (and will record to seperate 'blue-ray' discs). So the reason i like this recorder (the rdr-gx7 red laser recorder above) is because it supports 2 different dvd recording formats. The benefit of this is therefore that you are less likely to be purchasing a recorder that will be obselete in the near future, as no one can be sure whether DVD-R/RW or DVD+R/+RW will be the winning format of the future, and i believe (though don't quote me on this) that DVD-RAM for dvd video recording will not be a winner for reasons i won't go into. And with this recorder, you can also record to DVD-R/-RW that will be compatible with the new blue laser recorder (however blue laser recorders from other companies may support DVD+R/RW and/or DVD-R/RW). So if you want to straddle the fence on this issue, and not buy a burner only supporting one of the recording formats, this appears to be the recorder to buy. I choose it due to the fact that i have not seen any indicators as to which format is 'winning' the dominance contest. Also, the fact that Sony is part of the DVD+RW Alliance, yet doesnt support DVD+RW in its blue laser recorder, is even more evidence that you should get a recorder supporting both formats. Not having used the product, i decided to give it a rating of 3, but my guess is i would rate it higher if i had one.
Rating:
Summary: Great Product - A little pricey.
Review: I highly recommend this DVD Recorder for people wanting to transfer their home movie tapes to DVD and to transfer television programs directly to DVD. Recording Quality is excellent from 8 mm VCR to DVD and from VHS to DVD. I gave it 4 stars because the price is high.I would look to a DVD Recorder with a hard drive if you want to use the recorder for editing and/or recording Television Programs. It is very easy to set up and very easy to use. The on screen menu system is excellent. I have worked in the electronics business for over 10 years and ease of use is important. This one has it. It allows many editing features if you use DVD-RW in VR Mode. (Only basic with DVD+RW and DVD-R). Finalizing Time isn't bad either. 5 minutes for a full 2 hour movie. It sure beats the hours upon hours of encoding time a Computer takes to make a movie DVD. DVDs created on it in Video Mode play well in all the DVD players I tried. (One was a 3-4 year old very sensative basic player). I don't usually review products but had to post because I'm very happy with this one.
Rating:
Summary: the superior audio/picture is no longer good enough
Review: I keep buying Sony products because I have convinced myself that audio quality and perhaps picture quality is the best on the market. So I keep telling myself to put up with all of the flaws and limitations and there are many! First flaw - SUSCEPTIBILTY TO BREAKDOWN. (And, no, I handle everything with care!) All Sony products I have owned - VCRS, tvs, discmen, walkmen, stereos, headphones - break down more easily than others - average lifespan about 6 months to 1 year before the first breakdown. Other products last several years before needing repair if any - I've had a Kenwood stereo that has lasted me dince 1987 and is still going strong; I had a GE TV that lasted 11 years before I replaced it with a Sony flatscreen in 2002. My Pioneer laserdisc player has lasted since 1996. I have a Panasonic dvd player that has done fine for 5 years. After Hitachis plummeted bigtime I started buying Sony vcrs in the mid-nineties and put up with the frequent trips to Circuit City repair because they played my older tapes better than any other. But I have very little reason to buy Sony products from now on. First, the newer SLV-N500 VCRs are flimsy and the picture is worse. And finally I'll get to the dvd players because that is what we're dealing with here. I bought a Sony multi-disc DVP-NC600 in 2002 and have already made three trips to repair it. Now we come to the second flaw in Sony products - SENSITIVITY. When I first bought the NC600 I immediately had trouble with it playing dvds that my Panasonic had no problem playing whatsoever. Almost every other dvd - even the new ones, the unblemished ones, ones with the faintest of marks - would be declared dirty, unplayable, would freeze, would skip back. I handled them on their edges, I kept them in their cases, I babied them. I stuck with the Sony dvd player because I could immediately tell that through my Sony headphones the audio for, say, Moulin Rouge, was better than in my Panasonic. Unfortunately, I got tired of wiping M. Rouge off with a tissue every ten minutes and putting it back in the Sony whereas it plays perfectly in the Panasonic. Ditto with many other dvds. When it finally came time to get a dvd recorder, I considered the RDR-GX7 but knowing it would give me a headache with skipping and freezing I went with the Panasonic DMR-E80H with the 80GB hard drive. Everything was perfect until it kept giving me power troubles. Finally, in just a matter of 3 weeks, the E80H blew up on me. Rather than consider the possibility of having a bad egg and swapping for another Panasonic I went with the Sony. My #1 priority, after all, was converting old videotapes to dvd-r and I read and felt from experience that the picture/sound quality was sure to be better. I could always play the dvds I made with the Sony on other dvd players. And the picture/sound quality is superb, I admit. Quite frankly, there is not so much skipping/freezing going on so far in the eight months I have had it. But there is some, too many skips for a unit that is overpriced....OK, next flaw - COPYGUARDS. The RDR-GX7 is slave to both the Macrovision and CGMS/A. I don't care what the MPAA shoves down the consumers' throats - this organization which years ago wanted to ban the VCR and made ridiculous rhetorical comparisons likening the VCR to the Boston Strangler and threatens private collectors who just want to trade material like old tv shows, failed pilots, footage interviews, etc THAT IS NOT COMMERCIALLY AVAILABLE!!!!!! - is run by a bunch of BULLIES. A person has every right to make a back-up copy of a store-bought dvd he or she OWNS - these Sonys are scratching up dvds left and right. A person has every right to make compilations for one's own PRIVATE USE - some of us were film students and needed to make compilations for projects or some of us as a hobby do like to make compilations of actors' scenes or music scenes or whatever one pleases. One also ought to be allowed to make dvd-r copies of old commercial tapes that ARE NOT AVAILABLE on dvd! THERE IS NOTHING MORALLY WRONG WITH THIS!!! It's all about the MPAA members being kept from buying a few extra yachts. Off my soapbox I go. Next flaw - this may seem like nitpicking but anybody who uses these things a lot is probably getting aggravated by this, too. THE RDR-GX7 IS SLOW - LOADING DISC DATA, WRITING DISC DATA, OPENING/CLOSING - it takes forever. Whenever I record off of live tv I am always making a backup VHS recording because I know I can't trust this dvd recorder. I've only used the timer a couple of times and everything looked set and ready to go, and a brand new formatted disc was in the drive, and both times I woke up the next morning and got an "unplayable disc error." So I haven't used the timer since. But when I am there monitoring the recording I still make the backup because many times it will be recording and suddenly stop and declare a brand new clean disc dirty or unplayable, and then a big white square pops up on the screen "Writing Disc Data" and you have to sit there and wait several seconds and by then you've lost a chunk of the program. "WDD" message pops up on the screen everytime you stop the recording to, say, change modes or accidentally hit the stop or whatever - it's unnecessary. The player also automatically loads if you have a disc in there - not a big inconvenience but still I'm noting it here as another flaw because it is "loading disc data" for several seconds and you can't get those seconds of your life back. And I'll nitpick further - get rid of the big white boxes containing error messages or finalizing messages or whatever that hog the middle of the screen - some of us are trying to watch tv! I keep my cable running through my Sony VCR underneath the dvd recorder because - as I said - I only feel safe simulataneously making VHS and DVD copies because the RDR-GX7 cannot be trusted as I explained above. I've about had it with Sony..
Rating:
Summary: Fantastic DVD Recorder
Review: I purchased the Sony RDR-GX7 DVD recorder in June. Since June I have used the recorder daily, sometimes recording two or three shows a day. The more I use the RDR-GX7 the more I like it. First, it is very convenient to use. Just pop a recordable DVD (+RW, -RW or -R) into the tray and set the timer. The timer is very easy to set (it even has the VCR+ feature.) The RW discs are used like VHS videotape because you just use them over and over again. Plus you never have to Fast Forward or Rewind the disc to find a place to record and you always know how much space is available with very nicely laid out on-screen displays. Second, this unit has two noise reduction circuits. One for the incoming signal and one for the outgoing signal. This means that even if the TV signal coming into the tuner is not good, the recorded DVD is watchable. The recording is usually better than the incoming signal even when recorded in the SLP (6 hour) mode. Third, the discs you record on this unit in the +RW mode are immediately watchable in another DVD player. I often watch one +RW disc I've recorded on my 'GX7 with my Sony DVP-NS700P player while my RDR-GX7 is recording something else. I've also used -RW discs formatted in VR mode to record on and that mode is great for editing the disc, but very few players will playback -RW VR mode. You can format the -RW discs in Video mode and they playback in other players. -R discs, once finalized, playback fine on most other players. Be aware that some older DVD players may not playback RW discs, regardless of format. Fourth, recording from a camcorder or VCR is very easy and the final product is VERY good. I've already transferred several older family video tapes over to DVD and I'm very happy with the result. This unit is easier to use for dubbing VHS, Hi8, Mini DV, etc. to DVD than my computer. However, the computer does allow for fancier editing than is possible with the 'GX7. Finally, this recorder is also a great player. It has progressive scan, Dolby Digital and DTS. It also plays back CDs, CD-Rs and CD-RWs. It has very flexible outputs so you should be able to hook it up to your system without difficulty. One note, however, there is no RF converter, so your TV must have video or component inputs or you will need to buy an RF converter. The RF input on the recorder is only used to receive the signal for the antenna feed and then pass the signal through to the TV and/or VCR. Also be aware that there is no hard disk drive in this unit but that it DOES have advanced editing features when used in conjunction with a miniDV camcorder. I'm very impressed with the flexibility and quality of this unit. Sure, you pay a little bit more for the Sony, but in this case it is worth it. I'm a long time Sony fan and customer and this unit continues to hold up their high standards of excellence. If you buy this unit, you should be very happy with it. Happy DVD burning . . .
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