Keep at it, David! You've got a great product and we're getting the word out. You should post some pictures and videos on here, too.

For anyone interested, I've got a thread here showing the DMD Extender in JP, including a solution for a DMD LCD and an apron screen simultaneously!
http://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/de-jurassic-park-with-lcd-dmd-replacement

The cost is comparable to a new plasma and I don't imagine I'd ever go back to one of those for any game I can fit an LCD into. It's also a great product for tinkerers, DIYers and those who like flexibility. Don't let someone else decide which colors are good together in your game, make your own choices!

One enhancement that I think would make configuring the DMD Extender a lot easier would be real-time adjustments to colors, screen position, and screen size. I envision plugging a USB keyboard or mouse into the RPi and being able to make changes on-the-fly. It would alleviate a lot of the guess and check to getting the screen positioned correctly and getting colors to look right on the LCD.

Again, great product! Thanks for making it!

excellent....thank you!

Considering the Pi uses a micro USB port and the program is already there, a better option would be to support connectivity over USB for adjusting. I probably had to remove the SD card at least 10 times to get everything dialed in. A couple of times the Pi didn't boot, and reseating the SD card solved it. So these boards may have weak SD slots as well.

This looks like a cool kit, but you still need 4-5 other items from other vendors like the screen, dvi converter,raspberry pi, cables and board. It would be much better if the kit had everything you need for an install. I understand thats difficult and you'd have to stock these things, but shipping individual components will really add up for us USA customers and we won't be able to install it without all of the pieces. Plus the cost is variable where you get the additional items. $260 US is the base cost without the 5 items mentioned which would add another $150 US.

You've made great progress!

Sorry, I should have been more clear. I was talking about interacting with a PC and pushing updates live, updating the SD card's config files in real time when you save in the program.

The price of $260 David gives is the total cost. The DMD Extender costs about $100 USD, so if you add your estimated $150 of other components, you come to $250.

does it work with DE 64x16 dmd?

Thanks for the correction $260 is reasonable for such a mod. I hope to see some pics in the 4 color mode on a stern game. Great stuff.

What's the size of the checkpoint, tmnt dmd? That size is what I need to extend or replace.

128x16 dots.

Get these from PINLED. As far as I know they are the only ones carrying replacements.

http://www.pinled.de/shop/product_info.php?cPath=7_38&products_id=30

My dmd isn't bad yet. But I was curious if the extender could be a good way to get a new screen in case it went. I was also liking the extender to the apron. It does suck to have a limited supply of this odd size dmd and have it cost so much :/

A 128x16 replacement screen wouldn't work for 2 reasons. One, the controller circuit is on the same board as the display itself and two, size would be a big problem.

Human ingenuity could totally resolve that there's go. To be a way

David, thanks for your work on this solution! I have been following it for several months now.

Have you completed what is necessary to put a personal DMD in the apron of a newer Stern machine yet? If so, have you developed the needed documentation for this and/or has anyone done this in their Stern machine yet who can give some additional advice?

I'm playing with a LOTR and POTC to see which one looks better using the DMDExtender for an LCD replacement of the DMD...was able to connect an LCD to both machines (one at at time) using the instructions on David's website. Here are some pictures of the LOTR with a brownish/yellow over dark blue color scheme. Looks pretty good but want to experiment with other color schemes.
Screenshot 2013-11-29 14.21.16.png Screenshot 2013-11-29 14.19.04.pngScreenshot 2013-11-29 14.23.05.pngScreenshot 2013-11-29 14.28.46.pngScreenshot 2013-11-29 14.29.07.pngScreenshot 2013-11-29 15.45.53.png

More later...........

Nice!

Looks very good!! Question, why is there no washed out gray background characteristic of backlit LCD displays? Camera exposure when you recorded that video?

Hmmmm.....might sound stupid, but I was recording in a dark room. I'll pay more attention when I work on/record it more.

Softwaretroll can you post a screenshot of the config window? I want to use that color palette in Frankenstein.

Yes, sir, later tonight or tomorrow....will be off-line most of the day.

what does he want to display on the screen?

is that a 4.3 screen with a bezel?

This is the configuration for the LOTR screen shots I attached previously in this thread.

lotrconfig1.JPG lotrconfig2.JPG

I'd like to see screen shots of other people's favorite color schemes regardless of game (Williams, Sega, Stern).

Crash, Please show us how your Frankenstein turns out!

I love the differences in terminologies and wordings from English to American. I watch a fair bit of British TV so I'm used to a lot of them. For those that don't know...

"Bespoke" is the English for the more American term: Custom.

Keep up the great work guys! I truly enjoy reading all the updates and advances you all are making!

Funny, I actually had to look it up to figure out it was British colloquialism and what it meant! I came up up with definitions about tailored clothes. I've watched a number of British shows, too, and guess I never picked up on this one.

And just so that I have something to say that's on-topic, that LOTR color palette looks awesome! Try getting that scheme on another DMD replacement product. Flexibility and precise user choice is where it's at!

Spent some time yesterday on a buddies BSD to see what color scheme we can come up with.....The first few screen shots are using the "ZX Speccy", low resolution setting focusing on a blood red color scheme. Speccy gives a more solid, blended graphics look. The second group of screens is the same color scheme but with the high resolution, "normal dot" setting to show the difference. We like the speccy look because it seems more fitting to the "eerie" theme of the game. (Our personal preference.)

Screenshot 2013-12-02 18.39.13.pngScreenshot 2013-12-02 18.43.27.pngScreenshot 2013-12-02 18.46.23.pngScreenshot 2013-12-02 18.41.00.png

Screenshot 2013-12-02 18.50.52.pngScreenshot 2013-12-02 18.51.20.pngScreenshot 2013-12-02 18.50.39.png

Wow... dude it seems every palette you make comes out perfect. Colors please??

LOL....Not true. I didn't have much success on my POTC. Yet!

winteriscoming.....I need a British translation...."sympathetic" scheme for a Dracula????? I never noticed the DOHO before. I wonder what that is.

Here are the settings for the first BSD screen shots above.

redonblackspeccy1.JPGredonblackspeccy2.JPG

Now we have to figure it how we can mount the LCDs in these pins, and buy some more!!!!

Can you give some more details on this because aren't these settings just in a text file? I've never tried it but couldn't I send the text file to some one, and it would be read by the config tool?

Thanks

To see how we mounted the one in Addams Family:

http://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/diy-addams-family-poor-mans-color-dmd/page/2#post-1234507

What other WPC games does your friend have besides BSD? You have quite the knack for colorizing!

I have to admit, I don't know those either.

How does the DMD mount in these games? In my JP there are posts around the outside and a bracket behind. The LCD fit between the posts and it was possible to tighten the bracket down to secure the the LCD in place. The worst I had to do was cut the speaker panel a bit so the LCD could stick out above it. An alternative would be a custom speaker panel. There's someone who posted in Crash's thread showing a couple of custom panels.

I have to admit. It is fun doing that. But, sadly, I'm out of games to colorize.

Thank you guys for the suggestions on mounting.

Love that idea, and the naming of that config.file should prpbably be the name of the game that it was first
created for.

I'm going to try adding an SD Extension cable. I hate getting everything back together, decide I want to change something, and then I have to take the backglass out, fold down the speaker panel, and open the backbox to get to the SD card every time. I'm hoping with the cable, I'll be able to have the SD card sticking out just above the LCD panel, so only the glass has to be removed to make changes.

It's pretty expensive for what it is, but I'm going for it. I'd say once you had your configuration down, you could remove the extension and use it in another game.

http://www.amazon.com/46cm-Card-Extension-Cable-Case/dp/B00DG1FKM8/ref=sr_sp-btf_title_1_6