AVS ForumReviews 27

I have been banned for the forum in the past for posting a post "disagreeable" with forum members. You are not allowed to have an opinion, post against what the regulars post, or anything. Someone posted that all receivers and amps sound the same, I disagreed and was jumped on by a lot of regulars. They reported me, I received infractions... just for disagreeing. I never insulted anyone or went again rules at that point. Then when people insulted me a few times, I insulted back and got permanently banned from the forums. That was in 2014, in 2015 I made a new account and usually just used it for shared information, not posting.

Fast forward to today, I posted a guide for people who could not get Audyssey room correction working correctly roughly a week ago, to try different things (sound familiar?). Some tried it, but most were against it and I was getting mods coming in and giving me "warnings of my behavior" when all I did was disagree back. Is that not what forums are supposed to be about? Debates and discussions?

The mods merged my thread and guide into the official Audyssey thread, without warning. Suddenly, members were complaining and telling me "I made my point" and I received an infraction for "Making it my own thread". You mean, the thread the mods put me in without notifying me even?

You agree with the people there or make friends with the mods? You can get away with anything then, insult people, belittle people, etc. You end up being "new" to a thread? You better conform, or you will be attacked by the members who have been around and the mods will defend them, even if they insult or belittle you. You fight back? You will get banned and threads deleted by the mods. They protect the egos of the members, rather than give equal treatment to all. I was in the place for 5 years nearly, yet was treated like a "peace disturbance".

I would not recommend this forum to my worse enemy.

I got this message "Your Notifications: 3", then this: "Your IP Address (###,###.###.##) is currently awaiting authorization to be enabled for the user (my user name)
Then this message: "Please check the email address associated with your account and click the authorization link.
Click Here to re-send the verification email." I did everything they asked, but I could never get through to them. The Contact will not work for me. It's as if I had the plague. How can I figure out to contact a real person to fix this?

I certify that this review is based on my own experience and that I am in no way affiliated with this business, and have not been offered any incentive or payment from the business to write this review. I agree to Sitejabber's Terms & Conditions, including to not write false reviews, which is in many cases against the law. test.com

I certify that this review is based on my own experience and that I am in no way affiliated with this business, and have not been offered any incentive or payment from the business to write this review. I agree to Sitejabber's Terms & Conditions, including to not write false reviews, which is in many cases against the law.

I certify that this review is based on my own experience and that I am in no way affiliated with this business, and have not been offered any incentive or payment from the business to write this review. I agree to Sitejabber's Terms & Conditions, including to not write false reviews, which is in many cases against the law.

Members parrot opinions of others. Most members have never seen or heard the products they discuss. Other members ask the same questions year end, year out but never buy anything. Guys are obsessed with calibration. They will mull over calibration settings for small, incremental gains. Mods will ban members with no explanantion. Members will bait other members into debates. Then run to mods to have said member banned once a debate gets heated.

AVS is terrible. The only people who like it are easily impressionable guys who are new to the audio video home theater market.

Gotta admit, I'm surprised to see the negative reviews. I've been using the site since the late 90's and have been a member since 2002. It's certainly had it's ups and downs. The biggest issue was the password reset issue from a couple years ago that accidentally locked some users out of their accounts. As for people ganging up and attacking? It's never happened to me in the 2 decades I've been on the site. For sure, there's a few people who are probably over zealous about their particular subject (BOSE is evil! More subwoofers always! Black levels in projectors is the most important thing ever!, etc.). Overall though, I've always had good luck in getting advice and just throwing in some of my own common sense for good measure. It's particularly useful in guidance for building your own theater in your home. That section of the site seems to have the most science and the least amount of ego.^_^

The forum is full of people who will push products as good. Anyone that says otherwise, and your post will get deleted it if may effect the sales of sponsored products etc. As such you really can't rely on any information as most negative news is censored out.

Some members get involved in testing products, and publishing results for their own benefit, or they are a hidden rep in disguise.

Many members will attack you... and gang attack you, calling in for reinforcements if they are not winning a debate. They will try and make it so uncomfortable for you that you will want to leave and never post your experiences, or your knowledge.

This will go as far as running to AVS to have your post deleted. If you can't win and your embarrassed publically now, run to avs and make a complaint to get the post removed.

You cannot count on this place for the real goods on products due to this gang attack
Followings on some products, as well as all the censorship.

If you go here, you must understand that it is a business, and must do everything it can to support the businesses it may represent.

As others have indicated, most parts of the forum are overrun by "forum police" who dictate what the AVS "Official" viewpoint and facts are about any given topic. If you stick to the forum dictated commercial sell jobs, you will be ok. If you ask or raise any questions that differ from the "official stand" on a matter. Be prepared to be attacked or even banned.
This site claims to be about "Video Science" which is just a puffed up moniker to promote all sorts of technical products and services of questionable value. Those who have a lot of disposable income for high priced hardware, but have no clue on how to use it... will lap up any and all of the technical snake oil the site sponsors dish out.
Short version of the next part: Buy a Disney WOW, Spears & Munsil, or other TV settings disc to make Media Assisted Settings for your TV settings. You likely will see the results much better than a questionable metered or "pro" $$$ calibration. A consumer grade TV does not need a meter to make high quality (accurate?) TV settings... period. Do it if it makes you feel good, but the results will not be visually better and maybe worse than using a disc to make Media Assisted Settings.

Room lighting, distance from the TV screen and other room conditions dictate more about TV settings than what a metered calibration can do. In fact, given any TV you could have 5 "pros" with meters do your TV calibration and each obtain 5 different results in settings. Ask the Forum why that should be if all of those calibrations are "accurate" and be prepared to be flamed, harassed, and derided as a heretic.:)

Example: TV calibration is a hugely promoted service on AVS Forum along with the pricey semi pro or consumer grade meters and software to do it. They push the idea that to get the "Best" picture on even your $500 to $800 TV you need to have it professionally calibrated. Yet even the word "Best" is a subjective term that they will throw back in your face if you use it. The members who buy into this sell job spend countless $$$$ and even more hours using the meters and procedures to do and re-do endless "calibrations" always claiming the last was now "accurate".
Most who go through this will find the picture dull, drab, or even the opposite. The truth is room lighting and basic TV settings that work to give you the best visual display in your room and on your TV are what is best. Metered results are most often sterile and not accurate at all, since the meters and people using them vary widely in attaining to any real video standards despite the claims that they do.

I rarely get any helpful advice from this site (there are times I do get some, but not often). They tend to be very opinionated and will argue with you if your opinion differs from their own, they tend to act as if their opinion isn't an opinion, but is a fact, most of the time I end up solving my own problem or when I do finally get a real answer, usually it's not a good one

Then, sometimes when you do solve your own problem (or make a decision about something) and go to tell them, they will still try to change your mind and try to get you to think your decision was a bad idea