Customer Reviews
AWESOME MACHINE! 
2007-07-31
I bought this machine sort of biting my lip since I didn't know much about recorders. I'd have to say that this has been the easiest learning experience when it comes to technology. A child could opperate this machine - and it gives you great picture quality as well. . and for those of you that would like to burn dvds directly from a video camera, this machine can do it so easily that it'll amaze you. I'd highly recomment this to anyone I know - Sony really did a great job on this product!
500 VHS to DVDs later...still love it! 2007-07-31
I've had an amazing experience with this unit. Like everyone else, we had a house full of VHS tapes.We wanted to convert our VHS collection to DVD without a computer. The conversion job seemed beyond what I could do. Despite dire warnings about combo units, we bought this one and have had no regrets. Set up was a breeze...the schematic was excellent. 75% of our VHS tapes, even the pre-recorded ones, had no copy protection and they were very easy to dub. In the 6 months it took me to transfer the entire 500 tapes, I had not one problem with the machine. We ran it night and day.
I never thought I'd use the VHS side again but it has come in handy for recording shows that are broadcast with copy protection. Things that are distorted on disc come out fine on VHS.
Now that the gargantuan task of library conversion is done, everyone I know wants to do the same at their house. I have highly recommended this unit to friends and co-workers.
Major Audio Problems 
2007-06-16
I purchased this product after an exhaustive search four months ago and am very frustrated. Some days, it plays DVDs without any trouble. On days like today, it has major audio glitches which make DVDs unwatchable. I'll hear a high-pitched whine, tinny/muted sound, or absolutely no sound at all. This does not seem to affect its ability to play VHS tapes. I haven't even tried to record yet, since I don't want to waste recordable DVDs and find out there is no sound on those, either. I'm now faced with the prospect of repairing a very new product, which I will have to pay a lot to ship since there is no repair facility in my area. Is this one just a lemon? I know I wouldn't buy it again if given the chance.
Sony RDR-VX530 DVD Recorder Combo 2007-05-12
Easy to use; high quality dvd's are produced. Highly recommend this product.
Unable to read video store dvds 
2007-03-11
This machine was unable to load several dvds from my local video store. The same disks played on several other machines, so it was not a disk problem. On the plus side, one touch dubbing did work as advertised, but because of the inability to play commercially produced disks, I returned the machine. I've switched to a combination of a combo dvd/vcr player and a separate dedicated recorder (not Sony). Combined, they were only slightly more expensive than the single unit, and stacked, take up only slightly more space.
Sony DVD Recorder VHS Combo Player 2008-07-24
Easy to install; easy to use; recordings are just as good as originals; record DVD to DVD, VHS to DVD, DVD to VHS
Pretty much useless... 2008-05-24
...for transferring VHS to DVD, I'd recommend something else. This unit is crap.
The dubbing function results in a lot of weird stops and starts. Your video programs will end up chopped up into random chunks, because the machine can't seem to operate for more than 5 to 35 minutes at a stretch without pausing and "regrouping." Also, quality-wise, the finalized DVDs look terrible.
You could avoid the mess by using this machine's VCR function only for playback, recording DVDs on a different external unit. This results in a better disc (depending, of course, on your recorder). However, Sony's brilliant designers saw fit to have a huge, intrusive ONSCREEN DISPLAY pop up from the playback VCR wherever there is a hint of disrupted signal, tracking problem, imperfect stereo, ANYTHING. There is, of course, no way to turn the onscreen display off. So if your source videos aren't factory-perfect, forget about it.
I hate this thing.
good Idea gone VERY Bad 2008-01-12
I purchased this unit from Frys electronics in the Portland OR area, in April of 2007. the first one I bought first day the sound was not working and it was an obvious lemon. I promptly returned it and should have purchased an extended Warrantee on the replacement but I didnt.
the replacement seemed to work ok for a while, but then occasionally the sound (DVD ONLY) would drop out to low levels and then back to normal, and sometimes would have horrible static in the sound. then it was fine for a while. then back to the issue.
I took it back to Frys, and they would NOT exchange it, only send it in for repair, at first they said the Warrantee was 90 days but the papers said 1 year.
after 40 days it was back after being "adjusted" and it seemed to work fine for a month or so. Now the DVD volume plays at about 1/10th of where it should be, very low, and has not come back. Taking it back for service again.
Our old sony player only still works fine and has for 9 years or so. go figure,
wondering if they tried to pack too m much into one package?
since I saw 2 personally that were BAD id stay away from this model but it may be just me.
Dubbing Problems on older VX530's 
2008-01-04
I own two VX-530's and use them with DVD+R and DVD+RW discs to compile recordings of series from TIVO and VHS tapes. Up until recently, I have had very few problems with the recorders. Lately, however, one of them had presented problems when attempting to name a chapter on the DVD+R discs. Occasionally, I can get it to work after returning to the System Menu or naming the disc but often I have to do either an eject/load on the disc or power off/on the entire recorder before it will allow me to write the new chapter name. I don't have the problem when using DVD+RW discs. Despite this glitch, I have been very satisfied with the VX-530 and have logged over 500 recording hours. I have also watched all manner of pre-recorded DVD's without any noticeable problems.
Sony warranty problems 2007-12-15
Nothing but problems with this unit almost from the start! It won't record in a single title: When the recording is done there appears about 3 or 4 titles on the title list. none of them complete. I have to do the recording once or twice more ( DVD+RW ) in order to obtain a complete copy. On playback ( all discs ) the movie will "freeze" at various times making it necessary to eject the disc, re-insert it, and chapter through to where I was.
Sony's customer service people were of no assistance whatsoever! Completely indifferent to the problem, and what finished me with them was their refusal to honor the warranty. They told me the warranty was for 90 days only. I reminded them I had a 1 year warranty with the unit which I filed with them the same day of purchase. Their reply was that I could ship the unit to them, at my own expense, and for $65/hr they would repair it. At that point I ended the conversation and unplugged the unit. I will replace it with another brand.
We have been long time Sony customers. Until now I've never had a warranty issue but now that I know how poorly they address such issues there will never be another Sony product in our home.
