Have you considered a 10 star rating system or marks out of 100 ???

[admin_exported]

Having read through the by turns hilarious/provocative/disturbing thread on the VT20 rating, I was wondering if WHF have given any consideration to revising the rating system. The reason I'm suggesting this is the perceived difference between a four and five star rating and so on. Many seem to regard a four star product as basically being 20% inferior to a five star one which I'm sure is not the intention. Some people will only consider five star products - no matter what caveats you give about the rating system. A 10 star rating would give you greater flexibilty on your reviews. Alternatively you could even do away with the star system and go with percentages which would give you 1% bands as opposed to 10/20%.

Personally, as many people look for different things in TV's I would like to see something along the lines of:

2D Picture performance: Marks out of 100,

Sound: Marks out of 100,

Features: Marks out of 100

3D performance if applicable : Marks out of 100

Overall weighted score with picture getting double the weighting of the other criteria.

 

[simonlewis]

I don't know how long WHFS&V have been around but things have changed & i agree that a five star system is not good enough for today's technology, as discussed i think a percentage system out of 100 would be better for today's technology, their would probably be less arguments then.

 

[AlmaataKZ]

I would support an improvement.

Even if not a 100-based mark system then at least a breakdown of relative scores e.g. sound, image, spec, connectivity, desing/looks, build quality etc etc as applicable.

there are plenty of cases where a product is good in everything except 1 or 2 areas. quite often some areas are not improtant for an individual so a 4 star product maybe perfectly good. but with current system it is not possible to differentiate and go one level deeper. the current star system is, yes, simple, but also can be called primitive. With today's comlex converging techologies a slightly deeper system is necessary IMO.

 

[Andrew Everard]

Yes, we have. This subject last came up about a month ago...

We're looking closely at new ways of reflecting various aspects of performance, which will become clear in the fullness of time, but I am confident we would be having 'why did this get 87% and that 92%?' discussions long into the future were we to adopt a percentage system.

 

[AL13N]

Personally, I wouldn't mind if the rating system was scrapped altogether, leaving just the body of text.

Obviously, you'd still have arguments - over which words/phrases were used.

 

[Anonymous]

Andrew Everard:Yes, we have. This subject last came up about a month ago...

......... and......should we be checking back on August 24th ?

 

[chebby]

AL13N:Personally, I wouldn't mind if the rating system was scrapped altogether, leaving just the body of text.

Yes!

 

[Ravey Gravey Davy]

There are those who would even dispute a blank page and even the title if it had one.

 

[AL13N]

chebby:AL13N:Personally, I wouldn't mind if the rating system was scrapped altogether, leaving just the body of text.Yes!
­Viva la Revoluci¢n!

 

[aliEnRIK]

AL13N:Personally, I wouldn't mind if the rating system was scrapped altogether, leaving just the body of text.

Obviously, you'd still have arguments - over which words/phrases were used.

Id have to disagree. That would open up a HUGH can of worms

Plus it means the back pages couldnt exist

 

[JoelSim]

How about a 1,000 ratings system, then we would be able to tell between very similar products indeed.

You could rate them on:

- Looks

- Number of hdmi inputs/outputs

- Wife Approval Factor/Pulling ability if not married

- Sound quality

- Picture quality

- Effect that a mains lead upgrade would have

- Size

- Ease to sell on eBay afterwards

- Colour

- Handbook thickness

- Compatibility

- Brand image

- Box packaging

- How difficult it would be to carry home from the shop on the bus:

a) for a girl/Apple nerd

b) for an average person

c) for dan_1979

- How impressed your mates will be

I think it would also be really useful to write a list of all the albums that sound good with said equipment, then people could scan the list just to check all their favourites were in there.

Whaddya say?

 

[Andrew Everard]

aliEnRIK:That would open up a HUGH can of worms

Hugh who?

 

[AL13N]

aliEnRIK:Id have to disagree. That would open up a HUGH can of worms
We could all go fishing

aliEnRIK:Plus it means the back pages couldnt exist
Wouldn't mind that either! Or the lack of 5star stickers in dealerships across the country.

The space saved could mean the body of text being extended to include more in-depth detail, regarding setup etc. This would also be very helpful to those who eventually buy the product.

 

[Andrew Everard]

JoelSim:I think it would also be really useful to write a list of all the albums that sound good will said equipment, then people could scan the list just to check all their favourites were in there.

And of course a comprehensive list of all the discs that don't sound good on it, so people can check their collections and decide whether to even bother listening to it, or whether they should just tell everyone to buy it based on something they read on a forum posted by someone who'd skip-read a review posted elsewhere by someone else they've never heard of but they have a website so they must be an expert.

 

[JoelSim]

Andrew Everard:
JoelSim:I think it would also be really useful to write a list of all the albums that sound good will said equipment, then people could scan the list just to check all their favourites were in there.

And of course a comprehensive list of all the discs that don't sound good on it, so people can check their collections and decide whether to even bother listening to it, or whether they should just tell everyone to buy it based on something they read on a forum posted by someone who'd skip-read a review posted elsewhere by someone else they've never heard of but they have a website so they must be an expert.

Good idea.

 

[aliEnRIK]

Andrew Everard:
aliEnRIK:That would open up a HUGH can of worms

Hugh who?

Ill put that down to my lack of sleep

 

[Anonymous]

If the 5star system was removed and a more technical breadown was introduced the magazine would lose sales due to alot of people not buying the mag because they prefer the vague reviews and the 5 star awards that what hifi uses.

 

[Andrew Everard]

Thank you for the support, Ginder, but I think I'd say 'accessible' rather than 'vague'...

 

[PJPro]

Many of the "nerds" would want a higher degree of granularity to help identify the real star performers. Most buyers of the mag simply want to know which are the good ones. The 5 star system works for the latter group but not the former.

 

[Anonymous]

I think Autocar tried a ten star system for a while, before going back to five stars. They did allow half star ratings thereafter, and five star ratings are exceedingly rare. I think it's a system with much to commend it.

 

[Andrew Everard]

PJPro:Many of the "nerds" would want a higher degree of granularity to help identify the real star performers.

We'll get Steve to turn down the resolution on the digital camera.

 

[Anonymous]

i think the 5 star system is part of WHF though i think they just need to alter their style of review. If products are 4 then great products, 5 oustanding with gradings similar to what they have but more defined. [EDITED BY MODS - HOUSE RULES]

 

[Anonymous]

[EDITED BY MODS - CHECK OUT HOUSE RULE No4]

 

[Anonymous]

Andrew Everard:

Hugh who?

That`s a type of glue isn`t it?

 

[Andrew Everard]

I think you're confusing it with the well-known search engine, ja?