|
 Sony's
newly released RDR-GX7 DVD Recorder is an exciting product that takes advantage
of recordable DVD (DVD-RW and DVD+RW) as well as write-once DVD-R discs. The unit
is designed to function similarly to a VCR, but with far more capabilities and
ease of use. The built-in NTSC TV tuner records programs with the simplicity of
a conventional VCR and includes VCR Plus+. Channel information as well as time
and date are stored automatically for each recording. The user can also manually
enter a title name for each recording. Random access makes this product more user
friendly than a VCR, allowing the operator to select any of the previously recorded
programs from a simple menu. In addition, programs that are no longer desired
can simply be erased (Rewriteable discs), freeing up valuable recordable disc
space on the DVD. The RDR-GX7 has an attractive silver look with nice build quality.
The attractive light-blue, dot matrix display shows the track time when operating
and displays the time and date when the unit is off. The construction is similar
to some of the better Sony A/V components we've seen in the past.
The
front lower flap that extends the full width of the unit reveals several A/V connections
that include composite, s-video, iLink™ (IEEE1394
Firewire) and two-channel audio. This is ideal for both analog and digital camcorders.
The iLink™ interface is used to control the camcorder
and allow the RDR-GX7 to receive audio and video data that facilitates the powerful
editing features built into the RDR-GX7. Several other buttons reside behind this
panel including functions for the menu controls and the One
Touch Record button.  Rear
Panel
The back of the RDR-GX7 includes two additional sets of A/V inputs
(composite and s-video with two-channel audio) as well as two sets of A/V outputs.
High-quality component outputs are also provided for the progressive-scan or interlaced
video. Both optical (Toslink) and coaxial digital (RCA) outputs are available.
The UHF/VHF antenna/cable connections use F-connectors and are identical to what
one would find on a typical VCR. This input is used by the 181-channel built-in
NTSC tuner for recording cable or over-the-air programming. Sony's Control-S connection
is also available for televisions that support this feature. We were happy to
see a detachable power cord as it always makes it easier to install the component.
There's also a fan on the back that provides cooling for the unit.
Connectivity
The RDR-GX7 has a rich set of connections that include three A/V inputs (two on
the rear and one in front). These inputs include two-channel audio along with
composite and s-video inputs. There are also two sets of A/V outputs on the rear
panel that include two-channel audio with composite and s-video connections. A
set of component video outputs are also available for maximum picture quality.
These outputs can be configured to output interlaced or progressive scan rates.
Both toslink and coaxial digital output are included. These outputs can stream
two-channel PCM data, Dolby Digital or DTS bitstreams and must be configured in
the setup menus. If the recorder is not in clear line-of-sight to the wireless
remote control, the Control S jack on the back of the unit can be used
to control the unit. This link uses the television's IR receiver to command the
DVD recorder. The front panel also has an iLink interface to communicate with
digital camcorders using the Program
Edit functions.  Remote
The wireless remote (RMT-D203A) included with RDR-GX7 is very similar to the other
Sony DVD remotes we've used in the past. Navigating is easy with the thumb-based
joystick. The three most important buttons (System Menu, Title List and Tools)
are located right above this. The lower portion of the remote is behind a sliding
panel that hides less frequently used controls such as the record buttons. The
design of the remote is simple and it's easy to use. Also located here is the
Command Mode that selects between one of three settings. This allows one remote
to control up to three Sony DVD players or recorders. A
slider switch on top of the remote enables the user to choose between controlling
the DVD recorder and multiple brands of televisions (basic functions) and A/V
receivers (volume only). The overall design of the remote and the logical user
interface on the RDR-GX7 is one of Sony's best attributes when it comes to their
consumer products.
The menu
screens transition in a smooth fade-in and fade-out fashion. The title bar that
appears when a selection is played shows the track, channel, start time, stop
time and date. In some cases when the data is present in the video transmission,
the program name also appears. Tracks contained in the list can be sorted by Date,
Number or Title. Setup
The Easy Setup (and it
really is easy) menus guide the first time user through a series of questions
and configures the unit for optimal performance. The user selects Language,
Time and Date,
Antenna or Cable,
TV Screen Type, Line
Outputs and Digital Outputs.
simple as the unit guides you through the initial setup menus. Fully
manual setup is also possible with the RDR-GX7. Video settings define the TV type
(16:9 or 4:3), Progressive Mode (Audio or Video), and the type of inputs (Composite
or S-Video) for the Line 1 and Line 3 inputs. Disc
Support
The RDR-GX7 supports three different types of recordable DVD media
which includes DVD-R, DVD+RW and DVD-RW. DVD-R is a write-once format that cannot
be erased. Finalized DVD-R discs can be played on a wide range of DVD-players.
DVD+RW discs do offer the flexibility of being erasable, but it's more difficult
to edit recorded material with this media. DVD-RW discs can be formatted in two
different recording modes. The DVD Video Format (Video Mode) is widely compatible
with DVD players, but has limited recording flexibility. On the other hand, the
DVD Video Recording Format (VR Mode) will not playback in many players, yet offers
more editing flexibility when it comes to finalizing the DVD. The
variability in how well recordable DVDs work in machines from different manufacturers
is a crap shoot. There's no doubt that more of today's DVD players are capable
of playing recordable media. However, there are no guarantees in many cases. Here's
a list of DVD Video players that are compatible
with DVD+RW and DVD+R media. Recording
Options
There are six variable bit-rate recording speeds available. The
following table indicates the approximate recording time based on the recording
mode selected.
| Recording
Mode | Recording
Time | | HQ | 60
minutes | | HSP | 90
minutes | | SP
(Standard mode) | 120
minutes | | LP | 180
minutes | | EP | 240
minutes | | SLP | 360
minutes |  We
had recordable DVD media from both Sony and Verbatim. We started with the Verbatim
DVD+RW disc for some of our initial testing. Verbatim has introduced some new
cool looking recordable DVDs that resemble film reels. We recorded over-the-air
programs from various channels and then selected the programs using the Title
List.
The copy protection
mechanism in the RDR-GX7 works well at preventing unauthorized recordings. Every
one of the DVDs we tried with the exception of a Norwegian travel video resulted
in a recording error. The unit accurately detects the copy guard signal and prevents
unauthorized copies from being made. The unit can also detect copy control signals
broadcasted over the air. There are three types of copy control (Copy-Free, Copy-Once,
or Copy-Never) codes that are interpreted by the recorder. Features
Material recorded on compatible media can have custom titles (up to 64 characters
long) added to them. Some titles are automatically inserted into the recordings
from over the air broadcasts. We recently programmed the RDR-GX7 to record Saturday
Night Live and the title automatically showed up without having to
edit the DVD. Each of the recorded titles show up on the Title List menu.
Titles can be protected or erased by the user. The more advanced editing capability
allows the user to edit the original recording by taking advantage of the true
random access nature of DVD. Creating a playlist on an original recording is possible
as well as fully manual chapter insertion. The user can also erase sections of
a track by defining a starting and ending point (A-B) on the disc. We took one
of our favorite foreign films on laserdisc that is not available on DVD and transferred
the video directly to a DVD-RW (VR mode). Since I started the recording just before
I went to sleep, the recording included a 10-second side change from our CLD-D704
laserdisc player. By simply tagging the unwanted segment (A-B), that part of the
recording was removed from the video. The data actually still resides there, but
the unit jumps over the unwanted segment. Recording
programs is a simple process with several options available. Manual
recording is similar to a standard VCR where the user pushes the record button
and the current channel is copied to DVD. The Quick
Timer records in 30-minutes increments up to a maximum of 6 hours.
Scheduled recordings are also available using VCR Plus+ or the traditional method
and can store up to 30 programs (up to one month in advance). There's also a Synchro
Record that automatically starts recording when commanded from an external
component. One of the great
features of the RDR-GX7 is the ability to communicate with digital camcorders
using the Firewire connection. Using the One-Touch
Dubbing feature, the DVD recorder will transfer the entire content
of the tape to a DVD. If the recorded content was stored on a DVD-RW disc using
the VR mode, the Advanced Program
Edit feature allows the user to completely rearrange or delete scenes, resulting
in a fully edited version of the original content. Another feature called Program
Edit lets the user select the scenes to transfer to the disc prior
to burning the data on the DVD. This is particularly useful when using DVD-R write-once
media. In this mode, the recorder keeps track of each scene selected by the user
and creates a table to be processed once the arrangement is complete. This is
possible because the recorder completely control the camcorder including play,
stop fast-forward and rewind. For
those who lack the full home theater speaker system, Sony has included some audio
processing to simulate a surround environment. The TV Virtual Surround (TVS) has
four modes and can also be completely defeated. The Dynamic
mode creates virtual rear speakers using the front two channels. The Wide
mode is similar, but creates a virtual full five channel system. The Night
mode is essentially a dynamic range compressor. Loud sounds are compressed and
quiet sounds are still audible making it ideal when others are sleeping (like
your neighbors). The Standard mode creates three virtual speakers. Performance
The RDR-GX7 uses Sony's Precision
Cinema Progressive video processing found in the DVP-NS999ES DVD player for the
progressive component outputs. By combining Per-pixel I/P Conversion, Vertical
Edge Compensation and using a high quality 12-bit, 108MHz Video DAC, the RDR-GX7
produces an excellent progressive picture free of objectionable artifact from
the deinterlacing process. Our classic test case uses the opening scene from Star
Trek's Insurrection on DVD. The curved hand rail on the bridge was smooth
and natural looking. The roof tops of the structures in conjunction with the camera
slowly panning across the field-of-view revealed an excellent picture. The RDR-GX7
did a great job on this material with virtually no visible artifacts. Analog
sources that have noise and line-to-line jitter can be improved by the Pre-frame
Noise reduction and Time Base Correction circuits. We fed some VHS content that
had both noise and jitter in the video and the recorded image was certainly more
tolerable than the original source material. In addition, contrast, brightness
and color controls allow the user to adjust the incoming video prior to being
recorded. This is particularly important for many older videos that have some
quality problems. The RDR-GX7
uses 24-bit DACs running at 192 kHz conversion rates for the audio outputs. The
digital outputs are down-converted to 16-bit/48kHz. As a CD player, the RDR-GX7
performed as well as many of the better DVD players currently on the market. However,
I have plenty of other players that can play CDs well, so I would be inclined
to preserve this machine for DVD recording and playback. Conclusion
While most of us still use a tape-based VCRs for time-shifting our favorite programs,
others have opted for hard drive-based products such as TIVO and Replay. These
products work well, but limit the portability offered by the DVD format. Sony's
new RDR-GX7 DVD recorder supports several DVD formats (DVD±RW and DVD-R)
and can capture all of the old video footage you've been waiting to archive on
digital media. In addition, the built-in Firewire (iLink™)
interface makes it fully compatible with today's digital video cameras. The more
we used the RDR-GX7 to record over-the-air and DirecTV programs, the more we wanted
to keep this product as part of our reference system. The ability to transfer
old laserdiscs not available on DVD is invaluable. Sony has produced a real winner
here. The price may seem a little high, but once you experience all of the capabilities
offered by the RDR-GX7, you'll be hard pressed not to justify it.
-
Kevin Nakano | 
