I used to find certain online video reviews of products pretty helpful to get a close up look at cell phones, laptops, cameras or whatever.
The ratings were even helpful. Somewhat. I mean here's the thing: If it happened to be a glowing review and a high number -- 9.0 and up -- I took it with a grain of salt, feeling that the reviewer could be just one evolutionary step up from a teenager working at Best Buy. But if the review was negative, pointed out valid flaws and gave a low score, I felt it could be trusted. The concern for the glowing review was that the "expert" had missed something.
I haven't been paying enough attention to these reviews lately. But I just stumbled across what looks like a fairly newish effort at The New York Times to do video reviews of a laptop, a DVR and a Treo. I have to say that I'm impressed.
Video reviews at CNET's First Look labs approach thing used to be it, as far as I was concerned. (Remembering to take the above caution about glowing reviews.) They were a little geeky and dry but informative. The testing-lab thing felt edgy and ahead of the pack. But now?
That's all changed. I just watched The New York Times' video reviews and they make CNET's look dated. Like This Is Tech 1998. Yet trying to still be cool. Whereas David Pogue of NYT is cool. He really gets it, and in part because he's a tech reporter. It doesn't hurt that he's funny and bright, which I would never know from the "labs" reports.Also, the video production of NYT's has a certain YouTube home entertainment quality. It seems spontaneous, yet smart and knowledgeable. It's delightfully creative and funny. I'm also not big on being held captive to watch a Best Buy ad before I get to see the video review, CNET.
Here's what I think it all means: Tech news and information has become a commodity. The mystery of figuring it out is gone. CNET's advantage of being more tech savvy is no longer there. Big MSM is doing it better now and has resources and better reporters. Has the day come when "the expert" tech publishers have become irrelevant?
Tell me what you think.
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