There are some terrible design faults with the RDR-GX7 that make it almost unusable.
1, It is very picky about which DVD disks it can use.
2, It damages DVD disks irreparably.
Sometimes a disk that once worked with it then stops working, and the unit gives the dreaded error 'dirty disk'.
3, If you get a bad disk error you often cannot get it out because there is no emergency disk eject, so the unit 'locks up'.
4, There is no off switch or reset, the only option is to pull the plug or flip the switch on the wall. This was sony's advice:
"Pull the plug and leave it out for 3 hours (yes 3 hours), then the machine may reset itself and you can get the disk out". It did not reset and had to go for repair.
4, When you do this the machine breaks and has to go for repair.
Most of the time it has disk errors and locks up. I have spent more time going back and forth to the repair shop than using it.
If you do buy one do not buy it from the internet because you will probably need to take it back, internet companies are impossible bad when it comes to after sales support.

Sony has one of those names attached to it, much like mercedes and bmw. It's the name which means quality and while this is true, you're soon find that there are other players on the market which do the same thing but for a fraction of the cost.

However what the Sony RDR-GX7 does it does well, it has the looks that show a elegant but classy product. Most DVD recorders are slightly confusing to get to grips with, those who say it's a doodle lie, you have to choose the quality, the right disc's it's all quite an experience. But the GX7 along with the GX3 seems to make sense out of it all. This is the major winning factor for the sony unit, it is easy to use. Slap any DVD disc in not RAM though and it records it's that simple....

However are you willing to pay over the odds for a DVD recorder that is more easy to use. The answer in this case would be no, while your be up and running in 10 minutes with this unit, after 30 minutes on another unit you will be at the same place, but with a slightly heavier pocket thanks to the money saved.

This Sony unit is roughly over £600.00. Which doesn't sound to much....

However the Panasonic DMRE60EBS is a fraction of the price, supports DVD-RAM this enables you to get 12 Hours onto 1 disc, it also has an SD card slot and PC card slot.... whats the point in that? Well ig you have a digital camera and you want to make a family video with pictures, video footage, it is a complete basic editing suite, allowing you to take pictures add them into the film, or take pictures from the film and send them to the card as a photo. I did mention this recorder is £399! Less than £200

Or Maybe you want something extra special and for £600 you can fork out on the Pioneer DVR5100HS. You want something to impress your mates... This is it, yes it's not a Sony, but Pioneer are known for there high quality products! This is no exception... This recorder has a built in 80GB hard drive allowing over 100 Hours of Recording to the Hard disc alone. You can record off the telly straight to the hard disc while watching a DVD now to me that is smart. You can do high speed copies 24x faster than normal and if that doesn't sound like enough it too is easy to use.. Phew

If this recorder sat around the £450 mark i'd say buy it, slap down that cash and start rubbing your hands together, but in truth it is over priced, it does lack some features that other recorders have, but it does look the dogs sitting under your telly

The Sony RDR-GX7 is Sony's flagship DVD Recorder and is pricier than other models available; but the extensive feature list and the dual compatability make it worth the extra.

Its a dream to set-up - the machine does all the work. Using it is simplicity itself and the quality of recording and playback is great.

Also, the on-screen information is very clear and well-presented, which makes overall use easy and uncomplicated.

The i-Link jack makes it very easy to use to record from a digital video camera and there are extensive editing functions available.