[shoestring25]

like last night and their tests of the 3 TVs. the samsung was a 46in one when a fairer test would have been a 40in one like the others. also they tested the picture with an HD source, HD always looks good. test them with SD sources, try the free-view tuner in them i bet you will get a much clearer distinction between the winner and losers.

we all still watch most of our stuff through SD with a few HD things sprinkled in so test them with SD as well

[DELUCAS]

There reviews are not exactly subjected to many tests and there screens should have been calibrated ( i dont remember them specifying that ) etc etc ...

I allways laugh at most of there verdicts some of the time !

I wish they used a bit more science in there verdicts !

[mikim]

Their reviews are indeed full of holes, and I suppose the general audience doesn’t need to know (or care) if the products are set up properly.
But I do like the way that they tidy up common misconceptions about certain subjects.
I.E. The HDMI cable comparison, £15 vs. £150 cable… surprise, surprise … no difference!! (The gap in the analysis was omitting the important factors that do affect HDMI cables such as cable length & installation requirements).
-& Last week the Bluray vs. DVD up scaling. I challenge anybody to say that up scaling looks as good… They cleared that one up too. (A “small” gap in the report might have been a reference to the type of up scaling DVD that they were using).

They can’t cover everything in the limited time allocated for each device, and I think that they give a good ‘general’ overview considering. Dedicated reviews could take the whole show for one product, but that would be very boring to watch unless it was a device you are specifically interested in.

[Pincho Paxton]

Originally Posted by mikim

Their reviews are indeed full of holes, and I suppose the general audience doesn’t need to know (or care) if the products are set up properly.
But I do like the way that they tidy up common misconceptions about certain subjects.
I.E. The HDMI cable comparison, £15 vs. £150 cable… surprise, surprise … no difference!! (The gap in the analysis was omitting the important factors that do affect HDMI cables such as cable length & installation requirements).
-& Last week the Bluray vs. DVD up scaling. I challenge anybody to say that up scaling looks as good… They cleared that one up too. (A “small” gap in the report might have been a reference to the type of up scaling DVD that they were using).

They can’t cover everything in the limited time allocated for each device, and I think that they give a good ‘general’ overview considering. Dedicated reviews could take the whole show for one product, but that would be very boring to watch unless it was a device you are specifically interested in.

The upscaling thing annoyed me a bit because they picked Iron Man which has a terrible DVD with all sorts of problems in it, and the Blu Ray has problems too.

[stuart07970]

I agree, many of these ill informed reviews just make you laugh !

Likewise I saw a copy of Which? magazine's Home Entertainment Special that reviewed 8 Freeview PVR's but failed to include anything from HUMAX, TOPFIELD or the TOP-UP TV box.

Maybe they got a bung from the guys at Wharfedale???

[IAN P]

Originally Posted by Pincho Paxton

and the Blu Ray has problems too.

Ok i'm gonna ask,what problems did you see,all reviews i've read state a reference transfer?

[ndenbow]

I find the whole show getting progressively worse, almost turning into Top Gear with all the ridiculous challenges such as notebook toughness. Why go to all that trouble of blowing stuff up and firing them from huge slingshots when it would make more sense to give them to operational field staff who work for companies such as the Utilities, where they would be subjected to water, heat, cold, dust, drops etc. over a period of time.

I suppose electronics and gadgets attract such a wide audience with varying needs and user technical knowledge, that it must be difficult to gauge how to pitch each feature of the show. I have certainly enjoyed this series a lot less than previous ones.

And I never win that ****** competition!!!

[BenchyUK]

The whole show is a joke. It's all about entertainment rather than actually testing new technology.

They did to ditch ALL the hosts and get some new people in. Go into the tech details of a TV or phone like us tech heads actually want

[jayden28]

ive not even watched one of the shows this time round,total waste of time.

[ndenbow]

I have no idea what their viewing figures are like? I'm not saying I don't agree but I suspect only a very small percentage would want to go into the kind of detail you are talking about. You only have to read these forums to realise most people are more interested in chasing 'specifications' such as 1080p, rather than measuring the actual performance of any given piece of kit. When guys at work come and talk to me about what panel to buy next, and you start talking about ISF and contrast/accuracy/saturation, they just glaze over. You just know they will be up the Sony Centre at the weekend grabbing the cheapest LCD 1080p + PS3 bundle regardless (sorry if I caused any offence to people who buy Sony).

Horses for Corsetts.

[stevos]

I do continue to watch it but generally fast forward through a lot of it especially the stupid challanges. Come on what is the odds my USB stick is going to be blown up and if it was would i be around to care.

The problem with the show is they are trying to be topgear without the personalities to achieve it.

They need to decide what they are, are they a documentary/review program or a entertainment show, because right now they are neither.

[Pincho Paxton]

Originally Posted by IAN P

Ok i'm gonna ask,what problems did you see,all reviews i've read state a reference transfer?

The grain. Even the desert scene is grainy, and for sand to look grainy sure takes a lot of grain.

Actually.. reference quality is probably accurate if you compare it to a lot of the bad Blu Rays that are around at the moment. Wanted is nice, compare Iron Man with Wanted, and its way below par. But Iron Man has a shiny suit as its main feature, so who would chose a grainy film?

[mikim]

I think they do a reasonable job all things considered.

If they went more into detail it would turn into a geek fest, and the viewing figures would drop through the floor. (I admit I'd love it if they did get geeky, but I can understand that most people couldn't give a **** about the intricacies of a device... and they are looking for some entertainment).

The show is a bit naff, but it at least appeals to a wide audience, and that's a really good thing for people like us because it helps to educate the masses and tempt them to buy the latest & greatest stuff... the more they buy, the cheaper it becomes for us

My wife will even sit through an episode; without the stupid tests etc there would be no chance.

[Billy Hunt]

What he said ^^^^^^^

At the end of the day it is an entertainment program.
I don't think going into great detail about every product they feature would be very entertaining.
In fact I'm sure most viewers would turn off except the odd geek.
The same can also be said topgear

Just accept it for what it is, you'll enjoy it more.

[IAN P]

[QUOTE]

Originally Posted by Pincho Paxton

The grain. Even the desert scene is grainy, and for sand to look grainy sure takes a lot of grain.

Pincho me ol' mate,you're quite mad.

Everyone sees great pic and you see grain.Have you had an eye test recently?

[shoestring25]

Ive always thought in there reviews they should make viewers aware of what to look for in their tests so they can themselves make an informed buying decision. not comparing like for like as per this weeks LCD tests made a mockery of the whole review.

i remember a few weeks ago they reviewed toasters and for one reason or another they whittled them down from 20 to the top 5, only then did they see how well they actually toasted bread!!!!


they are reviewing gadget washing machines next, i bet as per usual they think up some lame reasons to discount some machines then actually test a few to see how well they actually wash clothes which i would have thought would be the most important thing!!

[Pincho Paxton]

[QUOTE=IAN P;8314167]

Pincho me ol' mate,you're quite mad.

Everyone sees great pic and you see grain.Have you had an eye test recently?

I've seen the screengrabs, and they are also grainy. I think that people aren't taking the brand new shiny suit into consideration. Maybe thinking.. OK it's a bit dirty.

[arthurdentpc]

Love it (but then again I also love Top Gear). I think if you were going to spend £1000 on a telly, you'd do a bit more research than watch a 5 min Gadget Show 'review'. It might point you in the right direction though. I wish Top Gear would review everyday cars a little more, and similarly, I wish Gadget Show would review a little bit more of things that you would buy more regularly - best laptop under a budget, that sort of thing.

[raigraphixs]

[QUOTE=IAN P;8314167]

Pincho me ol' mate,you're quite mad.

Everyone sees great pic and you see grain.Have you had an eye test recently?

i think he's got sand in his eyes

[shoestring25]

I wish Gadget Show would review a little bit more of things that you would buy more regularly - best laptop under a budget, that sort of thing.

totally agree we all buy teles DVDs computers telephones etc etc just one normal thing every week that most people would buy

It might point you in the right direction though.

the problem is they don't eg the reviews are never fair, comparing like for like would be a start. and they always seam to test the most important thing a gadget does last, when actually the best one at that primary function my have been ruled out ages ago because john Bennett thought it wasnt very nice.

their reviews come across as very random

[Flimber]

Maybe the OP would like to invite Jason to answer ?

http://www.avforums.com/forums/members/148943.html

[IAN P]

I thought he didn't post any more because of certain stupid people and their respective posts?

[gavan]

Originally Posted by IAN P

I thought he didn't post any more because of certain stupid people and their respective posts?

I wasn't aware that being critical of the show qualified as 'stupid'.

FWIW I like the format of the show but people have every right to criticise it.

[IAN P]

Originally Posted by gavan

I wasn't aware that being critical of the show qualified as 'stupid'.

FWIW I like the format of the show but people have every right to criticise it.

The comments were aimed at him,not the show.(No it was comments about the show according to the owner of this site)see below.

Ian J has mentioned it before i think.

[Pincho Paxton]

Originally Posted by IAN P

I thought he didn't post any more because of certain stupid people and their respective posts?

I think that they will see the light eventually, I've stopped watching it. But maybe not fix the Gadget Show, but give us an alternative show.. I really enjoyed Tomorrows World.

[IAN P]

Stuart Wright explains in post 59.

Gadget show

[JohnG]

The reviews bothered me so much I stopped watching it ages ago, it's not worth watching in my view.

[shoestring25]

the thing is the reviews are such an easy thing to fix and wont alter the show in anyway.

[GYRODEC1]

Hi guys,

I used to watched the Gadget Show. But being totally honest I think it's crap now especially those stupid tests that they do.

That baldy bloke still thinks he's a teenager.

[Flimber]

Originally Posted by IAN P

I thought he didn't post any more because of certain stupid people and their respective posts?

Well, he hasn't logged in for nearly a year now.