The main things I consider when reviewing a home theater-related product are:
Audio Performance (If applicable)
Video Performance (If applicable)
Connectivity (Number and flexibility of connections)
Ease of Use (Remote control, menu navigation, general setup time)
New or Innovative Use of Technology (Incorporation of new technology or practical refinement of existing technology)
Price/Performance Ratio (How does the product perform in relation to its price)
Overall Value (Taking all of the above into consideration)
A note on assessing product reliability: One important thing to mention about product reviews and reviewers is that we only make judgments regarding the reliability of a product based on the time we have it in our possession. Depending on the manufacturer or reviewer's schedule, a product review loan period can vary anywhere from two weeks to about 90 days, with 30-day loan periods being the most common. In other words, any comments made by a reviewer regarding long-term reliability of a product beyond the product loan period is only a guess based on what was learned during the review process.
At the conclusion of the review process, I use the following ratings system to provide the reader with an overall sense of a product's performance and value.
1 Star or 1.5 Stars: Doesn't deserve to be on a store shelf
2 Stars: Flawed in more than one major area that should halt consideration.
2.5 Stars: Flawed in one major area that should be a serious note of caution.
3 Stars: Minimally acceptable. You can probably do better with another product at a similar price point.
3.5 Stars: Average. Worth checking out for purchase consideration. May provide good performance but have weak feature set, or have great feature set but just average performance. May still be a good buy, but you might want to do some comparison shopping to make sure.
4 Stars: Very good. Good combination of features and performance. Definitely worth consideration. Presence of non-deal-breaker flaws.
4.5 Stars: Near Excellent, very minor flaws.
5 Stars: The best in its class.
Always remember that a review is a great way for a reader to get insight into a product, but the reader should also see and/or hear the product, when possible, before making a final purchasing decision.
