Picture 1 of 11
Stock photo
Picture 1 of 11
Stock photo
Sony RDR-GX300 DVD Recorder
Price:
£18.00
Free postage
Returns:
Condition:
For repair or spares.
 | Shop by category |
{"delay":300}
|
Feel ripped of remote did not work batterys had corroded
Verified purchase: Yes | Condition: Pre-owned
I bought this product because I needed a DVD recorder, it looked good and was just what I was looking for, I had heard it was a good make, but try as I did, I could not, and still cannot get it to record to DVD, so I use it now for just playing DVDs.
The Sony RDR-GX300 DVD is a DVD recorder, introduced by Sony around 2004. At the time of its release, it was regarded as a high-quality DVD recorder, but it was quickly superseded by newer models and now (more than 10 years on) it's seriously outdated. I rented one initially, then bought one on ebay because I liked the machine and hoped it might finalize some discs that were unfinalized on my old machine (see below). Plus points: Can record on most DVD recordable formats - DVD+RW, DVD-RW, DVD+R, DVD-R. High-quality recordings on HQ, SP, LP. Acceptable recordings on EP and SLP. Good quality picture and sound. Minus points: Analogue tuner, so needs Digibox/digital tuner to record current TV programmes. Fiddly character entry using remote control when labelling discs or programming. Can easily overheat, so needs plenty of ventilation. Unit is fickle with different brands of DVD discs. Maxell and Sony discs of the period are normally OK. The unit rarely works with modern DVD recordable discs (16x speed or faster). Ideally needs to be linked to Sony equipment of same period to ensure compatibility and that Smartlink recordings work well. No hard drive. Major fault: after some use, the unit won't read certain discs and is unable to format them, flagging up disc error messages on screen. Unfortunately - despite disc cleaning, etc - the fault becomes worse with extended use. This means that you can neither record new DVDs nor play old DVDs. And, if you've got discs that are recorded and not finalized (as I have had), you are completely snookered, with unfinalized discs that won't play on anything. It's thought that the fault may be due to a very small plastic grub screw on one side of the carriage transport inside the DVD drive. The screw - which has an allen head and is held tight with a green sealant - locks the laser lens at the correct height above the disc to read it correctly. Over time the transport loosens/and or the plastic grub screw shifts. Thus the lens becomes slightly out of position. Various experts on the net suggest that the fault can be repaired by a handy electronics whiz, although I have failed twice as it's a very fiddly operation. I have extensive experience of this unit having owned four machines, three of them purchased via ebay. I have persevered with it because when each machine has suffered the major fault detailed above, I've been left with many unfinalized discs. In the notes on page 37 of the unit's user manual, it says that the recorder may not be able to finalise the disc, if it was recorded on another recorder. I've also had advice from Sony customer care, saying that one RDR-GX300 will definitely not finalize discs made on another RDR-GX300. Fortunately I've found that not to be the case. My most recent unit purchased on ebay has finalised around 30 discs recorded on my old machine, which is brilliant. In time I will replace my latest unit with a modern DVD recordable hard drive, as this seems a more sensible way of recording TV programmes. So, a very old DVD recorder that gives good results when working well. However it has many issues, will not work with modern discs, and normally won't read any discs after extended use.Read full review
This is an excellent DVD Recorder, as long as you don't mind recording directly to a DVD, rather than a hard drive - so make sure you use rewritable disks. The controls are straightforward and the picture quality is great. All you would expect from Sony. I did read some reviews on forums that the recording was unreliable but this is not the case with the machine we bought. In terms of channels, this is not a freeview box, so you do need some other form of receiver if you want BBC3 etc. Perfect as a replacement for a VHS recorder. We have BT Vision and, wired correctly, you can record from the BT hard drive to DVD. There is also a facility to record directly from a video camera, so making it easy to preserve your most important recordings.
I had this model of sony befor which broke down and I was unable to get it repared. I like this product for its ease of use and good picture quality
Current slide {CURRENT_SLIDE} of {TOTAL_SLIDES}- Best-selling in DVD & Blu-ray Players
Current slide {CURRENT_SLIDE} of {TOTAL_SLIDES}- Save on DVD & Blu-ray Players
Current slide {CURRENT_SLIDE} of {TOTAL_SLIDES}- You may also like
