A review of TW's 2013 APD Video Review - 3.5 STARS:

[MAXXply]

TW's latest video review of the 2013 APD leaps onto the bigscreen dripping with all the high concept of a Simpson-Bruckheimer production. Set in the sunny vista and generic white-picketed community of Pleasantville USA meets Desperate Housewives, the action plays out against the stunning backdrop of the verdant rolling foothills of the San Luis Obispo Ranges(?). It makes a welcome change from TW's previous review locale of the TW warehouse court. High concept indeed.

TW's Siobhan lights up the screen. She is a bright new talent whose poise and on-camera magnetism shines as brightly as her porcelain-white Kiwi Pakeha skin in the Central Californian sunshine. Siobhan is destined for greater things and I don't rule out a future for her as a body-double for Kristen Stewa-whatsername-that-Twilight-Chick, albeit with a better forehand. Absent from the ensemble was TW's usual pitch-man, the charismatic Spencer Boller. Fans of Spencer's playtest insights should lobby TW Producers for his return, if only so we can resume our TW drinking game of shots for every time the Spencemeister mentions the word "wheelhouse". As usual, the ever-reliable Chris Edwards cameos as TW's Detective Murtagh to Siobahn's Riggs ("I'm gettin' too old for this s#!7")

The musical score accompanying the review is laid thick with the groovesome yet underwhelming sounds of West Coast RnB, or as West Coast RnB as freeware music you can get. It undersells the potent excitement generated by the release of this new racket. Missing is the adrenaline-filled euphoria and inspirational racket-air-guitar riffs of the previous TW musical accompaniments. If the music was supposed to motivate me to buy this racket, it made me want to go out and buy some low-waisted baggy jeans instead.

VERDICT: A visually appealing spectacle worthy of the price of admission, but missing the punchy impact and gotta-rob-someone excitement of previous reviews.

MAXXply's rating: 3.5 stars (out of 5)

New balls/freshness rating: 70%

[Ross K]

Originally Posted by MAXXply

TW's latest video review of the 2013 APD leaps onto the bigscreen dripping with all the high concept of a Simpson-Bruckheimer production. Set in the sunny vista and generic white-picketed community of Pleasantville USA meets Desperate Housewives, the action plays out against the stunning backdrop of the verdant rolling foothills of the San Luis Obispo Ranges(?). It makes a welcome change from TW's previous review locale of the TW warehouse court. High concept indeed.

TW's Siobhan lights up the screen. She is a bright new talent whose poise and on-camera magnetism shines as brightly as her porcelain-white Kiwi Pakeha skin in the Central Californian sunshine. Siobhan is destined for greater things and I don't rule out a future for her as a body-double for Kristen Stewa-whatsername-that-Twilight-Chick, albeit with a better forehand. Absent from the ensemble was TW's usual pitch-man, the charismatic Spencer Boller. Fans of Spencer's playtest insights should lobby TW Producers for his return, if only so we can resume our TW drinking game of shots for every time the Spencemeister mentions the word "wheelhouse". As usual, the ever-reliable Chris Edwards cameos as TW's Detective Murtagh to Siobahn's Riggs ("I'm gettin' too old for this s#!7")

The musical score accompanying the review is laid thick with the groovesome yet underwhelming sounds of West Coast RnB, or as West Coast RnB as freeware music you can get. It undersells the potent excitement generated by the release of this new racket. Missing is the adrenaline-filled euphoria and inspirational racket-air-guitar riffs of the previous TW musical accompaniments. If the music was supposed to motivate me to buy this racket, it made me want to go out and buy some low-waisted baggy jeans instead.

VERDICT: A visually appealing spectacle worthy of the price of admission, but missing the punchy impact and gotta-rob-someone excitement of previous reviews.

MAXXply's rating: 3.5 stars (out of 5)

New balls/freshness rating: 70%

Brilliant post.

Wonder who the A list testers will be brought in and what the setting will be for the Steam S?

[Bartelby]

The reason why they switch to shots of them hitting is also to hide the fact they're reading from cue cards, right?

[Bartelby]

You can change the captions into foreign languages but it can't handle umlauts.

[TW Staff]

Originally Posted by Bartelby

The reason why they switch to shots of them hitting is also to hide the fact they're reading from cue cards, right?

No, we don't read off cue cards. Rather we don't think you'd want to watch us just standing there talking.

Tiffani, TW

[Federerkblade]

Tw what factory string is the aero shipping with

[coolblue123]

I thought it is one of the nicer productions. but my only criticism is that it looks too refined for a sports equipment review. the slow motions, angles, and quality looks more like a high quality commercial than a review.
great job!

[Francis27]

they review rackets from theyre own opinions and thoughts. Tennis Warehouse is actually the only ones with great reviews

[ductrung3993]

Bring Spence back!!!!!!!!!!

[MAXXply]

Originally Posted by coolblue123

I thought it is one of the nicer productions. but my only criticism is that it looks too refined for a sports equipment review. the slow motions, angles, and quality looks more like a high quality commercial than a review. great job!

Yes TW's high production values ensure their video reviews are a cut above some of their competitors online efforts

Originally Posted by ductrung3993

Bring Spence back!!!!!!!!!!

He might be in negotiations with his agent. For some reason I can see him starring as James Bond's CIA buddy Felix Leiter. The fallguy who takes the first bullet. Or John Cusack's lovelorn character in 'High Fidelity' in which the Spence-ter runs a failing tennis pro shop instead of a secondhand record store.

[Bartelby]

You're all very articulate then. I must confess I mainly listen rather than watch, but yes that would be boring.

Originally Posted by TW Staff

No, we don't read off cue cards. Rather we don't think you'd want to watch us just standing there talking.

Tiffani, TW

[TW_VideoMasterMind]

Originally Posted by Bartelby

The reason why they switch to shots of them hitting is also to hide the fact they're reading from cue cards, right?

Trust me, they mess up sometimes. I have spent many an hour piecing sections together to make it sound like they all do one take.

Originally Posted by Bartelby

You can change the captions into foreign languages but it can't handle umlauts.

The umlauts are showing up on my screen. Are they not showing up for you?

And thank you all for your feedback. We really want our videos to deliver the info in the best looking way while keeping out any fluff. As always, suggestions or ideas are welcome.

[MAXXply]

Originally Posted by TW_VideoMasterMind

And thank you all for your feedback. We really want our videos to deliver the info in the best looking way while keeping out any fluff. As always, suggestions or ideas are welcome.

I really do miss the guitar riffs. Rockin' out to the killer licks accompanying your racket reviews has directly led me to some wholly unecessary impulse buys from TW. The laidback RnB sounds somehow bring on the munchies for me.

[Bartelby]

The umlauts are now showing up properly. Great translations. And great language learning device for tennis junkies!

[cork_screw]

Originally Posted by Bartelby

The reason why they switch to shots of them hitting is also to hide the fact they're reading from cue cards, right?

There are no cue cards. This isn't live production. It's called a VO, or voice over (I work in television btw).

[cork_screw]

Originally Posted by TW Staff

No, we don't read off cue cards. Rather we don't think you'd want to watch us just standing there talking.

Tiffani, TW

Exactly. And they switch to them hitting is called "b-roll"

Man, you kiddies don't know nothin'

[Bartelby]

It's designed to seem like live tv with the initial scene always being a kind of casual conversation before the visuals switch.

Until recently the idea of it being a gentle 'one take' conversation was quite convincing as not much was really said, but lately the conversation has become a little more of a monologue that is precise and detailed and delivered quite rapidly.

I don't mind the new style but it made it seem more like there was a written out script, and the idea of a voice over suggests that this might be so.

Originally Posted by cork_screw

There are no cue cards. This isn't live production. It's called a VO, or voice over (I work in television btw).

[TW Staff]

The only part that is "scripted" is in the intro with the specs. Beyond that, there aren't any scripts or VO's when it comes to the interviews. (Granted, some interviews will need a few takes

TW

[srvnvly]

Originally Posted by TW Staff

The only part that is "scripted" is in the intro with the specs. Beyond that, there aren't any scripts or VO's when it comes to the interviews. (Granted, some interviews will need a few takes

TW

Awesome review format either way, and the style is more natural and interesting, unlike other sites where the reviewers are overly robotic, nay boring. Is Spencer still around, or has he moved on to something else?

[TW Staff]

Spencer is still around, though he has changed positions at Tennis Warehouse. He'll be in some upcoming reviews, though is no longer acting as the host.

Thanks,
Tiffani, TW