Probably going digital

[Robin Low]

As with a few others, I'm not getting much enjoyment out of 2000AD and the Meg these days, no doubt due to being old and jaded. They're taking up a lot of space, too. However, whether due to addiction or OCD it's hard to quit, and the cheaper, space-saving compromise is to go digital.

So...

I'm going to be reading on my PC. If I take out a digital subscription, do I have to pick one specific format to download or can I have both? Is there any advantage to CBZ over PDF when viewing on PC?

Regards,

Robin

[Jim_Campbell]

I'm going to be reading on my PC. If I take out a digital subscription, do I have to pick one specific format to download or can I have both? Is there any advantage to CBZ over PDF when viewing on PC?

I've been on digital subs for a few months now. You can take your pick, or download 'em both.

A CBZ is basically just a .ZIP archive full of JPEGs, whereas the PDF is (I imagine) a direct export from the InDesign file used to generate the press-ready files for print. For most purposes, I don't think you'd see a lot of difference, but if you need to zoom in for any reason, the both the art and lettering will eventually pixillate beyond a certain magnification in the CBZ, whereas the vector loveliness of the text in the PDF will stay clean even at magnifications where the art will start to lose definition.

EDIT to add: I think the CBZs are a little smaller in file-size for the prog, but there's more of a difference with the Megazine, due to the much higher page count including the free floppy.

[broodblik]

As Jim said cbz format is just a zip file containing jpeg images. I am currently downloading the cbz format and I use a reader called CDisplayEx and you can configure it to do to double pages at a time.

[Robin Low]

Thank-you both, that's helpful.

Making the switch is going to feel wrong, but it's probably the right thing to do.

Regards,

Robin

[Jim_Campbell]

Making the switch is going to feel wrong, but it's probably the right thing to do.

Won't lie… it was a wrench after 40+ years of continuous prog-purchase, but I simply don't have the space to store comics any more. I do have the advantage of an iPad Pro, which is practically the size of an A4 page, which makes the experience a little more akin to physical reading.

[broodblik]

But my recommendation is to read it on a tablet (if you have one). Install the 2000AD app and download your content. Reading something digitally is still very much something of a "mind" game it took me awhile to get used to it. If it was not for the digital prog/meg I would not have been able to read it at all.

[matty_ae]

The only thing I'd add is you will only receive access to the Prog on the Wednesday retail date (not as early as the Saturday before as we benefitted from as physical subscribers)

I only mention this as it annoyed me a bit. Still not sure why you can get a printed copy mailed to you before a digital one...!

[broodblik]

The biggest advantage in that sense is that you know it will be available on Wednesday and you are not dependent on the postal service

[Jim_Campbell]

The biggest advantage in that sense is that you know it will be available on Wednesday and you are not dependent on the postal service

Also this. My sub copies so rarely got delivered on Saturday, it didn't really seem to be an advantage of a physical sub.

[Robin Low]

Making the switch is going to feel wrong, but it's probably the right thing to do.

Won't lie… it was a wrench after 40+ years of continuous prog-purchase, but I simply don't have the space to store comics any more. I do have the advantage of an iPad Pro, which is practically the size of an A4 page, which makes the experience a little more akin to physical reading.

I think my problem is that nothing is going to compare with the memories of curling up in the armchair after school with a cup of tea and two pork pies (with a dollop of tomato sauce and a small cone of salt for dipping) and reading a black and white comic printed on something akin to coarse bog-paper.

Regards,

Robin

[Colin YNWA]

I've Megged on digital for sometime - and read countless other comics that way. As said I think a tablet is best if possible. Again I waited sometime and use a 12' inch Samsung (on my second now Galaxy Tab S7+ - an absolute indulgence and an absolute delight), but folks seems to do fine with a 10' screen.

I've really enjoyed it, but it does feel different - almost as if you don't own them - no bad thing as I have way too much stuff and don't need more stuff (I packed away my CDs and DVDs this holiday sniff!). So what I find is if I really like something I read I end up buying it in some shiny format or other, sigh.

[sheridan]

I don't buy digital comics, though the few I have (from promos and other freebies) I read on my computer - I find it a pain to read portrait pages on a landscape monitor, but have a second monitor on a swivel arm - 27inch, 1920 x 1080 resolution - much better!

Incidentally, it's pitifully easy to create your own cbz files - take a zip file filled with images - rename it from *.zip to *.cbz - that's it, done!  Other types of compression are also available (cbr is for rar files, for example).

[Tiplodocus]

I've been double digital for donkeys and it means I have a large stash of prog and Meg wherever I take my Chromebook. As mentioned, a tablet as large as you can afford is really the best way to read them. (The Chromebook bends over into tablet form).

Plus I just got a shed load of Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips stuff in the Humble bundle.

Only downside I can see? No free gifts on subscription renewal. Even as double digital we get naff all. I may have mentioned this elsewhere.

[Tiplodocus]

It was storage space that swung it for me too.. I ended up giving away all my physical progs after a few years. This way, I still have them and always will.

[MumboJimbo]

I’ve gone from paper to digital in my 2000 AD/Meg sub, and overall it’s been a good move for me.

I save the files on PC as CBZ rather than PDF, as it’s better supported by comic reader apps. I can always log on to the 2000 AD and re-download everything in PDF if I ever change my mind. In any case, I tend to just read each issue on my iPad via the 2000 AD app. The app works well, and each issue looks great on the iPad. My iPad is only an iPad Air though, so the screen is not as big as a physical issue. But it’s easy to pinch the screen and expand the picture as and when needed.

The main disadvantages are the following:

1. You get your prog/Meg on Wednesday morning, so I’m always a bit jealous of peeps here who get their progs on Saturday. On the other hand you never get a late prog that you have to track down with customer support, so swings and roundabouts.

2. You don’t get any of those sweet subscriber freebies, like that issue 0 facsimile recently.

3. No reduced rate for subscribing to both the prog and Meg. Although of course, the cost is much cheaper that the physical combo subscription anyway.

4. Occasionally the iPad app is a little janky. For me I get issues trying to download the new prog and have to restart the app to get the download to start. I could probably fix this my deleting and reinstalling the app, but I might lose all the issues I have downloaded and have to redownload them all, so I can’t be arsed. I’ll just live with having to restart the thing every now and then.

5. Double-page spreads aren’t the best on an iPad. But if you’re on pc you should be fine.

That’s all I can think of, and it’s all pretty small potatoes imo.