Going High Resolution with the Sony RDR-HX715 DVD recorder

(Reviewed 10/19/06) The Sony RDR-HX715 DVD recorder is the first of its kind to come with an all-digital HDMI output, totally up scaling standard-definition video and DVDs to high resolutions of 720p or 1080i. Built smaller and sleeker than its bulky predecessors, Sony’s RDR-HX715 also crams more features in its tiny frame compared to the contending hard disk / DVD recorders currently out in the market.

Measuring only 17 by 13 by 3 inches, this Sony DVD recorder cuts a fine figure with its understated silver and gray front albeit the deck is a wee bit too shallow and short for a recorder in its class but that’s not too important .

Sony RDR-HX715—One Cool DVD Recorder

On the other hand, the slick animated menus of the Sony RDR-HX715 are by far the coolest ever seen in a Sony DVD recorder. Take the translucent system menu for example, which slides out from the left side of the screen then splits open to reveal the various submenus of the Sony RDR-HX715. These various submenus of this Sony DVD recorder do their own gliding as well. One glitch though… fancy these menus may be but they do take longer than a second or two to show up.

This can be frustrating especially when you are doing menu-intense operations like editing. The title menu of Sony’s RDR-HX715 was a bit disappointing with its display of four thumbnail titles at a time but the contextual menu that pops up at the click of a title presents a smarter approach as compared to the Sony DVD recorder of old. The myriad options of the Sony RDR-HX715 may be a bit overwhelming for novices. Overall, the sleek menus of this Sony DVD recorder do make quite a winning impression.

Remotely, Sony RDR-HX715

We could not give the same positive comments for the remote that comes with Sony’s RDR-HX715. As with other poorly designed remotes of many a Sony DVD recorder in the past, the remote of this Sony’s just didn’t click it with its odd layout of playback controls and that stiff, annoying sliding panel that keeps on hiding the recording buttons of this Sony DVD recorder.

When it comes to features, Sony’s RDR-HX715 comes with plenty. The 160 GB hard drive of this Sony’s boasts all the expected features of an HDD/DVD combo deck. For example it has the ability to chase playback and pause live TV. The Sony also features a quad-format DVD deck which burns dual layer DVD+R discs, a TV Guide onscreen programming guide, impressive editing options and plenty of high-speed dubbing options.

Conclusion While the Sony RDR-HX715 may be quite a mouthwatering package, it does have a few drawbacks. One, the free TV Guide EPG service that comes with this Sony DVD recorder does not work with all cable carriers. Two, the HDMI jack that comes with the deck of Sony’s RDR-HX715 works more for convenience purposes rather that as a performance enhancer. The price tag for this Sony DVD recorder, enormous! The bottomline--Sony’s RDR-HX715 would make a great buy… if this Sony DVD recorder drops in price.