Sony RDR-GX7 DVD Recorder
The New Cornerstone of My Home Theatre
I've had my Sony RDR-GX7 recorder for two weeks now, as of the date of this review.  I decided to buy it in part because of the raves it got from consumers here on the amazon.com website.  Let me tell you, they didn't steer me wrong!  This recorder has already become an indispensible asset to my home theatre system.<br />As a devoted film fanatic, I've been wondering for years how I was ever going to replace some of the scarcer titles in my movie collection once my old hardware players die (I own movies in several now-defunct formats).  It's no longer a worry - I'm transferring everything to DVD-R discs!  And the new DVDs look incredible, even on my 57&quot; widescreen TV ... the Sony DVD recorder is cleaning up some of the video &quot;noise&quot; on my old software, and the results are amazing.  I also have an extensive library of home movies featuring loved ones who are no longer alive, and it's such a relief to be preserving my cherished - but fading - VHS tapes onto DVDs!  I'm even doing some re-editing with my new Sony Recorder, and although I'm strictly an untalented amateur, I'm very happy with the results I've achieved so far.<br />The RDR-GX7 has some very cool special features that I wanted, but didn't think it had when I bought it.  You can set up the recorder to automatically make Chapter Stops on your DVDs, at either 6 minute or 15 minute intervals, making the discs easy to search.  You can record several programs onto one DVD, and then create a menu - including the names of each separate title - using a simple feature on the remote control.  There are six recording modes, allowing you to control the quality and total recording time of each disc you make.  If you make a mistake while starting to copy something onto a disc, it's no big deal!  Just &quot;erase&quot; the bad footage using your remote control, and start over - your mistake will still be on the disc, but it will be permanently &quot;hidden&quot; and unplayable, so no one will ever guess you're not the perfect DVD-masterer.  If you want to record raw footage and then edit it later, you can do so by using a DVD-RW disc and recording in a special editing mode.<br />The Sony RDR-GX7 is also very easy to set up ... I was afraid it might be a nightmare to integrate into my existing home theatre system, but the Quick Start Guide made it simple.  I had never used a DVD-recorder before, but I had it hooked up to my DSS dish, AV receiver, TV, VCR, and LaserDisc player - and was creating my first disc - within an hour of unpacking the box!<br />I'm admittedly not familiar with all the other DVD-recorders on the market, so I really can't compare them all.  However, I can tell you that I debated making this purchase for about four months while I debated formats and features and prices, and that I have aboslutely no regrets about choosing the Sony RDR-GX7.  It's everything I hoped it would be ... and much, much more.  Good luck making your product decision, and I hope that whatever your choice, you end up being as completely satisfied as I.  Happy DVD recording!u're not the perfect DVD-masterer.  If you want to record raw footage and then edit it later, you can do so by using a DVD-RW disc and recording in a special editing mode.<br />The Sony RDR-GX7 is also very easy to set up ... I was afraid it might be a nightmare to integrate into my existing home theatre system, but the Quick Start Guide made it simple.  I had never used a DVD-recorder before, but I had it hooked up to my DSS dish, AV receiver, TV, VCR, and LaserDisc player - and was creating my first disc - within an hour of unpacking the box!<br />I'm admittedly not familiar with all the other DVD-recorders on the market, so I really can't compare them all.  However, I can tell you that I debated making this purchase for about four months while I debated formats and features and prices, and that I have aboslutely no regrets about choosing the Sony RDR-GX7.  It's everything I hoped it would be ... and much, much more.  Good luck making your product decision, and I hope that whatever your choice, you end up being as completely satisfied as I.  Happy DVD recording!