| Bottom Line: |
Hard X is both a new studio and new website that features videos from the studio. The studio (and site) feature scenes directed by Mason, formerly from the Elegant Angel studio. It’s also a sister site to Mason’s other studio/site Erotica X. Obviously the scenes at Hard X have a much harder edge than those at Erotica X. In my opinion, Mason is one of the best directors in the business. She brings a unique feel to her scenes and brings out the best in her performers.
One of the reasons I’ve been waiting impatiently for this site to go live was that Mason has brought a number of ‘firsts’ here. I’m a big fan of anal scenes and Hard X made a (justifiably) big deal over the first anal scenes for Maddy O’Reilly and Annika Albrite. The site promises more in the future too.
I’ll deal with the major negative element first, since it will likely be a deal-breaker for some potential members. Because the studio is new they don’t have a big catalogue yet, so the site is small too. There are currently only 30 scenes available. Since the site only launched last week I can’t verify an update schedule, though the site itself has an ‘upcoming’ tab and that shows a new scene being added per week. Yes, I know that seems slow, but this is a new studio and they don’t have a lot to offer yet. A potential member will have to make his or her own decision on value, but with the TBP / PU discount I think this is a great value. I think that this isn’t ‘commodity porn’ but is unique and uses A-list models in scenes with high production values. I like to think of sites like this (and Erotica X too) as high-end steakhouses in a world of greasy buffets. (And yes, I realize that my analogy is unflattering.) TBP reports that the site also offers a full 2-day trial. This would be an incredible value for someone who just wanted to check out what the site has to offer.
The other negative is probably more subjective, but when I’m on a studio site I prefer that the videos be grouped by DVD title or capable of being sorted that way. For some reason, Hard X doesn’t do that. I hope as the site grows they add a “DVD” tab.
The site is well laid out with four scene per page, each with one large screenshot and two smaller ones. The scenes are titled with the model’s name in the title. There are tags for specific niches and the model’s name is a tag too. Each scene opens into its own page where you have all of the same information and brief description of the scene too.
As with all Open Life sites, there are a range of options for viewing and downloading the scenes. Streaming is available in seven resolutions ranging from 160p to 1080p. Downloads are available in WMV format (160p, 240p, 360p and 480p) and MP4 format (160p, 240p, 360p, 480p, 540p, 720p and 1080p). I downloaded the 720p and those are 1080x720 at 4800kb/s and 29fps. They look crisp and show no pixilation. Those files are, on average, about 1.3GB in size.
I had no problems using a download manager to queue up the scenes I wanted. There were no unreasonable time-outs on the links and my downloads hit and sustained the maximum speed that my manager allows (11mb/s).
The bottom line is that I highly recommend that you check this site out of you like hardcore porn with a slightly rough edge. This contrasts well with its sister site where the hardcore is softer and more couples-oriented. The site offers some excellent porn with some of the biggest names in adult these days. The site is well organized and logical. There are lots of options for viewing or downloading the scene too. When you add it up and apply the TBP discount I think this is a great value. As the site grows, it will become an even better value. |
