If you want a top quality version of any MRH Theater video, we will be making it available as downloadable video. This means you can download the video, burn it to DVD and watch it on your home theater system, for example.

To illustrate, you will be able to get the entire collection of Train Show video interviews (all 15-some interviews) as a single downloadable video purchase, priced as follows:

iPod version, $1.99

DVD version, $2.49

HD video version, $2.99

This small fee helps cover the hosting and download bandwidth costs of huge high-quality video files, for those who just must have the video that's better quality than internet streaming video. But you'd better have a good broadband connection if you want to go the download route.

If you're dial up and you're really desperate for something to play on your TV, we'll also offer DVDs in a jewel case that we'll ship to you for $9.99 postage paid (domestic) or $14.99 postage paid foreign. This covers the cost of the physical media, packaging, and the labor needed to do onsey-twosey DVD production.

But we're expecting most people will go with the free online version. It's immediate, the quality is good for internet streaming video, and it's free!

If you're having playback problems, more detail is helpful. Mac or PC? Windows Vista, XP, Mac OS, or some flavor of Linux?

What browser? IE 6 or 7? Firefox 2 or 3? Safari? Opera?

It helps if you can explain "can't view the video" a bit more precisely. Blank screen? Audio and no video? Browser freezes? No window will come up?

Which specific videos have you tried? Give URLs and an explanation of the page so we can help you debug the issue.

Go to this link and check out what version of Flash you have installed. It should say Flash Player 8 or greater:

http://kb.adobe.com/selfservice/viewContent.do?externalId=tn_15507

Also, if you're using Vista, IE 7, or XP and an updated version of IE6, Windows may throw a hissy-fit when trying to play back video content in a popup window.

Here's a Microsoft knowledgebase article about it:

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/934366

We're also hearing that disabling any special toolbars in your browser may help: like turn off your Google, Yahoo, and eBay toolbars. I personally don't use those toolbars because they're not well tested with various apps and web sites - and they're often the first cause of trouble when browsing certain sites on the web.

We've had several people outside the US tell us they can't get Digitrax session 2 to play all the way through, so I will revise segment 2 to be smaller and may add a sixth segment. This will probably take another day, which moves our deadline to get all segments of the Digitrax User Forum posted out to Wed, July 30th.

I'm also probably going to add a download video link so you can download a zipped version of the videos to play locally if all else fails.

Let us know if any of this helps, and tell us more specifics so we can better pinpoint your possible issue if it still doesn't work for you.

If you're having an issue, go to the contact us link at http://model-railroad-hobbyist.com and send us the specifics.
 

Can't wait !    Great idea.  I use Decoder Pro to record all of my DCC locos, great for show backup and restores.

Now I want to control my turnouts on the layout but can't quite find or understand how to make a panel  graphic.  I can run the controls (simple icons) but now need to make a layout-like graphic to allow others to use.

Not to take away the merrit of a video tutorial but if you can't wait  there are a few  excellent tutorials availlable from RRCirKits (Locobuffer)  by Dick Bronson on using PanelPro to create your panel, turnout control and signaling.  That is what I used to get a handel on PanelPro.

http://www.rr-cirkits.com/

Marc

Joe,

Did you ever decide on whether or not to release #4+5 on BluRay?  If so, was it on one disc or two?  I'd probably pick it up if it were one disc in the 30$ range.  I could probably stream it locally as well, so the download might work if you had a package deal or something for people who already bought it on DVD.  I'm sure you have quite a few other priorities to worry about right now so no biggie.  Apologies in advance if you've already posted this somewhere else and I missed it.

-

S 

S:

Haven't yet elected to do blu-ray for volumes 4&5. We'll have to investigate the cost of blank media and see if it's worth our while to do.

Joe,

The videos work fine when streamed from your server.  However, I would like to be able to download Movie Monday episodes and be able to watch them more than once - particularly the Decoder Pro clinics.

I run a Mac using the latest version of OS-X.  I realise there are applications that I can install that will play the Flash Video file (.FLV) or convert the files to .MOV files that will run on the Mac.  However, I am wondering if you have the facilities to provide the Movie Monday episodes in formats other than .FLV so that they can be downloaded and run natively on the Mac and avoid having to install additional software on my computer.

Regards,

Brian

Brian:

I sympathize with your desire, but we're talking free video here and to meet your request means we'd need two formats for every video and you've just doubled our work. For free video, you're going to get the format we provide and convert it yourself if you need other formats - sorry, but I think you see the problem. Doubling the workload for free video just isn't going to happen.

We do make the video available for download in .FLV format too, and there are open source convertors out there so you can convert the video to .MOV format if you insist on having that format. Here's link to just one example ... googling on convert FLV to MOV will give you lots of options to pick from.

For more important videos, once we get issue 1 put to bed we plan to offer some of the videos like the DecoderPro videos for download for all four segments in a set ($1.99 - $2.99, depending on the format you want), or $9.99 postage-paid for a DVD in the US ($12.99 postage-paid overseas).

The downloadable video includes an iPod format for $1.99 - and that's very Apple Quicktime friendly - but it won't be free.

 Hi Joe,

Sorry if I gave the impression I was wanting you to provide extra free services.  I don't have any knowledge of what is involved in producing copies and hosting of the Monday Movie episodes in different formats - if it was simply a case of an extra push of a button, or something more time consuming or costly.

I did not want to load another application when I have an otherwise perfectly good media player for my modest purposes.  Following your reply, I reworded my previous Google search and came up with a QuickTime plugin that enables QuickTime to playback FLV files (and many other formats).  Now I can easily playback the Monday Movie episodes with QuickTime.

If there are other Mac OSX users, who would like to do the same, the plugins are freeware from Perian.org.  The plugin is only suitable for Mac OS X 10.4.7 or later.

Regards,

Brian 

Brian:

Hey, glad to hear you found your answer from Perian.org!