Hmm.. I got an offer a week

Hmm.. I got an offer a week ago or so ago via email that listed the Digital version by itself for $29.99 and Digital+Print for $41.95. Maybe since I'm not a current/past subscriber, I got something special...

-Stephen

Most likely

mr digital

You might want to check out the latest Scotty Mason podcast. He and his group have a lot to say about this.

John

Appreciate that John

I went and listened. I'm aware of that show but have never really listened before now. I had to skip around to find the topic. I'm not sure I could listen to one of those straight through unless it was just something I had on in the background while working on the layout. At the risk of starting something I will say that although I thought many of the criticisms of MR were valid, those guys seemed to have kind of an elitist attitude themselves. I do agree that MR went markedly downhill the day Terry Thompson took over. I don't want to go too negative with this thread though so I'll  leave it at that.  I may have gotten "taken" by MR video plus, time will tell, but the money spent was not much more than what a normal MR subscription would have cost me anyway since I don't get the deals that new subscribers get. I have twelve months to judge it and then I'll go from there.  My particular interest in the initial offerings was "The Thin Branch" which is an extension of their recent Virginian railroad. My layout is a Byron Henderson freebie design that was put on his website showing an alternative way to do the MR Virginian rather than a 4X8 and I have a fairly good sized area I can expand it and I liked the looks of the Thin Branch module they are doing so I wanted to peruse it for ideas. Of course I have to get out of the rut I'm in on the portion of the layout I have built already. I'm hoping to have a go at that this weekend now that my sprained ankle has healed enough that I can get around.

Michael

It will be interesting...

It will be interesting to see the direction that MR goes with this.  Producing  all that video every week is really going to dig into the time they have to write for a magazine, given the hours of planning, production and post-production it takes to create that much content.

I have to say that I wasn't impressed with Drew's Trackside Adventures.  In the preview clip he spends half his time driving around in his car.  Speaking of driving, the sponsorship by Pontiac was pretty blatant.  And why do I care that a plane is flying overhead?  I found very little useful information in the segment.

Where the format really excels is in the how-to videos.  I'm also keen to see the people with the layouts because it gives me a good sense of how different benchwork heights and aisle widths will work out (I'm in the design stage of my own layout).

They really need to lose the out-takes and shorten the credits.  The flubs make them look like amateurs, and since the crew is very small the names on the screen never change much from video to video.  David Popp is their best asset and seems comfortable in front of the camera, and I suspect that he will get better as time goes on.  I just hope the staff there doesn't burn out before the first year is over.

David Popp

I agree. I doubt I would have even considered subscribing to it if it had not been for David being a large part of it. As I said, he's probably my favorite full time staff contributor left over there.

Michael

MR Video Plus

If I had MR's resources, a video model railroading magazine is *exactly* what I would do. In fact, I would have done it a couple years earlier.

These guys are very clever folks, and they will learn how to add more polish to their productions. MRH just does not have the resources to complete with Kalmbach head-to-head on all fronts. They're doing several magazines in the model railroading subject area, they have dozens of book and video titles, and now they're doing this video magazine.

We can't begin to touch what they're doing across all these fronts, which is why our magazine must be free. It's our one ace-in-the-hole method that enables us to at least compete with them just a little bit. By being free, we get modelers to look at us, where otherwise most wouldn't give us the time of day.

Once modelers see we're free to read, they look deeper and then discover that our content is quality and has good depth to it - then we get a regular reader and we've succeeded in getting a foothold with the model railroading audience.

While MRH will remain free to read, it's also true we need to expand into more paid products too, like videos and eBooks. Our policy for paid products is no ads - and free products are supported by advertising. We're all digital (except for videos - we'd like to get out of the DVD business, but so far downloadable video sales have been soft). Next up this year is eBooks, micro-priced just like you expect a digital product to be priced. None of the $20 plus stuff for an eBook title.

Anyhow, I think the hobby needs more compelling content on the web for model railroading and it's good Kalmbach is doing exactly what the hobby needs to have a strong future - moving to good, compelling video content. And David Popp's a good choice to lead this effort.

Once modelers see we're free to read, they look deeper and then

 Hi Joe, I think you have a good thing going  here. I really like the interactive based publication and expect many more modelers to use it as their base once they find it and realize it's gonna stick around and grow. I've been a MRR and RMC subscriber in the past but your publication serves my needs better and at no cost :> )  Regards Dave Branum

mr video

Joe I think you sell yourself(and your products) a little bit short. I think MRH is a better read then MR,and not just 'for the price'.

I think E books will be an excellent addition. I have been buying and reading MR since the sixties every few years I go through them and throw them out. The only ones I have saved are the special 'how toos' and handbooks. For example,'dcc projects and applications' and 'easy model railroad wiring'. Both sold for $20.00 each.I have used these books many times over the years. They were worth the investment. They are about 100 pages.

If you put out a handbook on say engine repair or dcc installations I think you would do well.

Its just my opinion but I think if MR tries to use short video clips they will be competing with you tube. If the print industry dies it wont be because of video. It will be the digital word.

john

Joe...

I'm very much appreciative of MRH and what it provides. You guys should never sell yourselves short in a comparison to MR and Kalmbach. These are great times to be a model rail with all the information we have at our fingertips and MRH is a large part of that. I understand that you don't have the resources they do but all the same you guys put out more consistent quality product than they do month by month. I kind of feel like I have the best of all worlds right now with MRH being free and my paid access to what MR has to offer. I'm excited to see what I'm going to get with MR video plus but I'm also just as excited to see what next comes around the corner from MRH as well. I especially am happy to hear about the ebooks and appropriate pricing. I can't wait!

Lastly, I appreciate very much that you will allow threads like this one, which is about what is essentially a competitor, to take place in this forum.  I don't think MR would be very happy  if I started a thread over there about MRH and I bet it would be gone pretty quickly.  You seem to be much more open minded about such things and concerned about stuff that is for the good of the hobby as a whole regardless of whether or not it's coming from you or Kalmbach. I have a lot of respect and admiration for you on that point!

Thanks,

Michael

Maybe a stupid question....

Where is all the MRH video, pay and free, located? I see reference to it all the time but lose track of where it is. Seems to me there is also a special place for  "forum video" I've seen mentioned that I also lose track of.... Is there a central place to go to see all of what's available?

Michael

Michael

Its actually Model Trains' Video (MRH's parent company) that has the DVD's.  See them under the sponsors.

MRH paid video content

MRH's paid video content is distributed by Model Trains Video - see ...

http://model-trains-video.com

MR Video Plus

  I signed up for the 'Charter' membership as well.  I still get the 'print' subscription to MR for $30(through a subscription service that the school uses for fund raising).  A lot cheaper than to $40+ subscription direct from Kalmbach's subscription department, and I still get the 'Subscriber-Only Content'.

  MRH is still a very good 'read' and I look forward to to each new issue.  I still like to lie down and 'read' a new publication, but I have made peace with electronic delivery.  We are starting to see this in other hobbies as well.

Jim

DVD

I still like a DVD I can watch on my TV. I don't want to down load a huge file and tie up the family router for hours and then try to get it on a DVD so I can watch it.

  Hours ?? You don't have

Hours ?? You don't have broadband ??

(Just asking)

John

hours

I do. 2 hours of video must take more than 2 hours to download.

Hello Brian...... The time

Hello Brian......

The time it takes to download a 2 hour video does not depend on how long the video takes to watch.

Like any other download, the time the download takes depends on the size of the file you are downloading, the speed of the server it is on and your download speed.

For example, I can download a typical DVD sized program in about 15 or 20 minutes, depending on the actual size of the file.  (I have a relatively fast internet connection.)

You may, as do many others, think that it happens in 'real time'.  It does not.

As for watching internet content on your TV, there is a relatively inexpensive way to do that.  I use a Roku device attached to my TV, and a free app called 'Plex It'.  I don't want to hijack this discussion with a bunch of techno geek stuff (even though it's really easy to do and takes about 10 minutes to set up), but the bottom line is you end up with a button in your internet browser you can click on when you are on an internet page with video content.  When you click the button the video is stored in your free Plex account offline for viewing later on your TV using your Roku.  There is no download involved, and your computer does not need to be on when viewing the video.

I use it all the time to watch Youtube videos linked to in this fourm for example.

Maybe I'll write up a 'How To' in another thread.......

I Havn't subcribed to MR in a long time!

And for good reason as their content for the most part is very stale.  I will admit that MR ran an interesting article in the last issue about repairing turnouts in place.  Good info there. But that was it!  I only buy the 3 or 4 issues that appear to have interest to me.  On the other hand, MRH seems to be fresh over and over!  Bruce Petrarcas DCC column is by far the most informative in a long time from ANY publication!  As far as digital content goes like videos and stuff, it seems to be working as I read and view most all of them.  Always good info to be had.  

MRH

Joe is correct on this:  "Joe I think you sell yourself(and your products) a little bit short. I think MRH is a better read then MR,and not just 'for the price'."  MRH has more info, the articles has more details and information. We have the ability to communicate directly to the author of the articles. If we have any questions we know where to go and ask. Very user friendly...and I could go on and on.

For What it's worth

     I still subscribe to MR. Sometimes it takes two months to read thru an issue, but I read MRH in a day or two. Both have useable content in them, even if it doesn't pertain to my interests. For me, MRH is the best thing going, free or not. I did subscribe to MR Video. For 25 bucks, it's worth a try. Will see if it lives up to the standards set by the MRH video offerings. Joe, the only thing you are not doing right is not giving any updates on your personal layout.

Exactly...

This was my feeling as well. I don't know the exact price MR Video plus cost me because I reupped my subscrition to MR another year but it wasn't much more than the subscription itself would have been alone. I figure it's worth a try as well. I'm on a pretty tight hobby budget and if MRH cost money and I had to choose between it and MR, I would buy MRH but thankfully I don't have to do that and can have the best of both worlds. The only thing I wish I could see is Joe, Charlie and the other talented individuals at MRH do a "project layout" ala MR. I know they don't have the resources but I wish it were possible.

Michael

Well there is already one "project" railroad...

....Charlie's "Up the Creek" monthly column I consider that a "project layout".

Ken L

Big project!

I enjoy Charlie's modeling and his articles a lot but that's an awfully big "project"! I'm still convinced now that even if I had a large area for a layout, I'd have to be in a position to pay someone to build it up to the bechwork and track stage. I just can't imagine doing what Charlie is doing anymore even though it used to be my dream to have something like that.

Michael