Sony RDR-GX300 DVD Recorder
Not Overly Impressed
I am extremely happy with the picture and audio quality of this recorder, however, I have found some faults. First the remote control that came with the unit had a short inside of it which cuased the batteries to become extremely/dangerously hot (which also kept it from working too). Also, a foam bushing fell out of the DVD tray (I think it is used for stablizing the DVD from motion). While neither is major problem (Since I can return the remote control) it is a bad sign for it long term durability of the product.<br /><br />  I found the owners manual to be poorly written - it seems like they were trying to \\"Save paper\\" at the expense of clarity. Fortunately, the unit is not that hard to use so the manual isn't overly critical. I just wish more companies would take a hint from Hughes' on their Tivo unit- which created an excellent, straight-forward and uncluttered manual<br /><br />  I would like to havbe optical inputs on the unit. You must use RCA inputs for your audio, which seems odd since almost all units (Including this one) has optical outputs. Therefore, you are limited in the quality of the audion that you are sending into the GX300.<br /><br />  Next, the Sony GX300 is not overly \\"Tivo\\" friendly. I really wished the units meshed together more completely. It seems to be impossible for you to record something off the Tivo without watching it. I was hoping to record off of my Tivo at a high speed (Like 2 or 4x), but that isn't possible. Finally, recording with your Tivo you can not fast forward, pause, or rewind without having these functions also being recorded.<br /><br />In Summary-<br /><br />PROS-<br /><br />- Very good Audio/Video quality (despite the lack of optical inputs)<br />- Not too hard to use and set-up<br />- Nice value (at $349)<br />- Once you \\"Finalize\\" a disc you can play your DVD in a variety of DVD players.<br /><br />Cons-<br /><br />-  Two quality defects at the time of purcahse<br />-  Poorly written manual<br />-  Not overly Tivo friendly<br />-  Lack of optical inputs<br /><br />  My overall grade is passing, with some caveats. If you are looking for a standard recorder for recording TV shows or movies (From another DVD) then this unit is excellent. However, if you are looking for something that will integrate smoothly with your Tivo, you may want to keep on looking. My final word, not that bad of a product, but as with ALL DVD recorders please buy the extended warranty - you will probably need it!caveats. If you are looking for a standard recorder for recording TV shows or movies (From another DVD) then this unit is excellent. However, if you are looking for something that will integrate smoothly with your Tivo, you may want to keep on looking. My final word, not that bad of a product, but as with ALL DVD recorders please buy the extended warranty - you will probably need it!