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Is the Sony RDR-HXD910 DVD Recorder with a hard drive a good choice?

(Reviewed 12/7/06) The Sony RDR-HXD910 is a DVD recorder with a hard drive of 250 MB. It offers crystal-clear recordings and other sought after features like an EPG, an HDMI output and compatibility with dual-layer discs. It’s the first DVD recorder with an integrated hard drive that has a Digital Terrestrial Tuner.

Recording quality is outstanding on this DVD recorder with a hard drive. It's 8 recording modes offer many recording options. In the lowest recording mode you can store up to 428 hours on the hard disc. You can use the “chasing playback” option and watch the beginning of a program while the end is being recorded. Additionally the Sony RDR-HXD910 enables you to record a program while you watch something else. The Sony RDR-HXD910 let's you pause live TV too.

The unit offers another useful feature for a DVD recorder with a hard drive: an Electronic Programming Guide. The EPG enables you to schedule your recordings. Although it is not as flexible as TiVo, it is free and easy to use.

The Sony RDR-HXD910’s compatibility is also excellent. It can record on DVD-RW, DVD-R, DVD+R DVD+RW, as well as on dual layer DVD+R (discs that have a capacity of 8.5 GB). You can dub from HDD to DVD at a speed of 64x provided you do not change the recording mode. If you change it the dubbing will be done in real time. When it comes to editing video you have many options. You can add chapters, erase or mark playlists and erase unwanted scenes using “A-B erase”. The Sony RDR-HXD910 can play almost any type of disc, including CD-R/WR. It can also play MP3 files and JPEG files.

The set of connections on the Sony RDR-HXD910 is impressive. It has an HDMI output with 720p/1080i upscale. It should be mentioned that it has S-Video In/Out, analog A/V in/out, a component video output, optical and coaxial digital outputs. It also has a FireWire input, so you can connect your camcorder to it.

The Sony RDR-HXD910 is wonderfully designed. The deck is slim and elegant. This DVD recorder with a hard drive has some useful buttons on the front panel in case you lose your remote. The remote has a nice design and shape which makes it easy to use and comfortable for the wrist. There are some dedicated buttons for one-touch dubbing, recording, or playing. The set-up is easy and the onscreen menus guide you through all operations.

Conclusion : The Sony RDR-HXD910 is a great purchase even if it is a little bit more expensive than other similar products. It is a DVD recorder with a hard drive that gave up the analog tuner in favor of a digital one. It has an EPG, HDMI output and FireWire input, so it has many worthwhile options, especially for dedicated videophiles.