Improvements to video card reviews

[nvdm24]

For years I've read reviews of all types of computer hardware. I'll also add that I've read reviews for many other kinds of products. Reviews of many products go into extreme details of their functionality. One product, however, is consistantly underreviewed: That product is the video card. Despite the fact that video cards actually process video and include many features related to video, the video aspect is rarely evaluated in reviews. This has left many of us potential buyers frustrated because of the lack of information. It's also left many buyers frustrated. The nvidia 6800 is a prime example. Even after the problems with the 6800, I haven't seen one review of the video features on the 6600 or on ati products. I have, however, frustratingly glanced over a plethora of other reviews that analyze how well the tested cards run doom 3, half life 2, halo, etc. Do reviewers think that a glut of nearly identical reviews from different sources is beneficial to readers? Somebody's going to start doing reviews properly, and that's where readers will start going for reviews. It certainly won't be to these sites offering ****ed-up reviews that ignore 50% of the card's features.

[MUYA]

No we offer how the card is different, the reviews of 6800U/6800GT/6800/6600GT/6200 so far have coinceded with certain events, first the launch, then Doom III, the far cry patch etc. (One with HL2 coming up). These test the cards what they are designed for..gaming on these latest gen games. The review also reflect how the cards perform on some systems because all reviewr on this website have different setups. We primarily buy to play games and that why Doom, Far Cry, Half Life 2 is utilized.

Video playback/functionailty is secondary to me as gamer and that's how I pursued it. If I want to want DVDs etc, I have my DVD player thank you. Seeing that you can afford a 6800U, can u not afford...a DVD player I think so.

Seeing as how you are so worked up video performance, read the reviews where they do test this feature...like Anandtech, PC per, Hot Hardware some of which are linked on the front page. Perhaps our next review will investigate video performance etc but, thats upto to that reviewer.

[MUYA]

Plus why don't you go and give your feedback to all website who do such reviews.

[nvdm24]

The lack of incomplete video card reviews should not be a basis for me to buy a DVD player. Also, I don't see why it is someone else's responsibility to do a thorough review of video cards. When I take tasks upon myself I do it with the intention of doing it fully. I don't dump the responsibility onto others.

By the way, the sites you listed don't review the video aspects of video cards, either.

[saturnotaku]

For years I've read reviews of all types of computer hardware. I'll also add that I've read reviews for many other kinds of products. Reviews of many products go into extreme details of their functionality. One product, however, is consistantly underreviewed: That product is the video card. Despite the fact that video cards actually process video and include many features related to video, the video aspect is rarely evaluated in reviews. This has left many of us potential buyers frustrated because of the lack of information. It's also left many buyers frustrated. The nvidia 6800 is a prime example. Even after the problems with the 6800, I haven't seen one review of the video features on the 6600 or on ati products. I have, however, frustratingly glanced over a plethora of other reviews that analyze how well the tested cards run doom 3, half life 2, halo, etc. Do reviewers think that a glut of nearly identical reviews from different sources is beneficial to readers? Somebody's going to start doing reviews properly, and that's where readers will start going for reviews. It certainly won't be to these sites offering ****ed-up reviews that ignore 50% of the card's features.

nV News has been my online "home" for almost five years now. In that time, you are the first individual out of the millions of site viewers and tens of thousands of forum members who has said anything about this.

If this whole business of the 6800 video processing had not come up, I guarantee you would still be lying in the woodwork. I can understand the people who are frustrated that may have purchased the card for that purpose, and they are becoming an increasingly vocal minority. But to demonize the entire Internet hardware reviewing community because of this one incident is asinine and foolish. One thing you also have to remember is that with few exceptions, running a hardware site is merely a part-time job. Such expolrations are out of the question due to time constraints with many of us having careers in other fields, plus such matters have not proven to be of much interest to most of our readership.

[nvdm24]

Do I get a balloon for being the first person to publicly speak out on the shoddy "reviews" of video cards? If so, I should have gotten it a few years ago when I posted a similar message on another hardware site. Many of my friends also deserve balloons for voicing their complaints to me about this. Over in Naperville, people may not care too much about the video features of video cards, but I assure you that many others do.

[vampireuk]

If you think the reviews that people spend hours and hours preparing and writing are "shoddy" why don't you start up your own website and do them correctly then.

Edit: I'm fairly sure there are websites that cover the video aspects of video cards, try using google instead of taking a crap on a gaming forum because we don't cater to your tastes.

[Yonkers]

99.999- of all people here are into how the various video cards perform for gaming, NOT for video.

Instead of complaining about this, it would have been more usefull for your cause to ask people in the forums what their experience with the video aspect of such card are. I am sure most would be more than happy to help you out. Further more you should have written your feed back as FEED BACK and not a slam on the site. I am surprised you got such a easy reply from the latex queen him self. All you had to do as ask if this area of review would something worth putting in reviews.

[saturnotaku]

Over in Naperville, people may not care too much about the video features of video cards, but I assure you that many others do.

This has nothing to do with Naperville and everything to do with the facts of us knowing this community a hell of a lot better than you. As has been said by the others, there were plenty of other ways to go about what you seek to do.

We're not going to give you a balloon, but a hard smack for barging in here and acting like a throbbing rectum.

[-=Gib-McFragger=-]

This has nothing to do with Naperville and everything to do with the facts of us knowing this community a hell of a lot better than you. As has been said by the others, there were plenty of other ways to go about what you seek to do.

We're not going to give you a balloon, but a hard smack for barging in here and acting like a throbbing rectum.

I owe you a drink for that post! (cheers)

[SH64]

It certainly won't be to these sites offering ****ed-up reviews that ignore 50% of the card's features.

I thought that gaming performance & IQ represents at least 90% of the card's features . that video functionalty is an add-on feature not a basic feature or what the video card is originally intended for .

personally i didnt give a bleeb for that video feature at all . i just got the card for gaming & only gaming .

[saturnotaku]

I owe you a drink for that post! (cheers)

Meh, save your money and buy your wife something nice. (xmasmile)

[-=Gib-McFragger=-]

Meh, save your money and buy your wife something nice. (xmasmile)
Or I could just buy you Vamp for the night. (xmasgrin)

[saturnotaku]

Or I could just buy you Vamp for the night. (xmasgrin)

Could you buy me Ninjaman instead? (snowlol)

[Clay]

For years I've read reviews of all types of computer hardware. I'll also add that I've read reviews for many other kinds of products. Reviews of many products go into extreme details of their functionality. One product, however, is consistantly underreviewed: That product is the video card. Despite the fact that video cards actually process video and include many features related to video, the video aspect is rarely evaluated in reviews. This has left many of us potential buyers frustrated because of the lack of information. It's also left many buyers frustrated. The nvidia 6800 is a prime example. Even after the problems with the 6800, I haven't seen one review of the video features on the 6600 or on ati products. I have, however, frustratingly glanced over a plethora of other reviews that analyze how well the tested cards run doom 3, half life 2, halo, etc. Do reviewers think that a glut of nearly identical reviews from different sources is beneficial to readers? Somebody's going to start doing reviews properly, and that's where readers will start going for reviews. It certainly won't be to these sites offering ****ed-up reviews that ignore 50% of the card's features.
The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few. In this case you are the few (and by an enormous margin I might add). You claim that there are "many" people out there that feel as you do. If that's the case then why not start an online petiton and see how many signatures you actually get. I guarantee you that the "many" you refer to aren't here. We cater to the interests of our audience (which numbers in the millions I might add). MikeC has been running this site for many years now and I'm confident that he knows and understands the readership here.

For what it's worth, I did cover some video quality issues (http://www.nvnews.net/previews/geforce_6600_series/) (granted, it's very light and glossed over with what I thought would follow with more details from NVIDIA...but it's there)...near the bottom of the article.

For future reference, you might garner a more receptive audience if you tone down the criticism. Also, try offering something of more substance/proof than just a simpleton rant that anyone and their brother can bang out with their keyboard.

[Clay]

By the way, please provide links to equivalent posts that you made here on other websites. I'd like to see your equivalent posts on sites such as: Anandtech, HardOCP, 3D GPU, FiringSquad, B3D, etc. It would be easy for you to do. Just copy and paste exactly what you banged out above into these other sites' forums.

If you fail to do so then your argument holds even less water and I would be inclined to have you pegged as nothing more than a lame drone here to just stir up trouble.

[Subtestube]

Oh... just as a note (somewhat off topic) - "video" actually comes from the idea of moving images. In fact, Dictionary.com's third definition (The computer science one...) says: "Computer Science. Of or relating to the production of images on video displays.".

So... yeah, video cards ARE involved in video aspects when simply rendering games to the screen. So... yeah. That's actually where the term 'video card' comes from in any case. It never started out as being about quality of displaying AVIs or anything of that sort - that all came later.

Edit: Just to be clear - I'm in full support of the reviewers from this site ;)

[saturnotaku]

Edit: Just to be clear - I'm in full support of the reviewers from this site ;)

And we appreciate your visits/views/patronage. :)