www.avforums.com Reviews 250

Being using this forum for over a year after migrating from Digital Spy. The site works very well and plenty of interest areas for people to post about. Moderation is not intrusive and strikes a good balance between allowing discussion to flow but ensuring a very small minority of members who push things to far don't ruin things for everyone else. it is this small minority who appear to taking out their grievances on here by giving bad reviews which are both unfair and dishonest. Where much of social media has become very adversarial and toxic I think AV Forums is very much at thin end of places we should be worried about for discussion and debate.

A great all round site with a wealth of information across AV and many topics. Great community of a large number of posters, of all kinds. Friendly moderators who do a good job.

As with anything they'll always be a minority that break rules, refuse to act reasonably, shouting and screaming ruining it for everyone else.

Worse still, it's a great shame what is a small number of people (talking <10 I'm confident) are posting low scores here on different accounts. It's sad, petit and still ruining things for others.

I've only had good experiences on the site and recommend it, a very worthwhile, valuable place, especially of open conversation.

I started using the AVForums nearly a decade ago but only became a regular after the Digital Spy forums closed down their general discussion section (amongst others). I see a lot of negative reviews here and I thought I'd add a more positive perspective.

Maybe I'm looking at different threads from the other reviewers, but I must say that I don't recognise a lot of the descriptions of AVF being given on this site. I have always found most members to be fairly pleasant and any discussion I've taken part in has generally been very civil. Anyone who expresses any questionable views gets challenged pretty quickly from what I've seen and the mods have taken action against them when necessary. It's really not as bad as you might think reading these reviews, in my experience anyway. I can only suggest trying it out for yourself if you haven't been there before.

This is not to say that it doesn't have it's flaws. There are one or two moderators who can be a bit grumpy but overall they do a good job. As with anything in life there's good and bad.

A very busy forum, with a lots of great advice on various topics.

I have read some reviews saying that the forum is
'toxic'.. : it is no more 'toxic' than any other forum on the internet!
The Moderators do their best to control any
'keyboard warriors'....

Imagine an AVForum where the only acceptable opinion is that LG > Samsung.

Imagine an AVForum where some users flame, troll and report anyone that thinks Samsung > LG

Imagine an AVForum where the mods thread ban, suspend and permaban anyone that thinks Samsung > LG

You've just imagined the AVForums politics section.

We are constantly told by Stuart how experienced his moderator team is. Yet people are constantly banned for stating facts.

It may be true that certain mods have a lot of experience. It is also true that every platform and every discussion form is more polarised than ever.

Perhaps it is worth considering the possibility that certain mods are not able to handle such increased polarisation?

If forums like /r/ukpolitics can do a decent job of moderating discussion with 468k members, then surely AVF can do the same?

I have never interacted with them in a Schofield discussion, much less taken any action against them, they are lying plain and simple. If you want to uphold their review you need to ask for some evidence that Iron Giant banned their account. Thanks

I recently had the unfortunate experience of being banned from AV Forum without any prior warning or justifiable reason. The way this forum operates and the actions of its moderators, particularly one by the name of Iron Giant, have left a bitter taste in my mouth. Let me share my story and shed light on the dark underbelly of this so-called "community."

First and foremost, it is important to note that AV Forum claims to be a platform for open and free discussion. However, my banishment from the forum demonstrated the stark reality: dissenting opinions are not welcome, and any form of criticism towards certain individuals is swiftly silenced.

My ban came as a result of me condemning Philip Schofield, who was rightly fired from ITV for his involvement in grooming a child. Instead of fostering a space for genuine debate and the expression of differing views, AV Forum's moderator, Iron Giant, decided to defend Schofield's indefensible actions. It is truly appalling that a forum would condone such behavior and protect those who have engaged in despicable acts.

What shocked me even more was the complete lack of warning or explanation provided. Iron Giant, like some self-appointed judge and jury, swiftly and unilaterally made the decision to ban me, without even considering the importance of freedom of speech and allowing users to voice their concerns about serious matters.

AV Forum claims to have guidelines for user behavior, but it seems these rules are selectively enforced, depending on the moderator's personal biases. Iron Giant's blatant bias towards defending Schofield, a known offender, is a clear indication of a toxic environment where users with differing opinions are punished rather than encouraged to engage in meaningful discussions.

Furthermore, the lack of transparency and accountability from the forum administration is absolutely infuriating. If they are going to take away someone's ability to participate in discussions, they should at least have the decency to provide a valid reason and an opportunity for the accused to defend themselves. Instead, AV Forum operates with a heavy hand, wielding its ban hammer without explanation or recourse.

I strongly urge anyone considering joining AV Forum to think twice. It is a platform that stifles dissent, harbors controversial moderators like Iron Giant, and defends individuals involved in heinous acts. There are countless other communities and forums out there that value genuine discourse and respect the principles of free speech. AV Forum, with its biased moderation and lack of accountability, is not one of them.

AV Forum, you have failed as a platform and as a community. Your actions have demonstrated a complete disregard for the principles you claim to uphold. Iron Giant needs to walk.

I would give this forum 4 stars as I have had some difficult questions answered by helpful people who wholeheartedly engaged with the issue. I greatly appreciate this level of attention from strangers with nothing to gain except a like from me.

Other reviews have criticised moderation but I haven't noticed anything untoward, so this is probably in the politics section where passions can become inflamed.

But I will say that if you value your sanity, don't visit the Russian invasion thread. There's a poster dhia who spams the thread with unsourced crap on a nightly basis. If it's pointed out that is wrong he will come back with an even longer load of crap until everyone gives up and ignores him. Thankfully there is an Ignore Thread function, use it!

A site of respect and tolerance…

…unless you commit certain crimes.

Such as-

Having a job.
Not blaming Brexit for everything from the traffic to women not liking you.
Being Jewish.
Criticism of the NHS - in avforum world the only health care choices are the NHS or the US system. Which explains by the long term benefits crowd fear the idea of having to pay.
Refuse to pay a 100% tax rate to fund their internet hatred.
Go outside- covid will destroy the world if you go outside.
Try to discuss AV equipment- a bit off, but then again if you exist on benefits is must be galling to have the employed flaunt thei privilege buying stuff.

I’m a victim of the covid threads. Specifically a moderator called iron giant who runs the covid threads like his own North Korea. It’s unfortunate as there is genuinely a great diversity of contributor which could lead to a healthy place for debate. However, iron giant has multiple tactics to shape his own narrative to stifle discussion. Main issue is the moderators are active participants in the threads so what they do is state an opinion and anyone that replies to them to the contrary is banned for ‘arguing with a moderator’. Anyone that calls this out is banned for ‘mod harassment’. Any new people that enter the thread and have even slightly different ideas are insta banned as being ‘duplicate accounts’ with no foundation whatsoever. Everytime someone is banned his small group of sycophants cheer it on with sarcastic gifs, it’s really very sad. So every thread is reduced to 5 or 6 people telling each other how right they are. The irony being that if the dissenters weren’t banned they’d be the extreme minority.
Unfortunately it’s not just the covid threads, it’s any thread where subjectivity plays a part. Even film reviews where there may be some discussions about representation for example( the same tactics are used to destroy debate there too.
The site is basically a parody of itself at this point. I haven’t been back for a long while. I can only imagine the censorship in the Ukraine war threads.

I recently attempted to join AV Forums but was met with a paranoid and unreasonable reaction from their moderators. Despite being a new member, they accused me of being a banned member and refused to let me join. I was shocked and appalled by their behavior. This type of treatment is unacceptable and unprofessional. AV Forums should be ashamed of their conduct towards potential new members. It is no wonder they are losing members and their reputation is declining. I would not recommend this forum to anyone looking for a welcoming and respectful community. If you value your time and dignity, stay far away from AV Forums.

The website in general is well laid out and I think if you stick to what the site was originally intended for which is audio visual reviews etc its very helpful and I’d probably give that side 4 or 5 stars.

Unfortunately certain areas of the website have become a bit like a dictatorship and this is due to very questionable moderation. Threads are locked if the moderators don’t agree with the political leanings. There are threads about political parties where you aren’t allowed to discuss all aspects of the party but the mods won’t tell you that until after they soft ban you.

You are not allowed to ask questions. I asked a moderator named irongiant a question and they immediately soft banned me without any explanation. When I raised this issue I was told they thought I was being sarcastic but when they realised I wasn’t and was asking a genuine question had to undo it. Another moderator named Steven has relationships with other members on the site and lets them get away with an awful lot. When somebody objects or has a different view to them they get soft banned.

I’ve been on many sites over the years and you usually get pretty fair moderators who will communicate with you and give you a chance to correct behaviour or let you know if you are on your way to getting a ban. The moderators I’ve encountered on avforums don’t communicate. They’ll just revoke your privileges without letting you know why and only communicate when you raise the issue. They side with members they agree with instead of being objective and it’s not just me saying it. They also curtail discussion with hidden things that trigger them into action but won’t tell you or make clear and it usually is because of their own bias.

If avforums moderators can’t handle general chat, politics etc then they should just get rid of that section of the forum and let the website stick to what it’s good at.

Been a member for over 15 years and nothing better for AV/Tech dsicussions and information.

The general chat is a bit left leaning and some members do try and bully others views off the site, but I find moderation to be fair and certainly better than some sites that seem to have none. Comments about moderator IG are bizzare, they are the most balanced mod of all of them IMO.

I do think the Russia thread is very good but its obvious it is occassionally being infiltrated by some pro-Russian joiners who eventually get spotted/banned then come on here to give poor ratings to try and discredit the site.

Versatile, friendly, helpful and informative, which is why loose cannon keyboard warriors don't last long on there and come on here to vent their spleen

You just have to see the quality of the reviews on here by the bitter trolls to work out their mindset

If you don't wake up every morning yelling 'woke bustards' then this forum is the place for you

In my experience, AV Forum is a disappointing community that claims to value free speech and open debate, but in reality, it is a liberal echo chamber that immediately shuts down opposing views. Any attempt to express a differing opinion is met with hostility and ridicule from the forum's members, who seem to have little tolerance for other perspectives.

The moderators on AV Forum take it upon themselves to silence those whose views they disagree with by banning them and in the guise of re-registering, which is a cowardly act reminiscent of a dictator. This kind of behavior is unacceptable and reflects poorly on the community as a whole.

The overwhelming bias towards certain political and social views makes it difficult for those with differing opinions to feel welcome. In my opinion, the community would benefit from a more open and inclusive approach to discussion and debate.

A purge is needed in the name of impartiality.

AV forums delivers a great source of balanced discussion, although this is not a forum for current affairs and political debate per se but it is a place where you can read other peoples opinions and ongoing discussion/debate, when living in an age of misinformation I find the knowledge and views of the likes of AV forum members invaluable. This forum seems to (on the whole) attract a membership of people with the rare ability to discuss alternative opinions in an open and frank manner without getting aggressive or insulting, I personally find this forum very informative and apricate being able to read the discussions and different points of view

I have also been a forum member for a few years from when the biggest TV was a 36 inch from Panasonic and a projector was the size of a small car.
The forum is the best place on the Internet for tech and all things AV related.
The only advice I would give is that once you have bought something then stay away from all other reviews of similar items. Otherwise you will be bankrupt chasing the next best thing.😄
The podcast is also very informative and I enjoy listening to Phil, Cas and the guys talk tech and movies each week.
As well as the AV side of things there are also general forums.
Over the last year I frequent the Russian invasion of Ukraine thread which has some amazingly knowledgeable people.
You do get a few lacking brain cells and the moderators do a great job of weeding them out and dealing with them in an appropriate manner.

A decent site for AV related discussion but doesn't offer anything that can't be found elsewhere. The problem lies in the political and general discussion portions of the site.

The site caters solely to left leaning beliefs which treats counter opinions with utter disdain. Forum regulars can be seen bullying users who have different opinions and are happy to throw around baseless labels for anyone who doesn't share their extreme left leaning world views.

Moderators allow this callous behavior to occur on a daily basis and their actions have helped make the site rather toxic and nasty.

If you are anything other than an extreme, out of touch liberal then AV Forums isn't for you. You won't be made welcome and will be forced out or simply cancelled much to forum regular's delight.

I predict that the political sections will meet the same fate as the general forums over at Digital Spy forums, and they will only have themselves to blame.

An open honest, well moderated forum recently unfairly targeted by deliberate multiple negative reviews.

I am very particular on which forums I visit. I like forums to be friendly and welcoming with a range of subjects with friendly but fair moderation. Since I have been a member of AVForums I have been made to feel welcome by both the moderators and fellow forum users. I always feel safe interacting on this forum. Subjects and comments are unbiased and there is a wealth of information to be had. I would like to thank the moderators and fellow forum users for giving me a lovely experience. I would highly recommend this site. They definitely weed out the toxic posters who cause trouble by being disruptive and aggressive. Unfortunately those posters then come on here to write scathing reviews. I would recommend people see for themselves, I guarantee they won't want to leave.