Wrong Side of the Camera

I'm normally the other side of the camera, either when I'm working in telly land or on assignment for Model Rail Magazine. On Tuesday though, I was asked down to chat about Catcott Burtle and photography at Ashdown Broadcasting's new HD web-TV channel Modelrailway.TV.

Right: Setting up Catcott Burtle in preparation for my nerve racking interview about the layout. Modelrailway.TV's Elliott Cowton seen here did a great job at ensuring everything went smoothly.

To those not in the know, Modelrailway.TV is a high definition on-demand channel specifically aimed at showing complete beginners and even the more experienced how to improve their model making skills and to take some of the mystery out of the more confusing gobbledegook in model railway land.

Ultra fast web streaming is increasingly opening up opportunities for niche subjects to be aired to a hungry and enthusiastic audience; allowing all sorts of fresh channels that could never afford to broadcast via more conventional means. Cable and satellite can run into millions per year, and that's just for an uplink or connection - that's before you even start production!

Left: 'On the Sofa', being interviewed about the hobby and photography by Ashdown's David King. I'm the nervous one on the right, I imagine you've guess that though! At least I ironed my shirt!

We to tend associate streaming video on the web with low res, highly compressed blocky images as seen on the likes of YouTube; so when viewing Modelrailway.TV's output I was thrilled to see that with most of the programming you have the option of of downloading proper HD widescreen material, this is because production is to broadcast TV standards.

With the gap between web and conventional television forever closing, it cannot be too long before web-TV will be sitting right along side familiar satellite and terrestrial broadcasting - all via the same box underneath the TV in the living room.

Keep an eye out for Catcott Burtle in Modelrailway.TV's run-down later this spring.