Hi Folks,
I meant to post our position to the thread yesterday after interacting with Bryant earlier in the day, but got a bit busy and flat out forgot. Anyway, it's great to read the comments and sense the passion everyone has about model trains, M.T.H. and our DCS system. We follow the OGR Forum (and other online forums) daily so we're aware of the interest in this topic. Below are a few points about the evolution of DCS for your consideration.
1. We are still producing the remotes and still market them in our catalogs (it's prominently featured on page 9 of the just-published 2019 Volume 1 catalog). We expect the production run currently in process will provide us with enough inventory to last a sufficient period of time. That run will include spare parts (typically thumbwheels and LCD screens) for our service needs.
2. This past February we did kill off the sku that featured the combo pack of the TIU and Remote (item number 50-1001) when we released our 2018 Ready-to-Run Train Set and Accessory catalog. That sku has been replaced with item 50-1036 which is a combo pack of the WIU and TIU.
3. We believe our current marketing approach to create a combo pack of WIU and TIU is a solid strategy given (1) the significant incursion of smart devices in homes today (remember, the WIU can be controlled by a smartphone or a tablet) and (2) the continued likelihood that such devices will become even more ubiquitous in our lifestyles moving forward. In short, we believe there is no escaping smart devices and the ever-increasing familiarity with such devices will offset the occasional forum reference that a smart device can't replace the "touch and feel" of the remote.
4. When embarking on the development of WiFi/Smart Device control of DCS, we were, in fact, very concerned that one would miss the interaction between train and layout when operating DCS if you had to spend an exorbitant amount of time looking at the screen rather than watching the action. We realized, however, that smart device control over DCS was far more intuitive and faster (especially when accessing most DCS features) than when using the DCS remote. Because more information is on the larger, color smart device screens than the four-line gray-scale LCD screen of the remote, there is actually less to remember when using the smart device. And, there is no question that WiFi is a much faster protocol than the 900mhz radio transmission of the DCS remote.
5. At some point in the future, the remote in its current form will likely become obsolete because of component end-of-life issues. What this means is that some of the components (typically the processor) will cease to be produced by the component manufacturers. When that occurs it requires we spec a substitute processor that may or may not exist in the component marketplace and typically incurs a redesign of the board itself if the product is going to continue to be offered in our DCS lineup. If the former occurs (no substitute processor exists) then the latter can't happen. Additionally, the latter will incur costs that we may deem too expensive to pursue. Remember, this is an 18-year-old device that has largely remained unchanged since its release in the year 2000.
6. There is no question that when the DCS Remote reaches end-of-life, M.T.H. could develop a replacement remote that would retain the touch and feel that is important to current remote owners. However, in today's dollars and with such a small target market, the costs to develop that remote (and hope it equals or exceeds the life of the current 18-year-old remote in our product line) would likely result in a device at least as costly as the current remote. As smart devices become more and more ubiquitous, how many customers can we reasonably expect to shell out $200.00 for a device that still wouldn't be as powerful as the smart device they either already own or will own in time? Is that the right allocation of our funding in today's marketplace?
7. When we introduced Proto-Sound 2.0 and DCS in 2000, we continued to offer conventional transformers and conventional locomotives (those without modern electronics and features even though Proto-Sound 2.0 and later engines can be operated in conventional mode) because we knew some segments of the target market would not find the modern features appealing. Over the next decade, conventional locomotive sales fell to such a low point that they were discontinued. In short, the market evolved as the overwhelming majority of consumers realized that modern features made those locomotives more fun. A similar approach is now happening with smart devices and WiFi control even as the DCS Remote remains a part of our product line. The difference this time is that the transition will take less than ten years, seem less jarring and be a less expensive process.
8. Finally, moving forward, the DCS Remote can and will still operate alongside the DCS App and a smart device that is controlling existing DCS TIUs just as they did when we transitioned to Proto-Sound 3.0. The beauty of the DCS system is that for 18 years it has evolved - an impressive feat within the world of technology. The software inside the TIU and the Remote is markedly different than when it first appeared when DCS was initially released. We've provided those software enhancements to our consumers for free the entire time. We've gone above and beyond to allow customers to bring that initial hardware up to the same feature set as today's hardware. We're certainly not trying to abandon that approach moving forward. Indeed, app releases with new features - like a playable horn in 2019 Premier Diesels - are a great example of that continuing approach. But even if the remote can still be produced for another dozen years, not all of those features will be accessible in a hardware design that old. Already, users controlling Lionel Legacy features with the Premium version of the App cannot replicate those functions with the DCS Remote. The remote, like a TV that can't reproduce 4K video, simply isn't capable. It's too old.