I agree with most of your criticisms, but I think a 20 point drop for the dowload limit is a bit harsh. It's obviously in place to keep people from downloading their entire catalog in one night (as you said yourself). Did you contact anyone at the site about the issue? If they were ultimately non-responsive, then I'd be on your side for sure.
Regardless, I think a 20 point drop is just a bit too much, although I agree it's a problem. That's just my opinion though and you are certainly entitled to yours!
I've said in the past that I'd happily be restricted in downloading any material if I get full access to everything. The point is to see the material and decide if you want to download it. Maybe it's a dirty word, but what if sites had DRM trials with full access. If you join the DRM is dropped. That way, we get to see the entire site and they can protect their material.
It's kind of the same thing I said about Napster. Many people claimed they were justified in downloading stuff free because record companies made us buy an entire album to hear just a few songs we really wanted. Well, now we are able to download exactly what we want for a buck or less. So, is pirating still justified? The point is: If we acknowledge why porn sites are reluctant to gove stuff away for free, maybe they'd let us see everything.
It's important, but I could see myself joining a site without thumbs, especially if it's mostly a video site. That said, I'd be much more likely to join a site that included thumbs than one that didn't since good picture quality usually translates to good video quality.
I've done a couple reviews of sites from this network and will eventually do one for it overall, but one aspect of the members site really grinds my gears and I thought I'd rant about it here. Why do netowrks that just got a nice sum of money from me to enter their sites try to sell me something the minute...no the second...that I log on for the first time? ARGH!
In this instance, when you enter your nick and pword, you see a cam image of a really sexy girl supposedly doing a cam show. However, you quickly learn that it's just a recorded image from a social networking site trying to get you to join. I understand having ads on member pages to other things you can buy, but to specifically stop my entrance every single time with the same recorded clip it can get a bit aggravating.
So, for all you webmasters out there, before you try to sell us something, can we see some tits and ass first. Just for a few minutes? And maybe change the recorded clip every now and again. I know I can bookmark the "index2" page on the members site, but come on now people!
Current Member for less than 1 month (at the time of review).
Pros:
-Quality is decent and can be viewed/downloaded at two different speeds and in two different file fomats (WMV & MPEG)
-All episodes are dated as to when they were uploaded, so you can anticipate when new episodes will appear
-Content is original and, at least in the first episodes, sometimes disturbing, which I actually liked because it was different
-You get full network access to about three dozen sites all for under $30 a month, which is a lot of content for that price
Cons:
-All episodes are cut into segments and aren't able to be watched or streamed in their entirety
-Recent episodes are very formulaic with the same script playing out each time and no plot whatsoever: dom girl taunts other girl, has guy screw other girl, while she watches and only occasionally joins the action
-I found a number of broken links in the members page which just made the site feel sloppy and very unorganized
-The site only updates about twice a month and repeats the same girls often
Bottom Line:
This is the second site I've reviewed from the Meat Members network and after having a lukewarm reaction to the first one, I was really hoping for something different and offbeat. At first I was quite pleased with femdom theme, a female camera operator (which is very unusual in my experience), and some creative plots. However, that all changed before long and leaves this site with some things left to be desired.
The initial episodes had some very erotic lesbian themes and realistic bondage play between the dom and sub before they even get to the boy/girl action. I found it to be unique and very creative, but like many other sites that originality slipped over time. In more recent episodes, the themes become formulaic, predictable, and just plain boring after awhile.
One really annoying aspect to the site was that, in many cases, the trailers either sent me to the main members page or asked me for my password again. It only happened about half a dozen times and might seem like a minor thing, but how difficult is it really to have someone check the links once and awhile?
In the end it's the same old story with good sites on networks: Create something really unique, run with it for awhile, but somewhere along the way forget all that and make it feel like every other site on the network. By itself I don't think it's worth $30, but as a site on a nicely sized network it's a decent add-on. If you like rough play I'd definitely check it out, but if not then don't bother.
Current Member for less than 1 month (at the time of review).
Pros:
-All videos are available in MPEG or WMV format and can be streamed or downloaded easily
-If you enjoy rough anal content with ass licking and "mindgames" you will be right at home, although some of the domination is less than authentic for true fetishists
-Video quality, even for the older content, is pretty good and watchable
-Along with your membership you get over 40 additional sites all for under $30 a month which is a good value for what you pay, at least in terms of quantity
Cons:
-Vids are only available in sections and can't be streamed or downloaded in one large chunk
-The girls are treated like crap (although many hold their own and are ultimately in control) which certainly won't appeal to many
-The scenes are very formulaic by following the same pattern every time and it's almost like you're watching an unedited porn film
-Even the "newest" content is two years old and none of the episodes are dated, so it's not clear if the site updates regularly
Bottom Line:
This is the first site that I have reviewed for the Meatholes network and probably the best known. While I am not usually one who enjoys rough sex, I must confess that it does "do it for me" when I am in the mood and if it is done well. While there are some pluses, overall I don't think proper execution can be a label given to this site.
As noted in a comment, the navigation isn't that great, although I found it to be pretty standard for most networks. The newer content has a consistent organization, but the further back you go the more confusing it gets. Some episodes had preview pictures missing along with some of the scenes, which I found unforgivable without an explanation.
The action itself is acceptable for most, but I'm sure a true lover of this genre would be less than thrilled. The director asks the girl questions throughout and is, by his own admission, an asshole. The intent is verbal humiliation, but it's clear that the girl calls the shots in the end.
Overall, I found that the site didn't really live up to the hype and could be vastly improved with very little effort. The vids are processed in a very sloppy way with a minute or more cut out between sections. There are pictures with some of the episodes (but not all) which are merely vidcaps, even though I saw someone taking actual digital shots during the sessions. You do get full network access with your membership all for less than $30, but I'm less than impressed and definitely won't renew.
I'm better about this now, but it used to be a problem especially when sites kept looking promising for my favorite niches. However, a lack of funds solved that pretty fast. ;)
Great review H! It's great to have a woman's perspective on this site with some many of us dudes. Kudos on all your reviews and I look forward to your next one!
I think that webmaster response to a technical issue is crucial to the success of a site. Every site is going to have problems now and then, especially when it's new, but when those issues are addressed quickly my opinion of that site is always going to be positive.
First of all, I should say how great this thread has been. The ease with which we can communicate is simply awesome and I'm excited to hear that PU will soon be hitting the airwaves!
As for updating reviews, I think you should be able to edit the full review up to a month or so, but if that seems too long I'd say it should at least be more than 7 days. I haven't done a lot of updating to my reviews, but perhaps I should.
I'm glad my feedback was useful and it sounds like you addressed the points I made perfectly.
I was very pleased with you site overall, but do have to admit I've had an issue with your billing folks. It's mostly my fault, but apparently I didn't cancel soon enough and got charged for an extra month. I'm used to the larger billing companies that allow cancellations through the last day of a 30 day membership, so admittedly I am in the wrong, but I would suggest giving some folks a bit of leeway if it happens in other cases. I'm all for independant billers, but you should realize what we're used to with sites like CCBill.
Regardless, glad I could be of help on the other issue and it's cool when webmasters are so responsive to users comments. That rocks!
Glad I could be of some assistance and that you got to try out the entire netowrk. I think enjoying the network overall is just a matter of whether or not you like the girls that are featured, so it can really be a crap shoot. Regardless, I'm glad you were pleased!
I've definitely joined some sites with the discount that werew outside my primary niches, but wouldn't go to sites on completely different themes just becuase of a discount. However, if there is a good trial price that allows for access to an entire site for a good price, I'll always be game to check it out.
I once had a friend come across it because the folder I had saved a vid to came up when he was using a different program. However, it didn't seem to bother him much. ;)
I'd never join just based on that info, but I might see what else is said around the net if she really "did it for me". But by itself there's too much of a risk for my taste.
Current Member for over 1 month (at the time of review).
Pros:
-A recent redesign of the site improved navigation signifcantly and added a number of streaming DVDs for no added cost
-A very large number of niches are represented here, both in the individual sites and the recently added bonus content, including a number of solo softcore sites
-There were some scenes I found interesting, so you might find some diamonds in the rough
-Even if you don't like the network, you've only invested $10 which actually led to me staying a member for an extra month
Cons:
-Any improvements of the main network page are mitigated by the lack of any updates since the changes, now going on 3+ weeks
-Much of the content consists of scenes with low quality production values and often equally bad video quality that we've seen other places
-While they took the time to change mainstream actress' names, that just made it harder to find any of your favorites
-None of the plotlines are believable whatsoever and I found very few scenes to be at all erotic
Bottom Line:
Looking back at the sites I've ever paid under $10 for, there are few that are at all memorable. In most cases, all I can recall is the groaning I did when I had finished going through all the content. Unfortunately, this is one of those times, although there are a few redeeming qualities worth noting.
While I maintained my membership, the main network page was totally revamped and it definitely improved the layout and navigation significantly. It even led to me staying a member for an extra month, but in the three weeks since there haven't been any updates.
If the price wasn't enough of a red flag, the number of sites advertised should have kept me from proceeding. A lot of them would barely qualify as a full site and is really just an attempt to seem more full of content. Most of the scenes are with pornstars you've seen elsewhere with the usual lame plots that go nowhere.
I must admit that I did spend awhile in the newly added streaming video section and found some titles I hadn't seen before, but I suspect any member of a large DVD site would be less than impressed, especially with no downloads.
In the end, I was encouraged by some of the changes and really wanted to like the network, but nealry a month without updates is pretty unforgiveable. If you just want some down in the mud (not literally) sultty content for very little money, I might be able to recommend it, but for most it's a definite pass. Even if it got better, they'd probably raise the price.
Current Member for less than 1 month (at the time of review).
Pros:
-Features a real network front page rather than merely directing you to one of the sites
-Content for all the sites in the network are accessible through a calendar system that also shows you what updates are coming next
-A few of the sites, especially Anna's, have a lot of content going back several years, so you'll never run out of things to watch
-Updates are very faithful and offer many features like access to diary entries, show times, and you can even search for content by girl or theme
Cons:
-Newer material within the last year or so is far superior to what's in the archives, so be prepared for grainy pics and vids before 2006
-Main network page includes a list of member favorites for pics and vids which is nice, but the titles are truncated (with plenty of room to spare) making it not very helpful
-Half the sites are barely active (if at all) including one that was only updating for a few months
-A few of the girls are below "glamour" standards, which could be a problem for some
Bottom Line:
It's not very often that I join any site for a full month that costs over $20, so I have to be pretty impressed with the tour and have high confidence that the book matches the cover. At the time it was a borderline decision, but I say with confidence that it was definitely worth the $25 I paid.
When you enter through the network page you are greeted by a calendar format that was easy to use and even shows a preview of what each update contains. You can view content throughout the network in this manner for about two weeks prior and two weeks ahead.
Although the network is broken down into several sites, when using the netowrk interface you'd hardly know with updates occuring just about every day. You get diaries from the girls on the site, a schedule for cam shows, and some pretty standard bonus feeds. On the downside, many sites havn't been updated in a long time and really shouldn't be considered standalone sites at all.
If you like glamour models you may find some things to enjoy here, but it is shot with an amateur feel and these are not pornstars. I'd describe them as probably the hottest girl in your class that you drooled over. I found this refreshing, but if you want Eurobabes this is defintely not for you.
While the network has some issues, I felt the amount of content fit the price quite nicely. I really only had problems with technical stuff like layout and archive media quality, but I'd recommend it to anyone, especially amateur and swinger lovers.
Follow-Up:
Soon after my review, I had a couple experiences that made me up my original score. First, I had an issue that initially left me agitated but turned out to be my own damned fault. Even so, the tech folks and the webmaster himself always responded in a professional and timely manner. They took a loss by refunding my money and displayed the best customer service I have ever experienced. Secondly, they responded to one of my critcisms and solved the problem immediately. Definitely worth a look!
On the whole, I think they are usually just for upsells to other sites, but I have done a couple that at least had some minimal content. So, I didn't pick "They're a scam" since in those instances I did get what I paid for, but for the most part I think it's just a gimmick with deception in mind.
I think it's a very good step and perhaps they'll find ways around it, but for now I think it addressed the "shill" issue quite well. At the very least, it shows how responsive PU is to our comments and questions about the site. Good work folks!
I have done it on ocassion, but usually was thinking with my libido rather than my brain. However, I think more sites should offer $10 rebills since I think you'd keep a lot of people that way. Once the newness of a site has worn off, most people balk at $25 rebills. Maybe they'd stay, as long as there is regularly updated content.
I have to admit that I move around quite a bit on sites and if there are any ones I want to subscribe to more than a month they'd have to be pretty special. There have been a few in the past like that, but now I tend to wait a few months and go back to get more material.
Original content really is everything, unless you are talking about a site like VideoBox. I don't like material that is supposed to look like it's exclusive and come to find out it's not. That really burns me to be honest.
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