AVS Forum

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.

Wonderful resource for AV knowledge - I first heard of AVSforum when I bought my first front PJ screen from AVScience years ago. The forum is also a useful tool for finding out the latest information on all sorts of AV gear. When I first got into HTPC, this was my main resource for setting up an entire home theater room. Everything from the front projector to the theater seats were all purchased based upon recommendations from this website. Later, when I furnished my office with plasmas and LCD HDTVs, I used the powerbuys off of the website to buy them. I would also highly encourage anyone who is active in the forums here to become an AVS club member, it is well worth the price of admission.

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.