Well, the problem with that solution is that a lot of vids are only available as local downloads.
I went through that, too - for a long time, I tried to download only direct and indirect links, because I was geechy about dling directly from the org. And the star rankings were just weird; they go entirely against my general way of approaching fanworks.
But eventually I worked out a system that allowed me to eliminate all the dithering. (You know, the - "It was so brilliant, but...but...okay, it just freaked me out, to the point where I may never sleep again, and I cannot face ever watching it again, even though it was incredible" dithering.) (If you're wondering what vid inspired that reaction, it was Closer (http://www.animemusicvideos.org/members/members_videoinfo.php?v=14617), by Aluminum Studios, which I personally think should be titled "Closer to Hell," but that's just me. I recall it as being technically impressive, but mostly my reaction can best be summed up as one long horrified mental scream.)
My system, if you're curious:
1: I delete it because it is basically unwatchable (usually for technical issues). 2: I delete it because it's technically competent but doesn't appeal to me or is for any reason something I'm not watching again. (After all, no matter how technically good it is, if I don't want to re-watch it, I don't want my recommendations based on it. More on that later.) 3: I keep it, but I don't expect to re-watch it much and it's just a basic solid AMV. 4: I keep it and I expect to re-watch it and it deeply impresses me in some way - it's creative, it's original, it's wonderfully edited. 5: I keep it and I expect to re-watch it frequently and it deeply impresses me in almost every way.
This, of course, means that some vids that deserve fours or fives, like the one I linked above, actually get twos. My point is: I stopped trying to rate the vids based on their empirical goodness and started ranking them based solely on my personal reaction. That may fuck with the star scale's overall usefulness, but, well, it makes it possible for me to assign stars, so I don't worry about it.
(If you're curious, I've given mostly threes and twos, and then about half as many fours. Very few end up as ones or fives.)
Now, of course, I can switch my actual analysis of empirical goodness over to opinions. Joy.
My point in all this blathering is: I don't think you should worry overmuch about the star rankings. The most interesting thing about them is that they're used to make your personalized recommendations page, which is totally worth exploring, for the interest factor if nothing else. (I could do a whole other boring-for-everyone meta on those recommendations systems, and I would love to see what they're based on.) So, really, my advice is - just go with your first instinctive reaction, if that's the way you work best, or work out a system based on your behavior/response to the vid, if you're anal-retentive like me.
no subject
I went through that, too - for a long time, I tried to download only direct and indirect links, because I was geechy about dling directly from the org. And the star rankings were just weird; they go entirely against my general way of approaching fanworks.
But eventually I worked out a system that allowed me to eliminate all the dithering. (You know, the - "It was so brilliant, but...but...okay, it just freaked me out, to the point where I may never sleep again, and I cannot face ever watching it again, even though it was incredible" dithering.) (If you're wondering what vid inspired that reaction, it was Closer (http://www.animemusicvideos.org/members/members_videoinfo.php?v=14617), by Aluminum Studios, which I personally think should be titled "Closer to Hell," but that's just me. I recall it as being technically impressive, but mostly my reaction can best be summed up as one long horrified mental scream.)
My system, if you're curious:
1: I delete it because it is basically unwatchable (usually for technical issues).
2: I delete it because it's technically competent but doesn't appeal to me or is for any reason something I'm not watching again. (After all, no matter how technically good it is, if I don't want to re-watch it, I don't want my recommendations based on it. More on that later.)
3: I keep it, but I don't expect to re-watch it much and it's just a basic solid AMV.
4: I keep it and I expect to re-watch it and it deeply impresses me in some way - it's creative, it's original, it's wonderfully edited.
5: I keep it and I expect to re-watch it frequently and it deeply impresses me in almost every way.
This, of course, means that some vids that deserve fours or fives, like the one I linked above, actually get twos. My point is: I stopped trying to rate the vids based on their empirical goodness and started ranking them based solely on my personal reaction. That may fuck with the star scale's overall usefulness, but, well, it makes it possible for me to assign stars, so I don't worry about it.
(If you're curious, I've given mostly threes and twos, and then about half as many fours. Very few end up as ones or fives.)
Now, of course, I can switch my actual analysis of empirical goodness over to opinions. Joy.
My point in all this blathering is: I don't think you should worry overmuch about the star rankings. The most interesting thing about them is that they're used to make your personalized recommendations page, which is totally worth exploring, for the interest factor if nothing else. (I could do a whole other boring-for-everyone meta on those recommendations systems, and I would love to see what they're based on.) So, really, my advice is - just go with your first instinctive reaction, if that's the way you work best, or work out a system based on your behavior/response to the vid, if you're anal-retentive like me.