Customer Reviews

Sony RDR-GX355 Tunerless DVD Recorder

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(13)

 

 

I purchased the Sony RDR-GX355 to completely replace my VCR. This DVD Recorder was to be used to record not only my personal home videos (which has thus far done perfectly) but to use to record show so that I can watch them later. However every show I have attempted to record has prompted the copyright protection message to be displayed (not allowing the show to be recorded). I don't understand what is the purpose of purchasing a recorder, if it will not allow you to record a show so that it can be watch when you have time. Sony advertises that with the RDR-GX355, you can record shows and even movies to watch later. This unit provides too much protection for copyrights and does not allow to be used for all that it is intended to be used. If you want a good quality DVD recorder to copy your home videos, this unit does an excellent job. Perfect sound and picture quality. However, if you want to use it to record shows or movies to watch at you own leisure time, the RDR-GX355 has TOO much copyright protection and will not allow you to do so.

TOO Bad Sony, this is a great unit, easy to use, great features, Excellent Picture and Sound, but way, way, way too much protection. The average user is not a Pirate. We don't record movies or shows to sell them. In fact the true Pirate will always find a way to make copies. Who you are really hurting here is the average user who wants to use this DVD recorder like VCR.

This DVD recorder is a good choice if you want an upconvert DVD player with the ability to record. It provides a better playback image with an HDTV and you can record shows that you want to save. You should be aware that it has every copyright protection feature available. You will not be able to copy most DVD's and I have found it is unable to copy any movies from the movie channels (HBO, Cinemax, Starz, and Showtime). It will however let you know that the movies are boadcast with copy protection and shut down so you don't waste a blank DVD. Also be aware that it doesn't have it's own tuner so your cable or satelite box must be set to the channel you want to record (you can't watch one channel while recording another). You can set it up so the timer will change your set top box to the channel you want to record. All in all a decent product and if you're aware of the limitations and can live with them you won't be dissapointed.

The Sony RDR-GX355 is a great DVD player/recorder! Store brought DVDs has near-HD image quality via HDMI upconvert on HDTVs. The unit is also incredibility easy to operate and the menu for creating your own menus and titles for DVDs you record yourself is one of the best I have encountered. Despite the high praise I have just given this unit, the copyright protection features kill the idea of owning this unit for my home.

Sony's copyright protection goes beyond "protecting" shows and movies on television as previous reviewers have noted. Sony has gone out of their way to even slap copyright protection on home movies you recorded starring your kids, dogs, cats, etc. Lets say you hooked up your camcorder to the RDR-GX355 to transfer the home movie you made onto a DVD. Now you show this DVD to grandma and she loves it and wants a copy for yourself. You think, sure, I'll just pop this DVD in to my computer and just burn a copy. Unfortunately, the RDR-GX355 will encode all DVDs it records with copyright protection that prevents your computer from making duplicates or transferring the video onto your hard drive. This means any DVD you record will be your ONLY copy. Why Sony did this is beyond me.

I knew beforehand this unit didn't have a tuner so I assumed there would be great input jacks so I can plug in my satellite receiver. Man was I wrong! There is only 1 video input and its composite! Who uses composite inputs anymore? I was hoping for at least an S-Video input jack. I tried recording with the composite input and the picture quality was only average. The only way to record anything with this unit is through the singular composite input. Also, this unit WILL NOT record any premium cable channels whatsoever. It will only record basic cable channels. So this unit is totally useless to me. Sony was once a premier electronics company but now they are just cranking out low level inferior electronics. There is also no HDMI cable included. This thing is made in China, it figures..

I was looking for a simple DVD recorder to transfer old VHS movies (Turner Classic Movies, American Movie Classics) to DVD. The price of this Sony is right and I only used it to transfer movies. Began having intermittent problems with fresh discs being rejected for recording ("disc error" - using Memorex DVD-R discs) and then it would go back to recording fine for a while. Then began stopping recording in the middle of a transfer for no apparent reason. The final straw was trying to record a movie after the Sony had not been used for about 24 hours. Rejected 4 fresh discs - the last straw. Recorder is too temperamental and unreliable for even this simple operation. In all I recorded about 36 movies but am fed up with this recurring disc error problem and the unit stopping on its own before the recording is complete. Too bad as the quality of the picture is excellent and sound is good. Am returning the unit and will not consider getting a Sony replacement at this time. Giving 2 stars because of good picture and sound quality.

Don't get me wrong, it's a GREAT DVD "player" and I bought it to replace a DVD player so I am kind of happy (expected more). BUT it is virtually useless as a recorder for what most of us want a recorder for and that is what we used a VHS for. We are not pirates, we want to keep a show for later viewing, "at our leisure". Technology is supposed to make our lives better, not handcuff us. This unit has such an aggressive copy guard don't expect to be able to record many, if any, shows from premium cable channels to watch at a future time. I have multiple series 3 Tivo HDs that I use for doing that, but if I wanted to archive a show and record it to this unit, I CAN'T, shame on you Sony! I was a BIG Sony fan, every TV, VCR and DVD player I own is Sony. Well that time is gone and since this purchase and because of this issue my technology dollars are going elsewhere!

NEVER,and I mean never, order a refurbished DVD recorder from Sony. Just got mine last week. 2 very big problem. First, when I opened the manual I discovered it was a copy of a copy of a copy. The quick start guide was unreabable. The large booklet was a little better. It took only 2 of us to read it. The worst thing was the remote control. It was the wrong one. The only thing it would do was turn it off and on, and open the tray. I could not get any signal whatever to the tv. Trying to read the manual I discovered I needed to set the input line source. But, you guessed it, that needed to be done with the remote. After 2 days I called Sony customer service. The first lady I talked to said the book was not available, and she didn't think the remote was availabe. She sent me to another person, who got mad and hung up on me. I called again and another person said she needed to take the info and send me another remote and book, but I couldn't get for another 10 days. I told he to forget it and I wanted to send the unit back. She sent me to another person in some other country who said I had to pay to send it back. ( I think, hard to understand). I told her no, you messed up the order, you pay the shipping. Got sent to anothet person who said I needed to get a E-number, and said to call the nex day because they were busy. Called the next day and requested an E-number. He said he coudn't do that. He needed to hear the entire story again. Half way thru the story, he got mad and hung up. Called again and got a person who spoke english. He took the info and gave me an E-number. Got sent to another person who wanted to know the reason why I wanted to send it back. Then and only then did I get an ok to send it back.
This may be a fine DVD Recorder, but I never found out. Sony is the very worst company to buy anything from. Do not expect any customer support. None of the people I talked to could care less.

I was looking to replace my older dvd recorder with an upscaler that can also record. i ordered the sony rdrgx355 and to my disbelief the old days of the gx315 blue screen copy protection messages were back. well i have to tell you just like the 315 the 355 is finding its way to the open box stock back at the store and i'll just continue to use my older dvd recorder which works fine and for an upscaler i went ahead and ordered a toshiba a2 hd-dvd player.
> let me state something here i am a simple end user who wishes to record the soprano, weeds or whatever and watch them later however sony seems to think i am some kind of pirate which i find offensive. the only people that sony is driving away from thier products any more are the honest people. from this incedent i have also decided that sony can keep blu-ray and thier ps3 as well i don't want them dictating what i can and cannot watch when i rent a movie or a game and besides that hd-dvd is 500 to 800 clams cheaper and works better from what i have read.
>bottom line to this i don't really care about the hbo, cinemax etc stuff what does concern me is in the future what channels will start broadcasting this anti-copy signal ie will i no longer be able to record from a&e, tnt, lifetime,sci-fi and the likes because they decide that they sell dvd sets of thier shows so now you are forbiden to record them and how about the news which may not want you copying videos and all the sudden parts of your programming go away. do you see where i am going with this? THIS IS THE BOTTOM LINE OF WHY I WILL NOT PURCHASE A DVD RECORDER WITH THIS PROTECTION AS I MAY AS WELL JUST BUY A TIVO!!!! hmm that's actualy what i think i will do if i can find a hdmi tivo i'll just go that route i don't want to keep this garbage just whatch it at my leasure and maybe tivo, dish network dvr or direct tv dvr better fits my bill. you know thinking about it if i go tivo or dvr i'll never have to buy any media as it is hard drive oriented and then i can just sell my old dvd recorder and guess what recording media i will no longer be buying??? yup you guessed it SONY! i won't need it any more with a tivo!

Sony takes another step backwards in technology.
i am a pro in SONY, this my favorite brand.but my deception is the excess of Copy protection, i dont able to record movie to watch later/timeshifting. this unit live in my house in less of 24 hours, returning to store.

I HAVE A QUESTION, what is the best DVD+R to record tv show, I AM NOT PIRATE!. THANKS.

I bought this right after Thanksgiving and it lasted all the way til 5 days past the return period! Now giving error "no disc" messages. Wasted an hour with customer service (1/2 hr on hold), then was told I can mail it to Texas (at my expense) for them to replace or repair. I've had it five weeks and then am to lose it for proabably two? Hello? On top of everything, it stopped recording on the night I was performing on a national broadcast--adding insult to injury. Am hoping Best Buy will take it back under their extended Christmas return policy. They're usually pretty good--at least SOMEBODY stands behind their products!