Sony RDR-GXD310 DVD Recorder Best Buy

Very good picture quality on 'ordinary' telly. - 16 Mar 2008

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I found one of these cheap elsewhere described as "As New" but it arrived tatty, so I decided to return it but I thought I'd try it out first briefly..

Freeview picture quality was, well, stunning. This is on my old 28" cheapo Thomson CRT telly. I've previously used Digihome and Grundig DVB boxes and the picture improvement on the Sony was immediately obvious.

I didn't like the menus & EPG on the Sony though. The guide squashes all the text to fit in to timeslots and cuts off too much text. And menus sometimes appear using Windows-like 'Transitions' where instead of simply flashing-up, they curtain-out onto the screen. Smooth maybe but annoying after a while I expect (if you're in a hurry).

Also, timer selections only display the channel of what you're going to record, not the program title. That's a bit lame. When using the EPG, every time I clicked OK on my choice to watch, I'd be asked whether I was selecting it to watch or record. I trust these options can be removed. If they can't, imagine how annoying the 'view or record' message would be when channel-surfing.

Also, the text design and format of screen messages is not consistent. A bar appears at the top of the current channel, white on a black background telling you what you are watching with a big channel number next to it but this is of a completely different style to the EPG which appears blocky and white on blue (if I remember correctly) and then the slidey-out menu options are black on grey. it should all be of the same design format IMHO.

I currently use a rock-bottom-budget Digihome PVR and on paper the Sony would be a massive step-up, but I don't reckon I would use half the functions as I'd become allergic to the menu system on the Sony.

Great picture, menu & EPG would take some getting used-to.

Paul