Product Description

The RDR-HXD870 player/recorder can record hours of high-definition video in resolutions of up to 1080p! With Sony's technologies such as Bravia Theatre and Theatre Sync, this player/recorder lets you discover the new face of digital videos, as it incorporates a Freeview tuner that allows you to tune in and record free digital television channels. It can also record high-quality images onto DVD-R and DVD-RW discs or CDs, and is compatible with Pictbridge and other multimedia applications, thanks to its USB port. You can store your JPEG images and MP3 files on its hard drive and make DVD backups of your home videos. You can even increase the quality of your creations by connecting your camcorder to its i.Link input. Also equipped with an HDMI output, the RDR-HXD870 will set off your audio/video system a treat!  

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #137 in Consumer Electronics
• Brand: Sony
• Model: RDRHXD870B.CEK
• Released on: 2007-03-10
• Dimensions: 10.80 pounds

Features

• Recordable formats: DVD-R/-RW, DVD+R/+RW, DVD-RAM and HDD. Multiformat playback.
• DivX, MP3 and JPEG playback. 160GB Hard Disc Drive capacity.
• Up to 272 hours maximum recording time on HDD. Int

Manufacturer's Description

All you need to know about the Sony 2007 Hard Disk Drive Recorder range The new Sony range of Hard Disk Drive Recorders give you more time to do the things you want to do. Whether that’s going out with friends, playing your favourite sport or enjoying time with your family. These new features allow you to watch what you want, whenever you want.

Definition High Definition: HD means Higher Definition - up to 4x more detail and clarity. It really is the future of home entertainment. The industry standard for HD is 720 lines, however, Sony are leading the way with 1080 lines - or HD1080. Standard Definition: Standard definition is what we've been watching for years on our TV's, it can still produce superb quality images and if you're going to play back your footage on a SD TV then a SD Hard Disk Drive Recorders will deliver great looking results.

Hard Disk Drive (HDD) Recording HDD recording is changing the way we experience home entertainment. Record directly to HDD and store a massive amount of content without the need for tapes or discs! RDR-HXD870: 160GB Hard Disk Drive for up to 455 hours of TV recording RDR-HXD970: 250GB Hard Disk Drive for up to 710 hours of TV recording RDR-HXD1070: 500GB Hard Disk Drive for up to 1400 hours of TV recording

Integrated Digital Tuner FREEVIEW Digital broadcasts offer 30+ TV channels as well as 20 radio radio stations including entertainment, children's, news, music and lifestyle. The FREEVIEW service is a simple way of getting a wide choice of digital channels and no contract. What better way to enjoy them than with Sony BRAVIA televisions.

EPG (Electronic Program Guide) The 8 day on-screen guide allows you to select the programme to watch or record at the touch of a button. Simply press ‘Enter’ to store the programme to your built-in Hard Disk Drive Recorder. Select the programme you have recorded from the on-screen menu, then sit back and enjoy.

HDMI (High Definition Media Interface) A HDMI interface allows for the best picture possible from your Sony DVD/HHD/Blu-ray player/recorder to your Sony BRAVIA LCD TV.

BRAVIA Theatre Sync With a single touch of a button, control your entire Sony entertainment system and remove the need for additional remote controls.

Series Recording Never miss you favourite shows again! Just follow the simple steps below; 1. Access EPG 2. Select programme 3. Press ‘Blue’ to access Series Info for episode detail 4. Choose to record one episode only or select ‘Series Timer’ to record all episodes 5. Series Info screen shows programmed episodes 6. Series Recording display in 8 Day EPG for future episodes

Pause Live TV & Simultaneous Record and Playback You can pause your favourite TV shows, movies or live sports and pick up where you left off ! With Simultaneous Record and Playback, you can watch one show and record another, making sure that you never miss you favourite shows when they clash!

Photomovie You can playback your favourite photos, view thumbnails and play a slide show while you listen to music! Just simply place a photo CD/DVD in your HDD Recorder or connect your digital camera via USB and you can easily access your content with the intuitive menu system.

Music Jukebox You can playback your favourite songs/albums, sort by artist, album, track and genre with this great feature. Simply place a music CD/DVD in your HDD Recorder or connect your MP3 player via USB and you can easily access your content with the intuitive menu system.

Automatic Programme Title Labelling Isn't it difficult to find that programme you recorded on the VHS tape you want to watch and cant easily find? Now with Automatic Programme Title Labelling you can easily find your recorded shows, just by looking at the name and the synopsis!

Box Contents

Customer Reviews

Sony RDR-HXD870 = Very capable machine
Hard disk recorder with upscaling DVD recorder at a reasonable price. Best features for me are series record and 1080p HDMI output (DVDs look great even with a cheap HDMI cable). Most of the complaints I've read on Amazon seem to fit into 4 main categories:-

1. An expectation that it is a PVR. It does not claim to have twin digital tuners. Most modern TVs usually have an internal Freeview receiver, which is fine if simultaneous recording isn't required.

2. Trouble reading the manual. It's true the manual tends to go into unnecessary detail about advanced settings and modes. I rarely have any need for the manual because I find the recorder and the remote control intuitive. I recommend just playing around with it for 20 mins. It's easy enough to setup (suggest using a SCART cable initially and then migrating to HDMI), it scans all the digital channels automatically. The only option I had to set was the choice of EPG.

3. Weak reception. I don't have any specific problem so cannot comment. It performs just like any other Freeview receiver I've had.

4. Missed timer recordings. I recommend checking the firmware is at least version v1.65. Easy to do - full details are on Sony's website.

My only gripes are minor:- I'd love to move HDD recordings into folders and the EPG just looks a bit dated compared with the one on my Sony TV.

An undocumented feature is that it is also capable of reading DVD-RAM disks, so I was able to dub recordings made on my old Panasonic machine with no trouble.

top notch
Read reviews and came to conclusion had to either get the Panasonic or the Sony product. There are a lot of reviews which list technical design ideosyncracies of the Panasonic recorder so opted for the Sony. This machine seems to do everything that anyone would want from it plus answers all those niggles from the Panasonic users.
I found it incredibly easy to set up. Just plugged it in and it did the rest for me. Pausing live broadcasts is brilliant. one button push and it's done.
Viewing what you've recorded is easy peasy it gives you a little thumbnail of what each programme is.
Don't understand the gripes about the manual - I've had more complicated manuals for watches. You can read the whole thing through in half an hour.

Pity About The Lousy User Manual!
Once you've cracked the instructions, you'll love it, but until Sony can write a decent manual, what is a potentially 5-star product can only justify 4 stars at best (what's the use of a fantastic product that people have difficulty understanding?). After all, it's only a gadget to get more out of watching the telly!
This machine is almost bloated with features, to the point that virtually no one will benefit from everything it offers on day-1, and for many users some features may remain unused forever (rather like some of those obscure programs on our washing machine!). For the person who is used to the latest digital TV functions, getting used to this unit will be easier, but someone making a leap from analogue to digital and replacing a VCR with a hard drive machine, initially it may seem a leap too far!
Something I really like is that by entering a code, the unit's remote control now operates (basic functions only) my Toshiba TV as well.
To get the most out of this machine, you need a good user manual, and I have to agree with other reviewers that the manual is probably the worst I have ever come across. It may all be in there somewhere, but finding it is another matter. For example, something as simple as setting the TV's aspect ratio is hidden away in a small table on page 144, with no reference to it in either the Table of Contents or the Index. Also, much of what is written is poorly explained. Terms are used that are not made clear, so you just hope you've got it right!
Some reviewers say that you can't record one programme and watch another. This is wrong, but tends to confirm that the user manual could be better.
The machine itself has 2 tuners - 1 digital and 1 analogue. The analogue is presumably mainly for those who still live in an area where they can't get a decent digital signal. But it also serves another function, which is to provide the signal to the Electronic Programme Guide (EPG), GUIDE Plus+, which is only updated by an analogue channel. If you don't connect your aerial via the unit's analogue tuner, then the EPG will always be blank, unless, during setup, you change the EPG option to digital. I experimented by disconnecting the unit's analogue tuner and opting for the digital version of the EPG. However, this is much less sophisticated than the analogue GUIDE Plus+, so I returned to using GUIDE Plus+. None of this is properly explained in the user manual. My unit also has a minor fault with the manual setting of the recorder timer, but at the moment there isn't a firmware update available from Sony to fix it (I've discussed this with Sony technical staff). Maybe now you can see why some users get confused!
Our TV is an old analogue one, so you can record one digital channel while watching one of the 5 terrestrial channels. What you can't do is record a Freeview channel (using the unit's digital tuner) and watch another digital channel at the same time. To do this you have to have a digital TV, or another digital set-top box. As people replace their old analogue TVs with new digital ones, this limitation will disappear, but again, it's not made clear in the user manual.
However, you can start recording a programme, then watch it from the start a bit later, while it's still recording the rest of the programme. You can also watch a previously recorded programme, while it records another, plus all the other good things that a hard drive recorder offers. Then you can dump old programmes you want to keep from the hard drive onto DVD, to free-up space on the hard drive.
I believe this machine offers just about everything that most people could ask for, but don't bother trying to get everything out of it on day-1. Start by using the basic functions and learn what else it offers as you go along. Also, visit the Sony web site for more information - it seems that they realise that most people are thoroughly confused, so have published some additional info. While you're there, you can download firmware updates for the unit and also use their feedback page to complain about the dreadful user manual and tell them to provide a decent one, which can be downloaded.