Sony RDRVX500 DVD Player/Recorder with VCR

Now you can make digital archives of your favorite VHS tapes and copy your homemade DVDs to share with friends and family on VHS. Sony's RDR-VX500 DVD recorder/VCR combo saves space while simplifying component hookups. Offering broad format flexibility through DVD+R/+RW and DVD-R/-RW versatility, the deck permits dubbing from VHS to DVD and from DVD to VHS (subject to Macrovision anti-piracy technology in the source media).
In addition, the recorder sports a handy i.Link digital-video interface so you can copy DV/Digital8 camcorder tapes directly to long-lasting recordable DVDs. Other features include progressive-scan output for DVD (480p) for high-quality video reproduction on high-definition and HD-ready TVs, JPEG digital image and MP3 music playback from CD-R/CD-RW, and VCR Plus+ programming for easy navigation and control.
Progressive scanning, referred to as 480p for the number of horizontal lines that compose the video image, creates a picture using twice the scan lines of a conventional DVD picture, giving you higher resolution and sharper images while eliminating nearly all motion artifacts. Amazon.com Product Description

Product Description
Using their expertise in the world of video technology, Sony has created the remarkable RDR-VX500. Now get that famous Sony picture quality in a single unit that combines DVD recording and playback plus VHS videotaping! Sony makes it so easy to record to your choice of non-erasable, write-once DVD-R/+R discs (great for making permanent copies of home movies) or rewritable DVD-RW/+RW discs, and VHS videotapes. With auto clock set and tuning, the ’VX500 is simple to set up and ready to use in a snap. VCR Plus+® makes it super-convenient to do timer recording and save your favorite shows to disc or tape. Other conveniences include front-panel A/V jacks and an i.LINK® (IEEE 1394) input for trouble-free digital dubbing. Just plug in your camcorder and you'll be making vivid DVD copies of your home movies in no time. You get easy two-way internal recording, too. One push of a button lets you transfer from non-copy protected VHS tapes to DVD or from home-burned DVDs to VHS tape. Sony takes good care of your videotape collection, too! Their precision tape drive delivers sharp, clear pictures, even in the extended play (EP) mode. And with Flash Rewind, your rental tapes will be ready to go back to the video store in about 60 seconds!

Sony RDRVX500 DVD Player/Recorder with VCR

Test report

Good, but poor editing features, April 22, 2005 Reviewer: W. Okitsu (Los Angeles, CA USA) -
First, the good stuff: I was able to set up the machine in less than a half hour, and make a copy of home videos from VHS to a DVD+RW disk. If anything, it was too easy. Just touch a button and off it runs. I would be scared about how many of my DVD's accidentally get erased by my kids pressing the wrong button. The machine is quiet, too, unlike what I've read about competing devices.

However, I'm returning the Sony because it lacks the features I got used to with my old Philips DVDR985, which broke down recently. Specifically, with the Philips I could append a new video recording to a previously recorded Title, so that I could overwrite undesirable parts of my home video on a DVD+RW disk. The Sony can't do this. The Sony cannot even divide a title into two, which would allow deletion of the undesired portion of a video recording. What the Sony can do is have its playlist skip over undesired portions on a DVD-RW using the VR feature, but then I'd have to worry about finalizing the disk and compatibility with other DVD players.

So now I'm considering a Philips DVDR600VR, which probably has the same awful menu that my old Philips had, but which I've gotten used to, or the GoVideo VR5940 which allows for dividing titles.




Full-featured, multi-format, reliable, April 22, 2005 Reviewer: R. Christenson "galacticgems.com" (Pine, CO USA) - I've been using this for about 3 weeks now - about 30 movies copied on DVD-R and DVD+R - and am quite satisfied. I previously tried the Philips DVDR600VR, which had problems and I returned it (see my review of that product). This Sony's only real issues are matters of preference, and it does record on more formats than most other recorders I've seen. I like the menu it creates, but I can't figure out how to remove or prevent the time/date stamp automatically added to every title. Also, if the VHS tape being copied is of extremely poor quality, or has sections with severe interference or maladjusted tracking, the Sony puts out a white screen so you can't see what's being recorded, if anything. Plus I don't like that when you press "record" it seems to take a couple seconds before it starts recording. Other than that, it's working consistently well.

I'm also working with a new Panasonic ES10 (which I'll review later), which is not a combo - you have to connect another VCR to copy from, but it is full-featured and mult-format (DVD-R and DVD+R) and has at least one or two features better than the Sony RDR-VX500. For one thing, you can change the thumbnail picture added to the menu by playing the title and scanning forward or back for an appropriate picture. You can't do that with the Sony, as far as I can find out - you're stuck with the first frame. Also this new Panasonic shows you what's recording even if it's garbage or the tracking's off. However, I would still recommend the Sony RDR-VX500 because of the convenience of the combo VCR and reliable operation.




It's the bomb!, March 18, 2005 Reviewer: Early A. Dopter - Hope I'm not premature here, but I just made my first DVD dub from a VHS home movie tape and everything is as good as can be. Remember, the VHS playback (which may also record, but who cares?) is in the same streamlined case, so you don't have to hook up your old camcorder, or buy one, or clean the heads, etc. It plays back S-VHS too, so I imagine it can dub those as well, although I haven't tried. If you're familiar with video equipment, will take about five minutes to get going; if you're not familiar, maybe 15 minutes or more depending on your aptitude for following manuals for "menu" items. Incidentally, probably a very much higher percentage of unsatisfied customers (got "lemon", nitpicker, neurotic, etc.) post negative reviews on the web than the percentage of satisfied customers. Elementary psychology, my dear Watson.





VCR & DVD Recording, March 9, 2005 Reviewer: Ned "java_ned" (Eldersburg, Maryland United States) - The RDR-VX500 makes an excellent addition for your home theatre system. It is a DVD and VCR player but has the DVD+R/+RW and DVD-R/-RW recording capability. This system the capability to dub VCR to DVD and DVD to VCR.

The Graphical Interface makes it a snap to set-up the functions of the RDR-VX500. You can easily pre-program recording time when you plan to be away from home, in both DVD and VHS.

This machine will allow you to transfer your home movies from your tapes to disc.

You can connect directly to your miniDV or Digital 8 Camcorder over the system's i.LINK connection. With this, you can import digital video and record in digital format. And because your miniDV and Digital 8 footage is already in digital format, analog-to-digital data conversion is not required, so your video maintains visual integrity.

General:
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- 4 Video Head Stereo VHS
- DVD+RW/+R DVD-RW (Video Mode)/-R Recording and Playback
- DVD-Video/Video CD/SVCD/CD-DA (CD-R/-RW) Playback
- MP3 on CD-DA (CD-R/-RW) Playback
- VHS & S-VHS (SQPB) Playback
- Progressive Scan
- Full 3-2 Reverse Conversion
- Dolby Digital and dts Decoding Compatible
- TV Virtual Surround: 3 Surround Modes
- Remote Commander Remote Control with Multi-Brand TV Control

Max DVD Speeds:
---------------
DVD+R 8X
DVD+RW 4X
DVD-R 8X
DVD-RW 2X

Capability:
-----------
- DVD+RW/+R, DVD-RW/-R Recording Compatibility
- Dubbing from VCR to DVD or DVD to VCR
- i.LINK Interface for DV/Digital 8 Camcorders
- Variable Recording speeds (HSP/SP/LP/EP/SLP) [- Recording Hours on DVD: 1H(HQ)/1.5H(HSP)/2H(SP)/3H(LP)/4H(EP)/6H(SLP)]
- Progressive Scan Technology Output for DVD at 480P
- VCR Plus+ Timer Recording

- Easy to Use Graphic User Interface
- DV/Digital 8 Camcorder Control for Editing via i.LINK Interface
- Built In Television Tuner
- Parental Control
- Child Lock for Locking the Disc Tray

Inputs and Outputs:
-------------------
- 2 Composite Video Input
- S-Video Input
- TV Input (RF Type)
- Component Video Output
- Composite Video Output
- S-Video Output
- TV Output (RF Type)
- 2 Audio L/R - Input & Output
- Audio Output: Optical Digital Audio Output
- Audio Output: Coaxial Digital Audio Output



PLEASANT SURPRISE, November 27, 2004 Reviewer: B Ardell Young (Camden, SC United States) - This DVD was my third choice behind Go Video and Pansonic until reading various complaints from owners of Go Video/Pansonic machines about neither playing foreign DVD/CD and how difficult both players were to install and operate.

Sony player has played several discs that were not made on it and it is very easy to install and use. Price was over $ 100.00 lower than above mentioned brands and was the cheapest player/recorder on the market.

My only complaint is the remote, which has so many buttons it makes you stop and think about what you want to do.

sony dvd players are junk, November 29, 2004 Reviewer: Michael Lazarski - do a google search on sony ch:13 and you'll find 54000+ hits on complaints about their players. Their customer servise denies the problem too.

Buyer Beware!!!

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Sony RDRVX500 DVD Player/Recorder with VCR

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