No more unboxings in Linus Tech Tips in 2014?

[SkulD]

Case unboxing should never stop, other kind of unboxings have to go.

[stevv]

I'm for continued unboxing but with quick first impressions.  Especially if it's a unique product.

 

I'm not a fan of unboxing of common products just to read the box and say what's inside.  I find it more useful when products are unboxed and use right away, and first impressions from there.. and also plans for testing (if any but not mandatory.  Maybe some vote on usage scenarios ).  

 

for example, and unboxing of a AIO cooler is:

- unbox and install

- then just state plans for test... ie, will do standard test and ~maybe test it with delta fans! no seriously...  Look at the new scyth grand flex fans.. quiet but power when needed.   

- poll for usage scenarios? I think you still do a great job already testing products in different situation.  But for exampl, I would like to add a sound not considered cooling test.  Because sometime you just don't care if its noisy or not even in room (when folding)... but probably not popular due to the popularity of silence only usage.

 

another example: headphones or speakers...

- unbox and try them on or hear them.  Like one would do in a store or audio shop listening area.  At least some quick impressions that are practical.

[VeNoMzZxHD]

Although I believe abandoning unboxings altogether would be somewhat detrimental to the channel, I would suggest reducing the number of unboxings, instead combining them with reviews if they are important enough (e.g: New Mobo, Case, Gpu.....) and leaving the unboxings to the less 'important' products. 

[CarnivalOfFear]

I really enjoy the unboxings. The quality of them is unmatched any where online except maybe unbox therapy but his content is less for hard-core hardware guys. Please don't stop unboxings.

[Analog]

Unboxings and quick first impression reviews was what made the LTT channel so popular and I really enjoy them, however I can see the point, which you are making. In my opinion it will be bad idea to abandon unboxings completely. Perhaps you could do brief unboxings for the most important, flagship products (motherboards,graphics cards) right before the actual review, just like TTL does on his videos. Keeping that in mind I personally would still appreciate you doing unboxings and short overviews of cases, because I look at those before shopping for a new case (I tend to do that quite often). 

[Zyphera]

Yes! I like the idea with more reviews and testing on the product. The only unboxing videos, while fun and good because you are in it, do not say so much about the product. But keep the unboxing videos for when some very interesting or flagship stuff is released.

But! Keep the unboxing event for some reviews. Just because it is a review it does not mean you can skip the unboxing. I like to watch you open up the box. The sound of the product coming out of its box.

[Levis95l]

You have a point there, maybe unboxings are not needed. I was going to say that I still want to see case unboxings since they are very PC related and you usually give some personal thoughts of the case while doing them. But I can watch other people's unboxings too, so I guess I can live without them...

 

However, I keep my tech product knowledge updated almost entirely with my subscribe box, so it would be nice if you figured out some way to list new tech products that are released. That way I can see which ones interest me and I can look for unboxings. Maybe you could add some kind of "new tech" part to the WAN show where you would just quickly mention intersting stuff that you otherwise would have unboxed.

[Damikiller37]

Ok so I don't mind if you drop the long and full explanation unboxings but instead I thought of this kind of format:

• Fast forwarded unboxing with a song playing in the background + some annotations after finishing the unboxing with all of the product/s layed out on the table - approx 1min
• Intro
• Review of the product and benchmarks - 5-10min
• Glamour shots of the product with annotations such as dimensions, weight and other useful information to know about the product that you haven't covered in the review.
• Outro

To be honest I don't mind if you drop the longer unboxings but having a quick fast forwarded one would be cool just to quickly see whats in the box. I don't think we need more than a minute to see what is in the box I mean it's only a box. Whatever you do I will still watch everything since I always do even if it's something I'm not really interested in since I still enjoy it

[Nertballs]

I think you should stick with them, i mean it's how the majority of people found your channel and it's still pretty awesome!

[TheMissxu]

I still want to see informal unboxings. That's really why I started to watch you in the first place. The informal is gone now, so I don't care if the unboxings go too. For the most part, I'd rather you just stick to the cool features of a product than name every single feature.

[Matsy]

For things like cases where you have allot to talk about and can do a full walkthrough then unboxings should stay in my opinion

But for everything else when the video is going be very short and just taking a little item out of a box with some simple info read of the box basically, there is no real need for a "unboxing" but instead a review of the product later on like you have been doing.

[gardening]

I love in-depth reviews a lot. And hardware comparisons with different tests (not only game stuff)

Usually I do not even like unboxing without first hands on / in use impressions.

 

But for some reasons I like your unboxing style / way to do the clips often enough I even ended in this forum. Liked the surprises in the clips like the cat in a box/karton in a case review and the clip with the helicopter,... when you add fun reactions / details...

Some unboxing clips at YT sound so.... earnest or breathless or babbling or... yours sound(ed) more fresh.

 

So I'll 'vote' for a lot less of them and as much in depth / test reviews... tech quickies... even some comparisons like SSD speeds or... as possible

Maybe unboxing clips reserved for big releases like new generation of xxx-chips? Or fun stuff?

 

Or something special added /seldom shown at other channels like e.g. cases with some typical equipment mounted and directed smoke to show airflow and some bad examples of how to be aware of where a weakness of a case could be like the wires in the way of airflow? Hot spots,... Some stills with different PSUs for size comparison within the case... pro and contra or...

 

If you yourself have fun with it (again)... I'll guess 'we' might like it too.

[JacksGT]

Please don't stop making unboxings. First of all, that is what made you big and that's what you're known for.

Furthermore, I really like the current way of your videos, first the unboxing part and then Slick with the performance numbers (for CPUs, GPUs, etc.).

 

A concept I really like (which you are kind of already doing now) is first the standard unboxings, afterwards you (or maybe the community?) pick certain products for you to review or do a long-term test (1-3 months?).

I hope that you reading this and I just wanted to thank you for NOT making rashed videos (especially with phones etc.), not like other big magazines, who bring out a full test of a smartphone on launchday (Quality anyone?).

 

BTW: I generally like watching unboxings :-)

[Sei]

I would miss the unboxings so please dont stop them all together but i would not mind if they weren't as frequent if you put more resources into making other higher quality videos  

[Mo5]

I like how it was in the recent Xperia Z1 video. The major part of the video were the impressions and we still got the brief unboxing bit.

[1823alex]

Keep the unboxings please!

[Crimluck]

At first I was like: No way! But afterwards I read through all those replies.

 

I think that when you are unboxing it, I mostly watch it, just cuz' I wanted to know what comes inside the box.

 

So in the end.

 

You DO NOT need to do the unboxing of that product, but please take a photo of the contents of the box? Please?

 

Because sometimes I am really confused, when it comes to motherboards or PC cases as to what comes included with it.

 

Thank you, Linus, for what you're doing!

 

Your loyal fan from Czech Republic.

 

 

P.S. On another thought, when it comes to PC cases or even motherboards... I think that a good old unboxing would be the best choice. But when it comes to headphones or mobile phones or GPUs? I would probably use the newer system

[StitchMonkey]

I think a lot of it depends on the product and what is in the box.  Something like a GPU/CPU where we pretty much know what is in the box does not need one, unless there is something work looking at or showing off.  Now a product that we may not be as familiar with, like the Stinky Foot peddle, I do still really want to see the unboxing.  If you open up the box and am impressed by it, in someway, it merits attention.  Be it that the included cords and options are above and beyond, or just that is is beautifully done,  I say show it off. 

 

So maybe limit unboxing to two circumstances.  When the nature of the product/box leaves some question of what is in the box, and thus an unboxing naturally includes useful information.  Or when the company has gone above and beyond the expected and/or acceptable and done something merits attention and credit.  Perhaps an unboxing could be a mark of honor for products that go the extra mile.  Might be a nice way to send subtle (or not so subtle) feedback to companies about what people like us like and find impressive, and what we don't care about.  If you think about it, there likely are companies that are paying people to figure out "how should be box this product" yes they do care about how it looks, how it is perceived, and what the first impression is when their customers open the items.  You are actually, arguably in a potion of authority on this matter.  Keep your reputation going, use your reputation to send the message "this is what we actually care about!"

 

Additionally, don't undersell the value of having that extra content show up in searches.  It can easily be viewed as a form of advertising.  I pretty sure one of the first videos of you that I saw was an unboxing because I wanted to specially know what was in the box.  I have mentioned before that the reason I subscribed to you is specifically because you had a video on what I was looking for more than once.  So, eventually i realized you were fully worth following.  That would not have happened had you not had the amount of of videos out there.  They help you to become recognizable, and that is  very good, very powerful thing.     

 

I think you are seen as an "unboxer" among other things, and that you largely got noticed because of it. You should not abandon that. You can however try to refine, improve, and otherwise streamline the process.  Delegating more of it is not a bad thing, if again, the content of the unboxing is useful.  Or maybe moving into "What's in The Box?" really quick videos.  Lay out the box and stuff, and very quickly go over what is there.  Give the information that people might want quickly and effectively.  Maybe think about doing "X seconds unboxings" with X whatever you want it to be. 

 

I am not sure this is the greatest example, but I am going to toss it out. On youtube Gordon Ramsey has a two-part video on Beef Wellington. Part one is 3:34 and Part two is 3:49.  He also has a 2:22 long version of the same basic thing, that frankly is still largely fluff, but gets you the information you need in a much quicker, and to me, accessible format.  It is the same recipe, the same dish, the The F-Word version, is just more of a bullet points version. Honestly  I think it might be better with just the food shots and the voice over, his talking on camera is entering fluff.  The voice over of the shorter video does give you want you need to know to make the dish.  You don't need more.  You could do something like that for products that merit an unboxing.  Do some glamor shots (yes, I know some of Ramsey's glamor shorts are likely prciey and time consuming as all hell, I said it was still largely fluff, I am not saying make it look like this for less time - well lit, tight focus, close up with a non-distracting background is a good enough glamor shot for me) of what you are showing, then dub over an outline, you don't even need complete sentances  keep it quick and to the point, and move on.  The point is there are different ways to present the same information that might be fit in with your overall theme now,  you don't have to cut this aspect. 

 

 

[Maudima]

Hopefully these short videos won't disappear completely. Short is key though, like 3/4 minutes should be enough for a quick opinion. Like many viewers I use your videos to keep up to date with what's coming out and what's new and interesting. Maybe ditch the boxes and go more for an opinion based quick look. That'd be entertaining and informative. Do keyboard quicklooks at a desk, phone quicklooks in a living room or somewhere outside. More lifestyle, less old school tv program presenting. I don't know how you would make presenting from a couch seem somewhat professional but it is a more natural way to present products. Why demonstrate a shield standing in front of a camera if you could present it in an 'expected use' environment. 

[MIndedAirplane]

Personally I really like the unboxings that you do because they are either funny or provide goood information that is very helpful.I wouldn't mind it if there were less unboxing videos provided that you still unbox certain things that are important like cases,mother boards or monitors.Also for things like graphics cards or phones I think you should include the unboxing part in the start of the review.To coclude i think that what I'm trying to say is that I don't want to see unboxing videos go away completelly but see fewer ones of more important products.

[Tecnic]

I think you could do fewer unboxings but focus on making good reviews and guides, but not abandon unboxings all together.

I agree with Ashley here, you can have fewer unboxing's but not abandon it completely. 

 

Edit: More quality content will be good, I support your choice.

[Tordal]

I like the first impressions videos where you cover a lot of different products. I do enjoy in-depth content as well though, but if I had to chose, I'd go with 10-15min unboxing and first impressions.

[ObeseWalrus]

I don't know if you are trolling us or not... but if you are not gonna keep them then please... please for the love of god don't get too serious about it, this is the only tech channel else that Tek Syndicate that has a goofing around factor and that is one of the things that keeps me as a subscriber.

[fridadecat]

i think that you cant abandon unboxings. Unboxings are a big cause of you are today. And you have to take into consideration that you are the BEST doing that.

Also, i prefer more unprofessional style, but thats perhaps only me. I loved the end of last live stream, I kinda enjoy more those things than gettin indepth into products. Perhaps because i cant afford any

[Zyphera]

I tried to formulate my thoughts on this earlier but StitchMonkey is spot on.