Engadget Announces the HD Theater 300

[stanger89]

Yeah, sites like anantech are good at "objective" reviews, the kind where you can run performance benchmarks, measure power, cost, etc. That just doesn't work for HTPC stuff. There are no reliable HTPC benchmarks. Even things like HQV which puport to be benchmarks are highly subjective.

[valnar]

Originally Posted by stanger89

Yeah, sites like anantech are good at "objective" reviews, the kind where you can run performance benchmarks, measure power, cost, etc. That just doesn't work for HTPC stuff. There are no reliable HTPC benchmarks. Even things like HQV which puport to be benchmarks are highly subjective.

Reliability, upkeep (maintenance hours), usability and WAF are also hard to quantify in reviews.

[stanger89]

Yup, that's the other big one. Lots of HTPC stuff you really need to pour hours into, over the course of at least a week to really know how it works. I don't think a lot of sites are willing to do that.

[Trepidati0n]

Originally Posted by valnar

Reliability, upkeep (maintenance hours), usability and WAF are also hard to quantify in reviews.

The highlighted item is the only one that seems to matter in our household. Everything else is just a bonus.

1. Does it allow me to watch my recorded shows in any room? No..sleep on the couch until it does

2. Does it allow me to watch my movies in any room? No...sleep on the the couch until it does.

3. Does it allow me to schedule my shows while away when I see a cool preview on some TV? No...sleep on the couch until it does.

I might be exaggerating a little bit...but I think most of us get the point.

[graywolf]

Originally Posted by Trepidati0n

The highlighted item is the only one that seems to matter in our household. Everything else is just a bonus.

1. Does it allow me to watch my recorded shows in any room? No..sleep on the couch until it does

2. Does it allow me to watch my movies in any room? No...sleep on the the couch until it does.

3. Does it allow me to schedule my shows while away when I see a cool preview on some TV? No...sleep on the couch until it does.

I might be exaggerating a little bit...but I think most of us get the point.

Hope you have a comfy couch.

I know I do

[babgvant]

Originally Posted by valnar

I don't trust any reviews on HTPC stuff because most of them just don't "get it". Its the users and forums where you get the flavor of a product.

That's a bit harsh, some sites "get it" Personally, I like to think of a review more as a guide to something than a rating. Use something for a while, figure it out then relay the experience.

Originally Posted by stanger89

There are no reliable HTPC benchmarks. Even things like HQV which puport to be benchmarks are highly subjective.

Up to a point I agree, but while HQV is highly subjective relative scores created on the same HW by the same reviewer are very useful.

[stanger89]

Originally Posted by babgvant

That's a bit harsh, some sites "get it" Personally, I like to think of a review more as a guide to something than a rating. Use something for a while, figure it out then relay the experience.

I think "most" is accurate, obviously there are exceptions

Up to a point I agree, but while HQV is highly subjective relative scores created on the same HW by the same reviewer are very useful.

The real problem I think with HQV is knowing where the usefulness ends, and how it's results apply to the real world. For example the original HQV DVD test had lots of weird cadences on it that a device could fail, but wouldn't affect probably 99% of people, but if you like animation or anime, a few of those tests would impact you.

What I was really getting at was there's nothing like a CPU benchmark for home theater. You can't do the sort of completely objective things like you can with CPUs or graphics cards. And as such "most" sites (thinking, the anandtechs, Maximum PCs, etc) see the HQV as like a SiSoft Sandra they can just run, they don't really "get" that there's a lot more to home theater.

That said, nice review on the HD300

[babgvant]

Originally Posted by stanger89

The real problem I think with HQV is knowing where the usefulness ends, and how it's results apply to the real world. For example the original HQV DVD test had lots of weird cadences on it that a device could fail, but wouldn't affect probably 99% of people, but if you like animation or anime, a few of those tests would impact you.

What I was really getting at was there's nothing like a CPU benchmark for home theater. You can't do the sort of completely objective things like you can with CPUs or graphics cards. And as such "most" sites (thinking, the anandtechs, Maximum PCs, etc) see the HQV as like a SiSoft Sandra they can just run, they don't really "get" that there's a lot more to home theater.

I completely agree with that (the weird cadences are still there - and nothing passes ) and a major problem with using a subjective test like HQV that presents itself as objective. More reviewers should qualify the results properly, it doesn't always happen.

Originally Posted by stanger89

That said, nice review on the HD300

Thanks

[cncb]

The writer of the original Engadget blog post "announcement" just got a Guiness World Record for most blog posts. Clearly "quantity not quality"...