When is colorization coming for STLE? I have a SIGMA 1.3A DMD in my game and it's just boring blue right now. I hope a color ROM is coming soon

I second that. I would def buy one for my STLE, no doubt.

Thirded. My ST Premium screams for color!

I know it all comes down to personal preference, but has anyone installed an LED version in a LOTR? I will be purchasing my first ColorDMD and really have no idea which way to go. I am leaning towards an LED just to be more like the original DMD and to have it match the bright LEDs in the playfield, but haven't seen one in person. Any issues with ghosting on LOTR?

If I'm not mistaken, don't you have to do LED displays on Sterns, unless you want to mod the speaker panel?

raz0red I have a LED Color DMD in my POTC, and I love it... BUT... pirates has some great animations that would probably look better if I had installed a LCD with smoothing on. But like you I wanted to retain the Dot matrix look, so in the end im happy with my decision. but can't go wrong either way. Also gunstarhero The LCD just comes with a different bracket from what I gather, so you don't have to modify the panel... as far as i know

No, there may be some games that require you to mod the speaker panel but not most of them. As for LOTR, I think it has one of the best LCD implementation in Hi-Res so that would be my choice but admittedly I have not seen an LED in an LOTR yet. If you have a backbox LED panel installed the LCD does stick up higher and can cause a shadow in the translite but if you just have the tube you can't see it.

You can also use some thick weather stripping to solve that light bleed

Thanks all for the great responses! I am still undecided, but leaning toward LED due to better fit and retaining the original look. But... those extra modes are enticing.

I have LCD in LOTR set to DotsXL. No speaker panel modifications needed. Straight install fully reversible (but you won't after seeing it)

I also like it in Tile mode on this title. I love the different setting the LCD provides and it is quick to try them. I have old eyes so I generally find LEDs too piercing.

I am also in the LCD club when it fits without any modication. i have 6 LCD and 3 LED displays.

It's not light bleed, it's a shadow caused by the LCD panel extended up above the speaker panel. With the backbox LED panel there are LEDs down low and that portion of the LCD panel creates a small shadow in the bottom middle of the translite. You could probably customize the LED backbox panel to resolve this but I don't think there's anyway weather stripping is going to help, it would just make the shadow worse. This is really just picking nits though, it's so minor I don't care about it and since the LED panel dims during the game you only see the shadow during attract mode.

LCDs in my TAFG,and was in my RBION,soon to be in my new FT!! Only way to go.

LED all the way for my WPC games and LCD for my Sterns.

I have a question. If I want to move my LED from my POTC to my Indy (williams), is all I need is new cable kit for WPC?

Additionally, if I order a new LCD for my POTC... Could I just order an LCD for a WPC machine and then just swap the cables from my LED for the new LCD right? Sorry, that probably super confusing.

That's correct.

Yes, you can do that too. The installation cables are the same for LCD and LED displays.

How far does the LCD Color DMD stick up over the edge of a LOTR speaker panel?? I just finished making and installing a LED Backbox light panel and hadn't taken that into account as my next and final mod on the LOTR is a Color DMD.....

about an inch

I have the panel with auto-dimming kit from Arcade Upkeep in my SM along with the LCD. If you watch the very first part of this video you can see the shadow the LCD creates on the translite when in attract mode and how it looks once the panel dims. I have it left at factory default settings which is pretty bright when in attract mode. I could probably modify the panel to move the bottom row of LEDs a bit higher in the middle but it doesn't bother me enough to go to that trouble. Since you made your own it might be easier for you to adjust yours.

Thanks for the help guys. Looks like it will be an LCD either way, as I showed SWMBO a video of both in action and there never was a moment of hesitation on choosing the LCD version. Time to save up some money!

So how does ST look in color? Can we see some video of the modes?

Yup, this is a video of ST with a ColorDMD LED.

That looks AWESOME!! Think I’ll probably go with LED for my TAF. I think the LCD looks better on some games, and the LED looks better on others. Anyone have video of a TAF with LED ColorDMD screen?

Anything videos out there with the LCD installed?

My ColorDMD LED arrived today. I already have a LCD version.
The LCD version is in the STLE and I installed the LED version in my TNG. By default, I found the brightness to be somewhat 'harsh', but after adding a polarised display filter, its just perfect!
In the STLE, I prefer the LCD version. It's a modern game with awesome animations. I use the Hi-Res mode and it really adds to the color experience.
But for the TNG, I like the 'authentic' look that the LED provides.
It all comes down to personal taste, and as mentioned before, some games will look better with the LED and other with the LCD.
One thing I want to point out though: the LCD and LED provide a whole different result. The LED gives more 'punch' and brighter colors, while the LCD provides a smoother display (and the extra display modes of course).
Either way, its the best money you can spend on your pinball machine!

This and pretty much only this

For every LCD vote, you will get people vote LED.... It's nice we have options. I do agree though, it's an absolutely fantastic addition to games that support it. It seems so BORING to play a game without a ColorDMD now!

I just installed the led panel in my Getaway and i must say that that installation was a breeze. Very very well designed and thought out. Could not have been easier. Cudos to ColorDmd !!! It really adds a whole new dimension to the game ! Still need to play around with the contrast and the brightness and dial it in to my liking.

What is this polarized display filter you speak of ? Might be something to consider.

Anti Glare for stern, but they are out there for older machines.

http://www.pinballlife.com/index.php?p=product&id=2212

Work great, have it on all my machines.

So, was at buffalo pinball in Austin today and they have the LED version on Congo. Wow, that looks a ton better than the lcd versions I've seen on other games. So, while I wasn't that interested in color dmd for my IJ based on what I've seen with lcd version, now it's got me thinking.

any opinions on the LED vs LCD debate for the new WCS release?

I guess LCD would be a better option for GOT, since it's a newer machine? And use LED-screens for WPC-era machines?

It's a matter of personal preference. I think the LCD looks great in STTNG, AFM and MM in Hi-Res mode, others don't like the look or prefer DOTS-XL. The one nice thing about the LCDs is you can change the style. The downside is the color gamut isn't as wide, the panel isn't completely black, it's bigger than an LED, etc.

Is there a guide/user manual on the LCD. Not sure how to changes modes etc or what does what?

How can I change the settings on my ColorDMD display?

ColorDMD controller boards include a simple four-button menu system for changing and saving display settings. The right button is used to enter the menu system. Then left and right buttons move through the adjustable settings which currently include color, display style, backlight, and mounting position. The inner buttons are used to modify settings. The "SAVE AND EXIT" screen allows new settings to be stored to the display.

After months of going back between LED and LCD and actually leaning LED I got an LCD for my TZ. My clincher was getting my AFMr and that image looked a lot like what was on the preview TZ video done in LCD. The little things pushing me toward LED (lower power, better black and better side viewing angle) are not even noticeable. I love the brightness of the LED and if you like dots and vivid colors you will like the LED. I just really like the look of the tiles and large dots modes a bit better.

Service is awesome - Randy shipped it out hours after I ordered and got it in a few days. I completely misread the downloading on the ROM and could not get the color ROM to load. I e-mailed Randy and he responded really quickly and let me know the correct file/name to use (and he really could have said just read better dum dum but he didn't - lol) and I was good to go.

You can't go wrong either way - these color DMDs bring the game to life and make it seem like you are seeing the images for the the first time - so much more detail!

Can you put a number on this? Or least a percentage based on a high voltage dmd.

I've been using bent plastics with great success for dealing with DMD glare on the PF, but was curious about how well the anti-glare film sold by Pinball Life would work so ordered a sheet up for my Metallica.

it turns out this inexpensive film is a perfect match for use with the colorLED display. It seems to knock the glare off the lighter blue colors in the display, providing a more consistant appearance and "dot size" for the different colors in the LED. Using the film I simply increased the brightness of the LED to compensate for the darkening effect and am thrilled with the picture quality and consistency provided by this combination.

The only downside vs. bent plastic is that that there can be glare from PF lighting on the display. On Metallica, the 2 spotlights over the slings reflect on the lower part of the display with the filter on. It is not terrible but is noticeable.

So anti-glare film provides a higher overall PQ on colorLED by removing glare or "overbrightness" from lighter blues, which bent plastic does not. But bent plastic blocks pf glare on the screen, which the anti-glare film only partially obscurs.

I'll be keeping the anti-glare film on my Metalica and highly recommend it for all colorLED installations. If PF glare on the display is an issue on your game, you can always still use the bent-plastic in addition to the anti-glare film.

(EDIT: Zoom the pictures to see a more realistic view, the resized pics in the main thread view munge the actual dot effects a bit).

IMG_2864 (resized).JPG
IMG_2862 (resized).JPG
IMG_2859 (resized).JPG
IMG_2857 (resized).JPG

I just wanted to put my two cents in for this conversation. I have been putting the color DMD panels in my games now for about two years. And I have had great luck with all of them. I have only used the LCD panels for my stern games. I had an LED panel for my BSD but in my opinion I just didn't like it as much.

For what it's worth, after seeing both LCD and LED options up close and much waffling on my part, I went with the LED route for STLE and POTC and am quite pleased with the results. Bottom line is both look great and it's pretty much just a preference issue.

What kind of LCD panels are ColorDMD using? Are they IPS? The reason I ask is because the viewing angles on my older colordmd displays I have in ACDC and MET have really good viewing angles. The new LCD panel I just bought for my IMVE isn't nearly as good. At a 45 degree viewing angle (someone watching from the side for example), the brightness drop is significant on the new panel - about 50%.

I just ordered another new LCD for GoT. I wanted to keep the displays consistent on DOTSXL (which I like best) so that is why I stuck with LCD, even though the mounting on newer Sterns is less than elegant.

Rob

What kind of panels are being used in the LCD displays now? Are these TN? They just don't seem to have as good of viewing angles like my older color dmd displays I bought 3 years ago. It's like 50% brightness drop at 45 degrees (someone watching to the side).

Rob

Beats me, once I saw the LED (in JD) next to my LCD (in TZ using DotsXL) there was no going back.

Plus as you mention, the mounting is far more elegant.

LED for them all!

I have also led in them all. Just like the dots. Have glare filters on all. That way the brightness is great. Form factor and easy install is just great. CFTBL, IJ, POTC, SM, Tron all look great waiting on GB.

Randy said they are TN panels. Maybe it's also a combination of the panel angle on new backboxes and that they are mounted further back. I would seriously reconsider LED at this point over LCD, but I know I would then miss DOTSXL. Oh well....

Rob

I don't miss DotsXL when I use LED because LED has that glow that DotsXL kinda emulates.

My final thoughts... I think the LCD is fine in both brightness and viewing angle. I was perhaps a bit over concerned about things - my older displays still dim at wider viewing angles as well. I think it's just the mounting that makes a little extra difference. There's little to no mounting gap on the old Stern heads compared to the newer style backboxes. I'm not fond of the gap, but you don't notice it at all from playing perspective. Is LED worth it for the cleaner mounting? I don't know... I still like dots xl best on all my games. When I mounted the LCD panels in GoT and IMVE, I masked the metal edges of the panel in black tape and also shrouded the sides (foam stripping and black tape) so there is no backbox light coming through the sides.

Sorry for wasting bandwidth

Rob

In my opinion now that I have had it a while the LED is nice for the clean install but the LCD looks better hands down. Sure would be nice if they could spec a custom LCD size to create a panel that mounts like the LED...