OFFICIAL
78.0
pretty good |
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Content
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| Quality : |
15.0 / 20 |
| Quantity : |
15.0 / 15 |
| Entertain : |
14.0 / 15 |
| Updates : |
7.5 / 10 |
| Exclusive : |
2.0 / 05 |
| Download : |
2.5 / 05 |
| sub-total : |
56.0 / 70 |
| Navigation |
| Easy : |
7.5 / 10 |
| Features : |
3.5 / 05 |
| Design : |
3.5 / 05 |
| sub-total : |
14.5 / 20 |
| Other |
| Originality : |
3.0 / 05 |
| Hard Facts : |
4.5 / 05 |
| sub-total : |
7.5 / 10 |
Scoring Criteria New
New Update!
As of Aug 15th, 07, price of a site is no longer factored into the overall score/rank. |
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| Editor: Duke |
Initial Review: 08-25-08 |
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1. 1000s of DVDs, all sorts of niches.
2. Simple vid streaming, fast buffering.
3. Box covers & good movie details.
4. Keyword/advanced search, micro-niches.
1. Underdeveloped navigation features.
2. No preview pics or scene breakdown.
3. Non-exclusive DVD content.
"A sizable pay-per-minute DVD site with straightforward movie viewing system." |
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Sugar VOD is a streaming pay-per-minute DVD site with thousands of titles available for viewing. As far as the basic set-up of things here they mostly follow the standard VOD way of doing things so that guests can browse the site exactly as members see it. It’s easy enough to jump around and see what studios and movies are in the mix and they lay out the different pay-per-minute packages that are available for purchase.
The Goods:
- 1000s of DVDs, All Sorts of Niches. This is the foundation of any PPV movie site and Sugar VOD does have a solid amount of movies in their database. The number of studios is quite impressive as the list is very long. The collection is targeted at a mainstream hardcore audience as they have hardcore niches of all kinds and you'll find lots of titles in most categories.
- Simple Video Streaming, Fast Buffering. The video system consists of straightforward WMV in-browser movies that are offered in four quality levels. They open the full movie and on my cable connection jumping around to different parts of the films was really quick. The easy buffering is probably the best feature of the video formatting.
- Box Covers & Good Movie Details. The preview material relies mostly on box covers and they have the front and back that can be zoomed in on to get a good view of the back. In addition they post the "product information" which includes a Synopsis, Running Time, Release Year, Date Added, Categories, Directed By, Features, and Stars. While the amount that they have filled in can vary at times overall Sugar VOD provides a decent amount of details for most DVDs.
- Keyword/Advanced Search & Micro-Niches. These are some of the best navigation features here. The keyword search allows for searches among Titles, Descriptions, Director, or Performers. I found it worked pretty well plus the advanced search is a more detailed tool. For niche categories Sugar VOD has some interesting micro-niches that you don't see everyday like Medical, European, Summer, Fire Crotch, Facesitting, etc. Some sites just stick to the basic popular categories so I give them credit for having some specialty sections like this.
The Bads:
- Underdeveloped Navigation Features. There is definitely room for improvement in the site navigation. The keyword and advanced search are helpful and there is good cross linking to find similar movies but they're missing things like a fully developed model index. Only a text drop down box of "Popular Performers" is available and that is quite short for a site with this many DVDs. What's sorely needed is a complete model index with thumbnail pictures. The 5-star member rating system also doesn't have enough entries to make it all that helpful.
- No Preview Pics or Scene Breakdown. With a PPV system like this they just simply don't have enough preview material for members to see what a movie has to offer. The box covers only give a tiny number of samples and there isn't any kind of scene breakdown or preview thumbnail pictures. Most of the time I felt like I was starting a stream blind (which instantly costs money of course).
- Non-Exclusive DVD Content. This is just something of note that applies to nearly all DVD sites whether they are pay-per-minute like Sugar VOD or a download site. The fact is these titles, studios, and performers can be found at any number of sites with different viewing choices.
Conclusion:
Sugar VOD is one of those sites where in a macro sense you know what you're going to get when you signup or purchase minutes. The site is an open book to guests and the per-minute packages are easy to understand. Overall they a decent PPV movie site with a sizable collection of DVD although they haven't created any unique features that would separate them from many other sites that have similar content available.
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