Join now - be part of our community!

Sony RDR-GX350 DVD Recorder

SOLVED
profile.country.GB.title
Cee2024
Explorer

Sony RDR-GX350 DVD Recorder

Hi,

If any one has one of these old players and still uses it I was wondering how you record off live tv with it. I had one of these with my old Sony Bravia TV and rarely used it. I recently searched online and found that I can still use it with my new smart tv with an av to hdmi converter but I'm not sure what to purchase to record live tv with it. As this used an analogue signal it's not that simple as everything is digital now. I did try to sell it but didn't realise it wasn't digital. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

 

Thank you

10 ACCEPTED SOLUTIONS

Accepted Solutions
profile.country.GB.title
royabrown2
Hero

@Cee2024 

 

You can’t record from a digital TV because such TVs don’t output their video.

 

But you can record TV signals from a terrestrial TV aerial, and you can output from the recorder via its HDMI Out into an HDMI In on a modern digital TV.

 

Here’s your manual:-

https://www.sony.com/electronics/support/res/manuals/3113/31137591M.pdf

Look at pages 12 and onwards to see how to connect things up.

 

Page 77 talks about tuning TV channels. This seems to be a 2007 device, so it should get digital SD channels, but HD didn’t arrive until 2010, so you won’t get those. Not that you could record in anything like that resolution anyway.

 

Scheduling recordings seems to be via VideoPlus. That’s probably long gone, but maybe you can do it the old channel/start time/(duration or stop time) way. Poke about in the manual if you want this.


My favourite bedtime reading is a Sony product manual…

View solution in original post

profile.country.GB.title
Cee2024
Explorer

Hi,

 

Thank you for your response, I will look into it and check out the manual. Many thanks 😊

View solution in original post

profile.country.GB.title
royabrown2
Hero

@Cee2024 

 

On checking further, I found you can set timer recordings manually. It’s called ‘Standard’ in that manual.

 

Ant further questions, please just ask.


My favourite bedtime reading is a Sony product manual…

View solution in original post

profile.country.GB.title
Cee2024
Explorer

Hi,

 

You've been brilliant, many thanks. Just out of interest can this model still be used with my old 2011 Sony Bravia TV to record live tv with a digital ariel?. Cheers 😊

View solution in original post

profile.country.GB.title
royabrown2
Hero

@Cee2024 


No alas, this box can only record analogue TV, and that’s all gone.
Although digital TV was just coming in in 2007, the design of this box predates it.

 

But past that point, the box is all digital inside, and it has digital (HDMI) and analogue (all other) outputs.

 

So it would need a digibox that could accept digital TV and output analogue over SCART to record any TV on it these days. And digiboxes don't have timers so you can schedule programmes - why would they?

 

So the uses of this box today are pretty niche 😢 Maybe somebody has a broken one, and needs to replace it, maybe somebody just wants to copy (non-copy protected) DVDs and videotapes; it will still do those things.

 

And somebody with a DTR-T2xxx YouView box might want to protect their recordings, as a dead YouView box means all your saved recordings die with it, so the owner of such a box might want to play any treasured recordings out of the SCART on the box, and commit them to recordable DVD as a backup.

 

Even DTR-T4000 or Pro box owners could do this, with the addition of an HDMI to SCART converter.

 

If you put it back on eBay, though, be sure to mention that it cannot record digital TV.

 

If, when you sold it before, you didn’t actually claim it could record digital TV, or that it was ‘all digital’ or similar, then you could have refused the return, as rhe spec of the box clearly states it does not handle digital TV:-

 

https://www.sony.co.uk/electronics/support/home-video-dvd-players-recorders/rdr-gx350/specifications

  • Tuner

      • ANALOGUE TERRESTRIAL TUNER

        PAL-B/G,D/K,I,SECAM-L,D/K

      • DIGITAL TERRESTRIAL TUNER

        NO

      •  

        and the buyer should have done due diligence,

My favourite bedtime reading is a Sony product manual…

View solution in original post

profile.country.GB.title
Cee2024
Explorer

Hi Royal,

Thank you so much for clarifying all my concerns regarding the technology used for this product. You've been very helpful and super knowledgeable. As for the ebay sale yeah the guy clearly pulled a fast one and due to ebay's 30 day buyer protection I had to except the return even though I never stated it was digital or smart compatible. I have relisted it and clearly stated it isn't digital or smart but its ashame most old dvdr are pretty much useless now especially in great condition.Best wishes and we the Sony Community thank u. 😊 

View solution in original post

profile.country.GB.title
royabrown2
Hero

@Cee2024 

 

One last thought:-

 

Why would you play the RDR-GX350 via an AV to HDMI converter, (575i at best) when you can just play it out digitally direct from the HDMI connection on the back of the RDR-GX350 (1080p upscaled?)

 

😎😛


My favourite bedtime reading is a Sony product manual…

View solution in original post

profile.country.GB.title
royabrown2
Hero

@Cee2024 

 

Yes, that YouTuber probably wasn’t the proud owner of an old DVD player with an HDMI output provided 😎😛


My favourite bedtime reading is a Sony product manual…

View solution in original post

profile.country.GB.title
royabrown2
Hero

@Cee2024 

 

Well, what are you trying to achieve here?

 

That box has its own method of recording, onto hard disc or USB stick.

 

So yes, you could do that, and then copy across recordings, in real time, to the DVD recorder. But why? Just keep them on the hard disc instead, why not?

 

Or are you thinking you could use the scheduling capability and ability to get digital transmissions, to somehow feed through to the DVD recorder? Two problems there:-

 

(i) While it has SCART output that would feed the DVD recorder, it is not clear if it will put scheduled recordings out over it while they are being made..

 

(ii) Where’s the mechanism for switching the DVD recorder on and off round the scheduled recording? The timer mechanism in the DVD recorder is anyway geared to analogue TV programmes, which have now ceased, and to taking its signal from the aerial and tuner, not from a SCART input.

 

It’s possible both problems are soluble, but equally possible they aren’t. Can the DVD recorder be set to wake up at a set time, record from SCART, and shutdown after? If so, and if the digital TV box does output over SCART, then it’s doable. But you have to set both devices for the exact same time slot every time. So at best, it’s a big faff.

 

Mind you, I did once have something a bit like it, in the dear dead days of analogue, non-recording, Sky boxes. Even though it couldn’t itself record, it let you schedule programmes for recording, which it would output on SCART 2, with a guide signal for ‘Start’ and another for ‘Stop’. DVD/hard disc recorders that understood this convention existed, and I had a Panasonic one. You could switch it to ‘scheduled’ mode, and it would listen out for the Start signal on SCART 2, start recording the signal on SCART 2 to HDD or DVD, and stop when it heard the Stop signal.

 

It worked very well, but it was all set up precisely to do so, and you didn’t have to set any timers on the recorder, because it just used the Start/Stop from the Sky box. And you could set a whole bunch of programmes to record, albeit one (or was it two?) at one time at the most, and it would record them all.

 

But would that receiver you describe breathe new life into the DVD recorder? Not really. Put the DVD recorder back on eBay, make sure anyone thinking of buying it knows its limitations.

 

Maybe mention it can save off analogue copies of recordings made on more modern equipment, like YouView boxes, which won’t let you copy them off digitally. That might garner some interest….


My favourite bedtime reading is a Sony product manual…

View solution in original post

profile.country.GB.title
Cee2024
Explorer

Hi Royal,

Thanks you for your response and full explanation. I was just curious and but I've now put the whole thing to bed now lol. I will just leave it on ebay and if it doesn't sell again I will just keep it or give it away in time. Thanks again for taking the time to respond and share your valuable knowledge and expertise. Take care 😊

View solution in original post

14 REPLIES 14
profile.country.GB.title
royabrown2
Hero

@Cee2024 

 

You can’t record from a digital TV because such TVs don’t output their video.

 

But you can record TV signals from a terrestrial TV aerial, and you can output from the recorder via its HDMI Out into an HDMI In on a modern digital TV.

 

Here’s your manual:-

https://www.sony.com/electronics/support/res/manuals/3113/31137591M.pdf

Look at pages 12 and onwards to see how to connect things up.

 

Page 77 talks about tuning TV channels. This seems to be a 2007 device, so it should get digital SD channels, but HD didn’t arrive until 2010, so you won’t get those. Not that you could record in anything like that resolution anyway.

 

Scheduling recordings seems to be via VideoPlus. That’s probably long gone, but maybe you can do it the old channel/start time/(duration or stop time) way. Poke about in the manual if you want this.


My favourite bedtime reading is a Sony product manual…
profile.country.GB.title
Cee2024
Explorer

Hi,

 

Thank you for your response, I will look into it and check out the manual. Many thanks 😊

profile.country.GB.title
Cee2024
Explorer

P.S

The main reason I asked is because I actually sold it on ebay, but the buyer requested a refund as he said it wasn't a digital item and worked with an analogue signal. I didn't even think of that as I only used it lightly for watching dvd. Theirs so many for sale on ebay but noones mentioned that the dvdr isn't digital. I'm not a serious tech person but I know how to connect the dvdr to my smart tv via a av to hdmi converter to play dvd but not record from a smart tv. I still want to sell it but I've now  listed it as non digital. I'm just doing some research to update myself. 😊

profile.country.GB.title
royabrown2
Hero

@Cee2024 

 

On checking further, I found you can set timer recordings manually. It’s called ‘Standard’ in that manual.

 

Ant further questions, please just ask.


My favourite bedtime reading is a Sony product manual…
profile.country.GB.title
Cee2024
Explorer

Hi,

 

You've been brilliant, many thanks. Just out of interest can this model still be used with my old 2011 Sony Bravia TV to record live tv with a digital ariel?. Cheers 😊

profile.country.GB.title
royabrown2
Hero

@Cee2024 


No alas, this box can only record analogue TV, and that’s all gone.
Although digital TV was just coming in in 2007, the design of this box predates it.

 

But past that point, the box is all digital inside, and it has digital (HDMI) and analogue (all other) outputs.

 

So it would need a digibox that could accept digital TV and output analogue over SCART to record any TV on it these days. And digiboxes don't have timers so you can schedule programmes - why would they?

 

So the uses of this box today are pretty niche 😢 Maybe somebody has a broken one, and needs to replace it, maybe somebody just wants to copy (non-copy protected) DVDs and videotapes; it will still do those things.

 

And somebody with a DTR-T2xxx YouView box might want to protect their recordings, as a dead YouView box means all your saved recordings die with it, so the owner of such a box might want to play any treasured recordings out of the SCART on the box, and commit them to recordable DVD as a backup.

 

Even DTR-T4000 or Pro box owners could do this, with the addition of an HDMI to SCART converter.

 

If you put it back on eBay, though, be sure to mention that it cannot record digital TV.

 

If, when you sold it before, you didn’t actually claim it could record digital TV, or that it was ‘all digital’ or similar, then you could have refused the return, as rhe spec of the box clearly states it does not handle digital TV:-

 

https://www.sony.co.uk/electronics/support/home-video-dvd-players-recorders/rdr-gx350/specifications

  • Tuner

      • ANALOGUE TERRESTRIAL TUNER

        PAL-B/G,D/K,I,SECAM-L,D/K

      • DIGITAL TERRESTRIAL TUNER

        NO

      •  

        and the buyer should have done due diligence,

My favourite bedtime reading is a Sony product manual…
profile.country.GB.title
Cee2024
Explorer

Hi Royal,

Thank you so much for clarifying all my concerns regarding the technology used for this product. You've been very helpful and super knowledgeable. As for the ebay sale yeah the guy clearly pulled a fast one and due to ebay's 30 day buyer protection I had to except the return even though I never stated it was digital or smart compatible. I have relisted it and clearly stated it isn't digital or smart but its ashame most old dvdr are pretty much useless now especially in great condition.Best wishes and we the Sony Community thank u. 😊 

profile.country.GB.title
royabrown2
Hero

@Cee2024 

 

One last thought:-

 

Why would you play the RDR-GX350 via an AV to HDMI converter, (575i at best) when you can just play it out digitally direct from the HDMI connection on the back of the RDR-GX350 (1080p upscaled?)

 

😎😛


My favourite bedtime reading is a Sony product manual…
profile.country.GB.title
Cee2024
Explorer

Hi Royal,

I get that know but before coming here I watched a YouTube video and he seemed to suggest this for his old dvd player with his smart tv with no scart. I will definitely use the hdmi if I need to use it. Cheers 😊