DVD Recorders Ratings – Consumer Reports Magazine

samijubal · Member Joined: 25 Jul 2004

$8500 you don't even get the monitor or mouse, we've come a little ways since then. Like someone else said, you have to take Consumer Reports ratings with a grain of salt. I've seen them rate an RCA and a Samsung VCR one near the top of the list and one near the bottom and if you open them up they're the exact same thing with a different circuit board in front and a different faceplate. I've seen them do the same thing with many other VCRs that are the exact same unit sold under different brand names. They are a good place to start, but they definitely aren't the gospel truth or anything.

Capt_Diode · Young One Joined: 06 Aug 2001 Location: Niceville Florida

Hey p_l,

Where on earth did you dig that photo up from? Did Sherman and Mr. Peabody introduce you to Mr. Know-It-All for a trip in the Way-Back-Machine? Man, my first computer was a 1000TX but I only have memories of that thing!

CR is a good start for feedback on products. They started it! But now there are so many other places to look for "real-world" reviews that time may have left CR behind. It's still an opinion!

Ho Ho Ho,
Captain Diode
_________________
Beep beep, oh no heavy, the coins keep coming out, beep beep, even the telephone hates me, beep beep, I wish there were no machines, and everyone led a pastoral existence, trees and flowers don't deliberately cool you out and go beep in your ear. - Neil

p_l · Member Joined: 07 Jun 2002 Location: Montreal, Canada

DGinnetty · Member Joined: 22 Aug 2002

As a former Consumer Reports subscriber, I used to treat what they said as gospel.

Until...

They happened to be reviewing a certain product that, by chance, I myself had done a lot of research on (2-3 years of research). I honestly cannot remember what the item was, most likely some computer product.

After reading the review, I realized they had NO CLUE as to what parameters and functions were important for this particular device. I truly believe they didn't even know how it worked, and that is why they missed the REAL specs they should have paid attention to.

Granted, it was on the cutting edge of technology at the time, but they did a pitiful job of reviewing it. In fact, they showed blatant ignorance to the item they were reviewing. Very amateurish, IMO.

Since then, I have taken their ratings with a BIG grain of salt, though I do trust their auto ratings quite a bit.

To be perfectly honest, I trust what I read on the internet boards more than what I read in Consumer Reports.

Granted, I have to filter out posts from idiots and those that cannot communicate, but after that there are excellent sources of real, unbiased info on the net if you look hard enough.

edDV · Posted: Dec 19, 2004 05:00

From http://www.itfacts.biz/

DVD recorder prices to fall down 50%
The average selling price of DVD recorders is expected to fall by as much as 50% later in 2004 as Taiwanese shipments of DVD recorders increase sharply, a government-backed market research firm in Taipei says.

FulciLives · Posted: Dec 19, 2004 05:09

I learned long ago that Consumer Reports magazine was crap.

When I was rather young I was into buying a "high-end" audio system. At 16 years old I had a system most people would kill for (though I never could afford that Nakamichi DRAGON model cassette deck I wanted hehehe). Most of the stuff I bought was stuff you had to buy from speciality shops or mail order (this was way pre-internet). I'm not talking BEST BUY or CIRCUIT CITY type places but the real "mom and pop" places that would carry stuff like Nakamichi or Bang & Olufsen etc.

I read all kinds of audio related magazines that reviewed "high-end" equipment like STEREO REVIEW etc.

I got an issue of Consumer Reports and the audio stuff they rated good was just utter crap ... or least not stuff (i.e., brands and bottom of the barral models) that no real audiophile would touch with a 10-foot pole.

A few years ago I looked at a few issues of Consumer Reports for info on a VHS VCR (well before the DVD era). Again the shit they said was WAY off base from what I new and read in speciality magazines like VIDEO etc.

So in my opinion the Consumer Reports magazine is worthless.

- John "FulciLives" Coleman
_________________
"The eyes are the first thing that you have to destroy ... because they have seen too many bad things" - Lucio Fulci
EXPLORE THE FILMS OF LUCIO FULCI - THE MAESTRO OF GORE

lifesajrny · jrnyer Joined: 25 Jan 2004 Location: United States

p_l,
Thanks for the photo, you have made my day!

Marvingj · Posted: Dec 19, 2004 07:58

The Report is B.S. Who paid who??

sync · Member Joined: 23 Apr 2003

FulciLives · Posted: Dec 19, 2004 12:02

gshelley61 · Frequent Flyer Joined: 19 May 2004 Location: USA

Yeah, they always rate Honda and Toyota sedans as vastly superior to other makes, but the fact is they are built from very lightweight materials and crumple like aluminum cans in accidents. Perhaps they do run more reliably than some other cars, but for sturdiness and safety they are definitely not tops in my book. I won't put my kids in one and hurtle them down the road at 70MPH, I can tell you that.

sync · Member Joined: 23 Apr 2003

sync · Member Joined: 23 Apr 2003

whoops

KavMan · Member Joined: 24 Nov 2004

gshelley61 · Frequent Flyer Joined: 19 May 2004 Location: USA

I've owned both Honda and Toyota sedans... and worked on them. They have dramatically improved the safety in recent years, but not that long ago they were tin cans.