Good point on the "instructions"

Josh:

Good point on the "instructions" although there's not a lot to them beyond each video is its own zip file and you need to download them all to get everything you purchased (16 downloads, I think).

Once you download them, you will need to unzip them. Once you unzip them, you will need an MP4 video player and Windows Media Player won't work. Microsoft has their own competing format to MP4 - WMV - and so Microsoft doesn't support MP4, thank you very much. Microsoft will eventually cave in because MP4 is becoming the cross-platform compressed video download standard - WMV is a windows only format and everyone else is not in any hurry to support it.

We zip the video files so that the browser downloads them rather than tries to play them when you click the links we send with your purchase. The links expire in a couple days so you need to not sit on your hands, but get to doing the downloads right away. We do each video as its own file because each video is several megabytes in size and it breaks the downloads up into bite-sized chunks.

If we bundled all the videos together, it would be a couple gigabytes and take forever to download. We would get more support issues with such a large file.

The instructions on the MRH bonus downloads also apply to these MP4 video downloads:

NOTE: These high quality downloadable videos are MP4 format, so they will play in any player on your PC that can play MP4 video content. The most popular MP4 video player is Quicktime 7, which is available for free download here. The most popular handheld MP4 player is the Apple iPod/iTouch/iPhone/iPad, as well as Android phones. We also find the free VLC Media Player does an excellent job playing our MP4 files on PCs, Macs, and Linux machines.

To learn more about the MP4 video format, click here. In our opinion, the best all-around MP4 to DVD software package for a Windows-based computer is ConvertXtoDVD, which sells for $49.99.

You can also use the Nero 10 Suite ($70) or Roxio Creator 2011 Suite ($80) - but both of these products will cost you more and won’t give you all the DVD burning options of ConvertXtoDVD. Having said that, if you’d like to burn one of our HD MP4 videos to Blu-ray, then Nero or Roxio are what you want.

Awesome reply Joe! Come on

Awesome reply Joe!

Come on people, $10 for the two DVD's it's an amazing deal.

I burned all of the clips onto a data DVD, with some room to spare.  Or you could follow the DVD authoring suggestions Joe posted and make the two dvd's as they would come if you have bought them direct.  I felt the clips work better as I use computers for most video watching any ways (including streaming through my PS3 to the HD tv).

Playing the video's on my tv has interested my 14 year old brother-in-law a little more then dragging him to RPM West Coast!  I hope to watch all the clips, in their entirety, on Wednesday or Thursday.  I'm using VLC media player, which is a good, free media platform.  It can play nearly all media files.  Makes for a great way to listen to podcasts too, if you don't have quicktime installed!

Videos

Where are these alleged videos hidden? I would like to buy a set. I can afford $10.00. I think I asked this some months ago and received an answer but forgot the location. Thanks.

Ok for some reason it just popped up when I went to edit my message.

Rich

You can find the videos here

You can find the videos here ... model-trains-video.com

Site

It finally popped up again. Some techie must be laughing over those banners continually changing for people.

I tried to order using my credit card and no joy. It never gets passed review. If I did something wrong, the site will not tell me. I stopped using Pay Pal some months ago.

Not a big deal.

Rich

How to bypass Paypal

You can bypass Paypal on the first screen after you click Checkout, although the cart software provider doesn't make that as obvious as they could ... just click the circled area:

After clicking in the circled area, it expands and lets you put in your credit card info instead of going through Paypal per se. It looks like this:

It says payments processed by Paypal - taint exactly right. It's actually GE Financial but Paypal slaps their logo on it. Your bank statement should say MTVID, and it's GE Financials, not Paypal.

Hope that helps. If all else fails, just call 1-800-920-6020 and we'll mail you a data disk with the video files on it.

Google is your friend

Google is your friend Rich

(I can't believe you dropped your guard)  < wink-smile>

Benchwork & Roadbed

Joe

Any chance "Benchwork and Roadbed" will ever be downloadable? 

Plans are to make it all downloadable

Plans are to make all the DVD content downloadable next year - and to phase out the DVDs completely at that time.

We will be offering another "Deal of the Century" sale on the DVDs during the holidays - with the idea we're closing out the DVDs permanently - only downloads going forward for current videos and all new videos.

Files to download

I'd request an option to download the complete archive instead of all the individual files.

I understand not wanting to hog up the bandwidth, but that's a lot of files to download.

It actually took me longer to setup all the d/l than the downloads took.

Just a thought, more options, ya that's what we need.

The Deal of the Century is coming again.

Holly mackerel, folks.  I got in on this deal the last time, and it's a wonderful thing.  So, if you don't have the videos, check 'em out, and do this deal.  Or, put the bug in someone's ear for a holiday gift for the train room.

As long as I been in the model railroad hobby (since the 50's), I still learned a bunch from these videos.  Very frequently I see questions on the forum, that can be answered in them.

Videos

Yeah, I've got them all too and they are great like everybody says.  The Hot Trains video is one that my four year old requests regularly.

At these prices, it's a steal of a deal!

One big download?

One big download of the entire video collection would be about 40 GB - not something I would recommend attempting without a download manager. Even on a fast broadband connection that's going to take several hours - and without a download manager if it dies after 5 hours - you get to start all over again.

Not a recipe for success, unfortunately. Really large long-running downloads are a good way to guarantee frustration and failure.

Sure lots of little downloads are more tedious - but they're also virtually guaranteed to succeed.

Hot Trains

Visually, Hot Trains is the best looking model train video I've ever seen. The camera work is excellent - Charlie Comstock outdid himself.

Hot Trains is also the first model train video I've seen where you are immersed the entire time into the model railroad's world, from the perspective of a railfan, watching things run as the owner envisioned. That's what makes the Hot Trains series unique - total immersion into the modeled environment for the entire time.

Sure I'm biased ... (wink)

Recommended

I downloaded the Ten Mile Creek series (16 files in all) a few months back and was quite pleased. It is chock full of good techniques and tips. I highly recommend any of the Model Trains Video offerings. I especially wanted the Hot Trains after seeing the preview, but have not put it in my budget at this time (my railroad is way behind schedule).

My main platform is Windows XP - the videos are in MP4 format, so viewing on Windows will require Quick Time or the VLC package (I use the VLC - Windows Classic Viewer - it works well) and I think the VLC is a freeware or shareware package available on the net.

Hot Trains

Well it seems like a winning formula.

I'm not sure what it is that makes Charlies video so appealing to the little guy but he loves Hot Trains!  Now, before any ego's get too swollen, [wink] in all fairness I have to tell you that he loves anything train related.

I gave him the last Micro-Mark catalog I received in the mail, not thinking anything of it.  He found the two pages in the back where the Locomotives are advertised, well he's been hauling that catalog around for about two weeks now, reminding us quite often that he needs ALL the trains he sees in the catalog!

Oh yeah, he's a train nut!

One big download?

My mistake.

The entire archive of all the videos you've made would be too large, I would agree.

I should have been more specific as my intention was the files that are included in the 9.99 special at this moment.

For some computers still too large perhaps.

More options may not be to everyone's benifit.

Videos seem great!

I just downloaded all of the videos and have watched three so far. I am enjoying them greatly and am learning a lot. I had no problem with the downloads and love having the videos on my laptop to view when ever I wish.

I have to admit, the $9.99 price really worked for me as I have limited funds for my model railroading obsession. I look forward to other great offers.

Gary

Glad to hear it!

Gary:

Glad to hear you're finding the videos valuable - and yes, the $9.99 price for those two DVDs as downloads is about as good as it gets.

The DEAL OF THE CENTURY sale for the DVDs coming up in Nov-Dec will find them 50-80% off - and as stated, that's the last of the DVDs. From Jan onwards, all the videos will still be available, but only as downloadable. No more DVDs, period.

So if you prefer DVDs, Nov and Dec will be your last chance - and at clearance prices with the 50-80% off pricing on *all DVDs*.

Definitely a DVD clearance sale because when they're gone, they're gone.

Best Value in Model Railroading!

Bought the videos and I love them!  Really great techniques and really fantastic production. I've learned so much that I can apply to my own layout! Infact, I went and purchased a few other downloadable videos because I loved what I saw here so much!

One note is that I was unable to get the videos to play as is on my iPhone 3.  It's an old model, so that may be the issue.  I did some experimental compression and was able to get it working eventually, but I wanted to make you aware of that Joe.  

Again, my phone is old and in desperate need of replacement, so that may be the issue there.  If everyone else has no problems, just ignore this comment.

Thanks again for the great deal!

-Matt

Another fan here!

Downloaded Ten Mile Creek series on Thursday. Paid with Paypal, email confirmation within seconds and took about 35 - 40 mins to download the lot with 10MB broadband.

Double-clicked zip files and opened right up on my Mac no problem at all.

Intended to watch a couple but ended up viewing all 16. Great stuff.

Highly recommended.

Ian 

Oh Yes!!

I have now viewed the whole series and loved it. The way you make trees with wisk broom parts just blew me away. 

I do have a question. The powder you mix up with your formulas sound great. I may have missed the information, but could you tell me where you get the colored powders?

Thanks,

Gary

More sources for powdered colors ...

Check out these threads:

http://model-railroad-hobbyist.com/node/1893

http://model-railroad-hobbyist.com/node/2897

And also these MRH articles, which have more info and some updates:

http://model-railroad-hobbyist.com/magazine/mrh-2010-SepOct/zip_texturing_resurrected

http://model-railroad-hobbyist.com/magazine/mrh-2010-NovDec/weathering_powders

Thank you!!

Joe,

Perfect, thank you so much!!

Gary