November 8th, 2010
Sony RDRDC205B 250GB Digital HDD DVD Recorder with Integrated Digital Tuner
- 250GB HDD
- Freeview+ Tuner
- DVD/-R/-RW/+R/+RW Play & Record
- USB Playback
- 71.5mm x 430mm x 258mm
250GB Hard disk drive DVD recorder. Slim and stylish Freeview+ model designed to fit high quality recording seamlessly into your living room with Pause Live TV, Bravia Sync, Series Link,USB Connection & On screen guide.
Rating: 
(out of 34 reviews)
Price:
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199388 items found. Showing results 1 to 15 next page
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Review by G. Anderson for Sony RDRDC205B 250GB Digital HDD DVD Recorder with Integrated Digital Tuner
Rating:
I bought this to replace a Sony RDR-HXD560 which had decided to stop playing DVDs. Whilst I wasn’t too pleased that the RDR-HXD560 had failed within 3 years of purchase, I was generally pleased with it as a HDD recorder, and hoped that the newer model would share it’s user-friendly interface and features, as well as maybe bringing some new ones along to make life easier.
How wrong could I be.
I wish the more recent reviews had been available prior to my purchase – I wouldn’t have bought it if they had! I’ll try and list all the things I’m not happy with on the machine…
1). Only possible to record direct to the HDD. If you want a copy on DVD you have to then transfer it from the HDD to a DVD afterwards. On the face of it, not too much of a problem as most people would want to edit out the adverts etc, but the real problem is that dubbing is done in real-time and, whilst it’s being done, you can’t use the recorder for anything else. So, realistically, it has to be set to do it as you leave for work in the morning, or overnight (provided you have nothing to record whilst it’s doing so).
2). The electronic programme guide defaults to “guideplus” which is half taken up with adverts. You can choose “freeview+” in the setup, but those less familiar with such things would take an age to find it.
3). As most people are aware, the channel order on freeview is pretty random. I, like I imagine most others, choose to rearrange them into a more convenient order – and to block out the rubbish like QVC, shopping etc. With this unit, as soon as you turn it off, it re-arranges the channels back into their original order! How pointless!
4). When playing DVDs, if you stop part way through a film (to see to the baby, make a cup of tea or whatever) it doesn’t remember the place and “resume”. You have to start again from the beginning, trawl all the way through the trailers and copyright guff, and remember where you were to start again. Rubbish. Even the £14.99 dvd player I bought from the local supermarket has a “resume” feature!
5). I have had problems with the HDD recordings skipping and freezing. A 2 hour film was reduced to an unwatchable 1hr 50mins. The same problem occured when trying to dub onto a dvd – 1 hour of cartoons filled a dvd without finishing due to the freezing and skipping.
6). Fast-forward and rewind functions are hard to control – the rewind particularly, as it has no 1x function (at least it says 1x, but it jumps back 10 or more seconds at a time. This is particularly annoying when editing a recording prior to copying it to a dvd.
7). It’s very slow to power up, and to turn itself off. This is particulary annoying if you turn it off in error – or the baby does – as it takes a lifetime to get going again. Particularly if you’re watching a dvd and have to start again from the beginning.
8). When viewing the recorded titles in the title list it plays a clip of both video and sound of whatever title you have highlighted – what’s wrong with that? I hear you say… Well, as each title has it’s name written down in front of you to read, it seems a bit superfluous. Add to that, most recordings start with a handful of adverts or the tail end of the previous programme, so you just get a snatch of the “go compare” advert or whatever. Highly distracting and, after a while, probably the most annoying feature of the machine. It appears to be impossible to pause or mute this playback and it drove me to distraction.
9). The fan is much noisier than on my earlier sony model.
On the “Plus” side, it gave a good picture – noticeably better with the HDMI cable making use of the 1080p upscaling – but that’s about all I can say that was good about it.
I hope this helps anyone considering purchasing one of these machines. I have now returned mine and will be buying an alternative manufacturer’s product.
Glen.
Review by Aremess for Sony RDRDC205B 250GB Digital HDD DVD Recorder with Integrated Digital Tuner
Rating:
As an HDD recorder:
Pros – Excellent quality copy even at standard level (unless you are after something really special, don’t bother with HQ it just uses up disk space)
Cons – Recording using a satellite box or similar is very time consuming – Why? On most other machines, one can use the internal programme guide to set up the advanced recording requirements then simply review what has been set up and change the source to the satellite box or other source, leaving the programme name etc intact. Using this machine, that is not an option. If using the built in digital/analogue TV as the source, one can use the programme guide. However, if one is using a satellite box it is necessary to set everything up by hand, including naming the programme, day, time etc. which makes it very time consuming. (I live in an area where digital TV signals are poor, so recording is always via a FreeSat box meaning that I spend ages on a Saturday morning, setting up for recording for the week)
As a DVD recorder
Pros – Good quality recordings
Cons – 1. It is only possible to record directly to the HDD. If one wishes to record to a DVD, that has to be done afterwards by recopying (oh, why do they insist on calling it ‘Dubbing’?): in other words, you have to record it twice!!! Copying to a DVD can only be done at standard speed (no high-speed copying) so it’s very time consuming
2. All the re-write DVD’s I had were useless. This machine only allows DVD’s formatted itself (I don’t know if that applies to DVD’s formatted on other Sony products) – Even more stupidly, DVD’s formatted elsewhere cannot be re-formatted as the machine simply will not recognise them.
3. Once a re-write DVD is formatted on this machine, other manufacture’s systems can read them (great) but cannot delete the programmes (very poor) so recording for someone else becomes a chore rather than a pleasure
4. Even poorer than that, even YOU cannot delete the recording (on the re-write DVD) using this machine, you can only reformat the disk which, again, is time consuming but worse still, reduces the life of the disk.
5. The default setting is to finalise the disk whether it be a record once or a re-write DVD. I only found this out after loosing a handful of expensive DVD+RW’s
I am highly disappointed in this machine. I previously had 2 Panasonic HDD/DVD recorders (and still have one in use) and NONE of the above cons apply to those machines. Sony, you need to do much better than this, because I certainly will not buy an HDD/DVD recorder from you again
Review by N. Beagley for Sony RDRDC205B 250GB Digital HDD DVD Recorder with Integrated Digital Tuner
Rating:
This would be a superb product but for one simple fault! When replaying HDD recordings and time delayed recordings they freeze, skip and jump sometimes as much as 5 to 6 times an hour. Tried retuning, reset, the works live TV is a beautiful upscaled picture and so is playing back DVD’s, but all the recordings we have are unwatchable. Returned the first device for a replacement, but that had the same problem from the outset, returning that for a refund. Contacted Sony support, only got an automated reply, no further response. The Sony website wants you to download new fimware to your PC, burn a CD and reflash the product. But the disclaimer agreement you have to agree to prior to doing this absolves them of any responsibility if an additional fault develops. In a product less than a week old this is simply not acceptable. We expected better of Sony.
Review by John Couzens for Sony RDRDC205B 250GB Digital HDD DVD Recorder with Integrated Digital Tuner
Rating:
I selected this after months of research, and dissapointing in that a/ it only records from one tuner, b/ set up is far from “Easy”, and b/ with horror – the set up encourages you to install GuidePlus instead of Freeview, Guideplus being an awful facility which I would warn people off. The set looks great, an OK/basic remote, and picture quality good, but the handbook is typically confusing and not at all easy to understand. The automatic set up has several options which give you 3 options, 1, 2 or ‘Dont know’ – I used ‘dont know’ on two… If I had my time again I would definately not buy a recorder with just one Tuner, Two is vital with cross over prog. timings, and i’d avoid anything with Guideplus. So Mr Sony, please drop Guideplus, please make Remote more substantial, please put 2 Tuners in, please get Instruction book re written in user friendly speak, eg how on earth do you set the auto timing to come on a few minutes before programme starts, as most of my progs are starting after opening credits. P.S. I dont mind paying more, if I get these things.
Review by dave werner for Sony RDRDC205B 250GB Digital HDD DVD Recorder with Integrated Digital Tuner
Rating:
I was worried this would be too glossy and look cheap. The style this year seems to be moving towards matte finish, but the DC205 looks stunning. It is very slim and fits easily in my system.
Setup was easy and it picked up Freeview channels well even though my aerial reception is lousy (too many trees!).
I hadn’t used Freeview+ before but it’s as easy as Sky+
Best thing for me is the sound. I have a few DVD-audio discs which I have previously played on DVD players and computer, but this thing made them come alive. I didn’t expect the incredible detail of sound. Plays everything else i’ve thrown at it. Quiet too.