Just watched the video plus advertisements. Looks interesting. I enjoy the features on this site and may subscribe to the video plus site as long as it doesn’t kill the wallet. I did not like receiving videos in the mail! I wonderings are if there is something you want to keep is it possible.
RMax
While the new video thing looks interesting, it looks like what we are already paying for but not getting.
Cody’s Office used to be a lot more frequent and had more content than visits to shows to promote MR’s advertisers, which is about it is anymore. All the rest of the features seem to be being moved to this new site as well.
It sure looks to me like MR plans to charge for what was promised as a free bonus for being subscribers. Oh well it should come as no surprise to us that they are breaking their word to their readers since they have done it so often before. My subscription comes up for renewal before long so maybe it is time to subscribe to a different magazine.
cat
I’m going to have to agree with cat on this. I am also wondering why the new person that was hired to work with David Popp appears to have zero modeling experience. To me, all new hires that come on as some sort of editor need to be a model railroader.
I know this ain’t rocket science, but …
Cat,While I agree with your thoughts I wonder in the long run if it will be better then the magazine or a direct replacement? We all know some of the magazine articles is nothing more then a dressed up infomercial.
As far as employees not being modelers that does make me wonder but,its nothing new in the business world…
Hi guys,
I just wanted to clear up a couple of things as we roll out the new Video Plus product.
First, MR subscribers will still get Cody’s Office episodes at the rate of about one a month, as well as product review videos, layout visit videos, and project railroad video journals. Plus, when we visit train shows, you’ll still get to see that too. So, as a subscriber to MR, none of that will change.
Second, the reason Cody’s Office is now at its present frequency is simply that when we started Cody’s Office, it was the only video we made, so we had more time to shoot them. If you look at the history of the show, you can see that each time we’ve cut back on the frequency, it’s because we’ve added something new in its place. So, since the start of Cody’s Office, we’ve added more product review videos, layout videos, and project railroad video blogs. With the regular production of the magazine, there are just so many hours in a day that the MR staff can devote to video production.
Finally, Video Plus is an all-new product for MR. It’s not meant to be a replacement for the magazine or the other ModelRailroader.com features we now run. It is its own video magazine with its own features and programs. As such, we needed to hire a professional video editor to help me with all of the videography and editing this new site will require. Ben Lake, my new assistant editor, has a great background in video production. Trust me when I tell you that you’d much rather watch the work of a professional video editor in HD on your television than the work of me, a model railroader, trying to make compelling train videos.
During the next several months, we’ll post more behind the scenes videos and some of the pilot episodes for our programming on the MRVideoPlus.com site. In the process, you’ll get to meet Ben as well, and you should have a good idea as to what MR Video Plus is all about.
Enjoy the show!
David Popp
David,Thanks…I was a mite concerned over that…
I can’t see tooting a e-reader when I railfan so I can read MR,Trains or any book or magazine between trains.
Yeah,I’m a dinosaur.
Dave,
Thanks for chiming in and clarifying things a bit.
I for one am really looking forward to the new Video Plus. I know you have to cover costs, but please keep it as low as possible. When are you guys going to announce the cost, anyway?
Over the last few years I’ve watched the videos you’ve produced, and I can say that they’ve shown continuous improvement over time, but I’m looking forward to seeing further improvement through Ben’s involvement. I know just enough about the process of creating videos to know that a professional’s touch yields big gains in terms of production quality and overall “watchability.”
Mark B.
P.S.: Need any “beta viewers” to provide feedback prior to the first release? [swg]
OK. I feel like I need to say something in reply to the earlier posts from Catfx & others, and quite frankly it is probably going to sound like a rant. I apologize in advance, and would like to remind everyone that this is MY opinion, nothing more. So. . .
I receive Model Railroader magazine on a monthly basis, and pay an annual fee for the same. The service I pay for includes said magazine, and said magazine ONLY! There is nothing in the subscription contract that says otherwise, so anything beyond that service I receive for free is a BONUS.
As far as I can recall, we have never been promised that any of the bonus on line content would be a permenant part of the subscription. Further, I am hard pressed to remember any broken promises that violated the contractual obligations the publisher has to the subscriber.
what I am trying to say is this. Magazine publishing is evolving rapidly. In the recent past we have lost a number of hobby magazines who could not compete in this new environment. Those that survive are trying to maintain market share while still providing content that is relevant to their readers. Creating this additional content takes time, resources and money.
My perspective is that Kalmbach is trying to find ways to maintain their position in an already small marketplace. In doing so they are embracing technology that will augment the product they already provide. Because not everyone wants services beyond the print magazine, Kalmbach is offering them separately for additional fee. This is not unique, and I find no reason to criticize a company for doing so. If you don’t wish your content digitally or by streaming video, you do not have to pay anything additional. If you feel the print magazine is no longer giving
Ranting is one thing. Typing it in such a small font that I need a magnifying glass to enjoy it is another.
Sorry, typed it on my iPad. Made the font larger. Hope that helps.
I feel that the MR and Trains magazines are better now than ever, and the yearly rate has been relatively the same for years (compared to hobby product prices) and I’m saving my energy for when the notice comes that the magazines are going digital and will no longer offer a print version.[:|]
Well said Chris!
There were sample examples of the new video production shown at this fall’s Trainfest in Milwaukee and the production values definitely looked terrific on the HD television screen they had. If Kalmbach really follows through on this notion, and thus far it appears they are certainly prepard to allocate the manpower resources, this could be a significant new development. There have always been aspects of model railroading which are better shown and demonstrated than being described or written about – that is why clinics at NMRA meets are so popular after all – and this project looks poisted to offer production values that would be difficult to approach without Kalmbach’s resources.
Dave Nelson
It’s going to be a long wait until spring! Sounds good to me!
Every six months or so Kalmbach announce 3 to 4 new books. However this tim only one book was announced. Is Kalmbach cutting back on book publishing to concentrate on the new video project?
Royce