That's what we hoped when we looked into it, but unfortunately the LCD manufacturers disagreed. Our volumes are nothing compared to computer manufacturers who order parts in the hundreds of thousands. To get the parts we need, we generally have to deal with traders and work with whatever surplus inventory is available. Sourcing high quality displays (1920x1080 HD tested without defects) at reasonable prices has been the most challenging part of our business. Combine this with all the custom parts we order (brackets, boards, cables) and it's an expensive endeavor.

We have been considering offering selectable single-color displays but it will probably take a surplus of LCD screens to have a significant impact on the hardware costs our pricing is based on. At current pricing, we already provide a lower cost alternative to Vishay's discrete (grid-free) LED displays with additional color options. With additional optimization, it might be possible to get closer to the cost of some matrix LED displays. In the meantime, we're continuing to add value where we can and working on new products and features.

I do like the white on TZ but I'm partial to those who've pointed out that the rest of the playfield/backglass/cabinet is color. When we do have something to offer for TZ, I would hope that we can find a way to combine both color and black&white elements in an interesting way. However, given the complexity of coloring TZ, leaving it white would be way easier!

Thanks to all for the continued support and suggestions. We are listening!

Randy
www.colordmd.com

Good question. Actually we don't need the high resolution at all. The first prototype used a 1366x768 notebook display and the dots looked great. I'd prefer to use these as they're much more readily available and less expensive. The problem is backlight bleed through and limited field of view with the lower resolution displays.

The HD displays use a different technology that provides better contrast when viewing off angle. This is really important for pinball since we're standing and looking down on the display. The vertical field of view for lower resolution notebook displays is pretty awful. They work well for notebooks because you can tilt them to reduce the viewing angle.

Randy
www.colordmd.com

Here's the official text from our store's Terms and Conditions page:

FUTURE PRODUCTS: We make no representation, guarantee, or warranty that any ColorDMD product sold through our site, or through our distributors, will support or be compatible with any future product, product enhancement, or feature released by ColorDMD Displays LLC.

You should only purchase a ColorDMD now if you're satisfied with the current offering.

The current ColorDMD will work in a WPC/WPC95/SAM/Whitestar game in single color mode with choice of color and display effect. You can also place it another game for which a supported color ROM currently exists.

You should not buy with an expectation that a future color ROM is coming, or that it will be compatible or freely available with the current display.