Aurich, thanks for this excellent post and deep discussion as I'm in the market for a color DMD for my AC/DC Premium.
At this point in the post and based on what I've read, I would be inclined to purchase the colorDMD product. Points made: more experience and established, better shading, code updating process, plug and play, to name a few. Certainly, garnering more votes, but who's counting?
However, based on what I see and what my eyes prefer, I'm leaning towards the smartDMD product. Why? Although they have less experience, their product is less expensive (a difference maker maybe?), slightly brighter, more contrast or detailed, and customizable.