Customer Reviews:
Showing reviews 1-5 of 33
 Not one of Sony's better efforts August 28, 2010
Pat Thompson (Hartlepool, UK)
Dissapointing to say the least, very slow and cumbersome when using the remote controller and unable to download to a USB memory stick. You pay premium price for Sony,I expected more but didn't find it.
Not good, not good at all! August 10, 2010
Andy K
I read all the reviews but decided to buy this item anyway because I'd just bought a new Sony TV and Blu-Ray, so I wanted a matching HDD DVD recorder. I hoped that after updating the firmware, I would be happy with my purchase....sadly I was wrong.
Firstly, the delivery was terrible! It's not Amazon's fault but they really shouldn't entrust the 'Home Delivery Network' courier with their business. I took the day off from work to take delivery of my eagerly awaited new machine and waited, and waited, and waited some more. I'd given up when at 20.45hrs a van pulled up and I watched the delivery driver throw a box out of the side of the van. It bounced across the road as he shut the van door. He then picked it up and threw it over my front gate. Once the driver was through the gate himself, he picked it up and threw it again into my front door. Obviously the driver prefers this method of attracting the homeowners attention rather than use the usual means of the door bell. He didn't speak but was very intimidating nevertheless. After I'd shut the door and opened the box, I was just glad that either myself or the DVD recorder hadn't been injured in the process.
The first thing I did was to check that it still actually worked (which, miraculously it did) then I updated the firmware and set it up. I have to confess that after that initial experience, I have never looked at the machine in quite the same way.
I agree with most of the other reviewers comments but in short, here are my pro's and con's:
Con's:
1. If you use the program guide to record a program, it defaults to DR mode (digital record) which means you only have 87 hours of recording space on the HDD. If you want the advertised 425 hours of space, then you have set the recording up manually.
2. There is a long pause between pressing a button on the remote and the machine responding. After a while, you press the button again, and again....then it all catches up and the you have to figure out what's going on. This drives me nuts!!
3. When you turn it off, it flashes 'Power Off' on the display for 3 or 4 minutes. It may be longer but I haven't timed it. Either way it's very annoying and distracting when you're now watching the TV.
4. Because the machine is not actually made by Sony, it doesn't seem to fully integrate with the Bravia Sync system (which was the reason I wanted a Sony)
5. You can't record straight to DVD and it doesn't do high speed dubbing either. So for example, if you wanted to record a 2 hour film to DVD disc for a friend, it will take another 2 hours after the intial recording to move the film from the HDD to DVD.
6. The manual doesn't fully explain all of the features or on screen symbols.
7. It turns itself on and off at times, this may be an intended function but again it's quite distracting.
8. The fan is very noisey.
9. The menus feel clunky and basic.
Pro's:
1. It looks nice and matches the look of my other new Sony TV and Blu-Ray.
2. The quality of the recordings are generally very good with just the odd skip and jump.
In summary, I wouldn't recommend buying one of these. My sister has the equivalent Panasonic which is a couple of years old, and that is a joy to use so I would buy one of those instead, especially when you consider that the newer models do Freesat as well.
I hope Sony can issue another firmware update that will address some of the issues that we've all highlighted. I'm very pleased with my other Sony purchases (not bought from Amazon) but this one is a huge let down.
Lastly, I'll never buy anything from Amazon that uses the 'Home Delivery Network' again. I've read other reviews that complain about their service and I've now experienced it for myself. I don't expect to pay £200 to get my purchase physically thrown at my house or be intimidated by the driver.
 Sony RDR DC205B VERY Unhappy with it. August 9, 2010
A. R. Fletcher
I bought this just a few days ago, and on EVERY DAY the HDD "skips, stalls, misses part of the recording" If I had seen the reviews about this machine I would NEVER have bought it.
And I am having problems in that it will not play my DVD-RW discs that were recorded on a Philips!
I have always been a big big fan of Sony, but this is a massive step backwards for them, I could not recommend this machine, I am getting a full refund for my purchase, and for now will be steering well clear of Sony.
There isn't anything good about this that I could say, in principal the HDD is a cracking idea, but only if it works, which on the 205 it doesn't. This week I set the HDD to record racing at York so I could watch it later & skip thru the adverts (I HATE ADVERTS!) I also set it to record something else later on, well it recorded the racing TWICE and did NOT record my other programme at all!
New Sony DVD not as good as older models August 3, 2010
Jallard
I purchased this Sony DVD recorder as I had been so delighted with the previous model that I had which is a HXD890, I thought I could use this one with the Sony TV I have upstairs.
Sadly this model is disappointing the programming is not as swish and straightforward as the existing one I have, the recording quality is not as good and often does strange pauses and blips. It is also very slow at responding to the remote control and the menu system is rubbish. The fast forward is hard to control and you cannot do high speed dubbing or search the programme menu.
Frankly I am surprised that Sony have produced a recorder which is of such poor quality compared with its predecessor, had I realised that it was this inferior I would have purchased a different make and would not recommend it to anyone who had previously owned a Sony model and been pleased with it.
Sony Hard Drive DVD July 20, 2010
Steve
I have had DVD hard drive recorders before and know what to expect in terms of functionality. E.G. editing, fast forwarding, high speed dubbing. I thought that the Sony brand would provide for my needs. Boy was I disappointed with this model. This machine insults the Sony brand name, I intend to get rid of it as soon as possible and buy a real DVD hard Drive.
Showing reviews 1-5 of 33
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