Home > Consumer Reviews > Sony RDR-HX510 DVD Recorder with 80GB Hard Drive

After 12+ years with our old Sony VCR (still working well but relegated to playroom duties...) we decided it was time to upgrade to DVD. Extensive surfing of reviews revealed that this was a well thought of machine, and having used it for some 2 months now we can see why.

Delivery was swift, and initial set up to our 12 year old Sony Trinitron TV was straightforward, although there were some issues with getting the DVD to talk to our Sky box. Careful reading of the instruction manual revealed where we were going wrong, and now everything is fine -as for other users, we have found that for someone brought up with VCR's it is essential to read and re-read the instructions to get the best from this impressive piece of kit.

When you take the time to do this the results are very good indeed. We haven't yet found a disc format that the machine can't sort out, the 80GB hard drive is big enough if you either watch the programmes you have recorded within a reasonable time, or dub those you want to keep for later (a straightforward process using the excellent on screen menus) The ability to watch a film whilst simultaneously recording another programme is also extremely useful.

If you are looking for a good quality machine, that promises a long life, with a sensible range of features, that will quickly become a trusted member of the family and all this at a good price, we recommend you take a good hard look at this.

Well done Sony!

I purchased this dvd recorder a few days ago , having previously owned two panasonic dvd recorders. The picture quality both for recording and playback is CLEARLY superior on the sony machine. I have a large plasma screen and previously thought those digital aftefacts were normal. Not so with the sony, the picture is simply breathtaking. The recordings on SP mode are also clearly better than the SP mode on the panasonic.The player is easy to use and setup. Don't take my word for it, go to a local retailer and judge the picture quality for yourself. Highly recommended.

Very User friendly. Menus are clear and concise, picture quality is very good (setting dependant) even the more advanced features (for mere mortals like myself) are simple and staight forward. High speed dubbing HDD-DVD-HDD is easy, and very useful for watching recorded programs on other compatible equipment. Different colour display buttons makes it simple to decipher between HDD or DVD modes.
80Gb Hard drive seems sufficient (for my use) Generally, Highly recommended.

This is a very nice piece of kit indeed. I encouraged my dad to buy it after reading the reviews on this site.

You see, my dad's always been hopeless at setting videos to record stuff off TV. Well, the Videoplus on this DVD recorder is relatively painless and slick and already my dad has got the hang of it!

The cool thing about this DVD recorder, there is so much memory on the hard drive, you really don't ever have to burn anything onto DVD discs unless you REALLY want to keep it like some special documentary or foreign film or something.

My advice is to record the extra-special stuff like movies in the SP mode -- which when played back is clear-looking and clear-sounding as if it is being broadcast 'live' on TV. Amazing.

Any other programmes that aren't a massive priority for 'perfect' quality like sitcoms and documentaries and soaps or whatever, record in the LP (Longplay) mode, which is still far better picture and sound quality than VHS ever was! Happy days!

This way you'll find you never really need to burn any DVD discs!

I've knocked a star off my review for this product because the remote control pad is cumbersome -- just seems to have too many buttons! You'll get the hang of it eventually though.

In conclusion, this is a must-have for every home. Sad to say, but the VHS has officially had its day! Hope this was helpful.

Sony generally produce good quality and reliable products - and this is no exception. So lets get the grizzles out the way first.

Connecting the system to an old TV (with no scart - that how old) was a big problem. I also have poor terestrial reception, which requires a booster to assist. Several extra cables later (including a scart lead not included with the pack), the system was up and running. Which brings me on to the second grizzle, the handbook.

If you buy this equipment (or similar Sony DVD) ensure you take time out to sit down with the machine and run fully through all the instructions. At first read they are extremely difficult to comprehend, especially if you are not into the jargon used.

Recording a few "test" programmes has helped - along with the suggestion of someone elses review, some music video's, provided the opportunity to edit, cut, paste and copy from the hard disk to a DVD.

Having said all that, now it is up and running and I am familiar with the equipment, it has become relatively second nature to use and is already proving a good purchase. The features and quality of recording is very good and the facility to manipulate the media via the hard drive before copying to DVD provides a high degree of flexibility.

I would therefore recommend this product. However, be prepared to spend some time with your new purchase!

If you are considering Freeview as well, then go for the combined DVD and Freeview reciever as the Sony has further tricks up its sleeve which make recording even easier (NB It is also extremely easy to automatically record from a Sky box, using Sky as the means to trigger the recording via the player).