Would it make you feel better if they listed it for Metallica for $425 instead of the $400 plus the $25 mounting hardware?

I believe some Metallica have the old style speaker panel that did not need the extra hardware.

Hopefully the shipping charge won't be a burden......

You know you don't have to buy it. Metallica works great without a ColorDmd. I've played it.

+10% sales tax if you live nearby...

I installed mine successfully without extra stuff.

Gorilla tape is stronger that regular duct tape!!

If there's extra hardware needed they aren't gonna eat the cost. Wouldn't make any sense.

Why are you telling us this anyway? You should contact them directly and ask them for free stuff. We can't do anything about it.

Hate to break this to you but there are shipping charges as well.

First world problems if I have to buy one and ship it to Canada it's going to cost me at least $650.

I get were you are coming from. However some people buy one Color end and swap games so splitting the kit from the dmd can save people money in the end

Why blame ColorDMD?
I'd blame stern for changing the panel!!!!

Ok,if thats the case then you should be posting the same thing on about 90% threads that are posted on pinside.
I thought this is where you come to be captain negative so u can bitch n moan about first world problems.
Seems like that's what this forum has turned into lately anyways.

Interesting you decided to attack Levi. I appreciate his honest opinion even if sometimes I don't agree with him.

In my opinion, Color DMD is just way too expensive for what it is, particularily once you pay to get it to Canada, etc. The bill of materials can't be more than $130 can it? I get that it takes a lot of effort to create the colorizations but you'd think the cost would drop once the initial R&D was recovered on the hw and system design.

I won't be buying one at these prices anytime soon, could pick up a nice early Solid State game for that kind of $...

You need the extra standoffs to elevate the display over the center row of bolts on the newer Stern speaker panel. Plus, if MET has a red plastic panel, you will need the clear plastic panel they sell as well.

When I price my mods I don't base the price on the BOM. If you want to go out and source your own translite material or whatever feel free. There's a lot more to things than the cost of materials.

It's a ton of work, for a niche market. Obviously you don't have to buy it, but I really don't think people realize how much work it is. I happen to be friends with the ColorDMD guys, and talk with them a lot about it, and with the headaches they put up with I'm sure they'd just walk away rather than lower prices. Time is a precious commodity. If the value isn't there then find something else to spend your time on.

Furthermore, it's not a "design once, reap the profit for the future" product. The initial R&D doesn't stop. They're constantly improving and solving new problems in order to keep colorizing games. It's not as simple as someone just sitting there with a color picker.

As for the OP, I'm guessing you have an LED Metallica with a metal speaker panel. Stern changed their hardware. What is ColorDMD supposed to do? Just eat the cost because Stern changed shit? Why? The rest of the market for games gets along just fine with the standard kit, you're the exception. So yeah, you gotta pay for it. Or don't, as you see fit. But I don't really see why you're entitled to extra hardware for free, when you're the edge case.

If it really bothers you then just skip paying them for the kit and figure out how to make your own. If your time and materials are worth less than $25 to you then boom, you came out ahead, and are a smart and savvy shopper.

I got mine in without standoffs. It was tight, but I didn't know about the standoffs, and I just made it work

Sounds like you are the cheapskate not color dmd.

Those licensing fees must be the real killer.

Below the belt

Example, didn't they have to update the hardware to enable the Spiderman ROM?

When are they going to come out with color DMD s for the new Stern systems. Ghostbusters demands a color DMD.

Just be fortunate that you can afford such nice machines. I'm stuck in the 80's w/ no dmd's and somewhat content!

I don't think they will bother while there are likely to still be code updates.

GB Color DMD will be Color DMD's most ordered item, ever.

To the OP. Just pay the $25 and enjoy the Color DMD. It's the best mod you can do for any game and you won't even remember dropping the extra coin once you're having fun in color.

$50 just for CA tax. I am more bothered by the fact I bought 9 and I could have had another pin....

Have 3 Color DMDs. They are great. Worth the money.

That does sting. I know guys with huge collections who won't go Color DMD simply because they'd want them on all their pins and the cost would be too high. Best mod ever though.

Sure is !! Best mod ever

Just wish when you by a $399 Color dmd in person and hand them $400 Cash they would give me back my freaking $1,- !!

Yes, talking to you Color Dmd guys , ohhh they get me mad - LOL

Aurich said it first, R & D never stops. Randy's constantly working on the coloring software to make it easier for the colorists. He's also working to expand the ColorDMD software so that more games are supported. He just announced the possibility of support for Spike games and there's still Gottlieb and Capcom games that aren't supported. Plus there's the new LED screens that are coming up. I'd say they probably won't drop in price till every game is colorized so only a few short years.

Any game that requires the kit should automatically add the kit to the order as a separate line item or they should at least list it on the page so it can be added at the same time. Any good web store has the ability to do this. If theirs can't then they need spend some money to upgrade their site to do it. Or just make the default version for these games have the kit and bump the price.

This is more of a customer service issue. Nothing is more frustrating than spending $400 and not being able to use what you bought without having to go back and buy a separate $25 part.

Are they now just waiting for final code or are they still working on getting it to work with Spike system?

I have a colorDMD in my TWD already, can't wait for it to be colored!

I feel for you. You just bought an 8k machine and a $400 cool (but non-essential) mod for it. Your obviously hard pressed for cash. That $25 would have pushed you over the edge.

Too much time on your hands.... Go and play your darn pinball!

Let the OP vent. Jesus, not like no one else gripes around here.

I will continue to buy Color DMD, but an extra $25 to mount it it in a game its sold for is BS. $400 is alot to begin with.

I'm sure the $25 mounting kit is just as much a bargain as the $400 price tag.

If it were me developing it I would wait until I was certain there wouldn't be any more major code updates. You could be right that they want it nailed on working 100% on Spike before releasing.

I think it would be fantastic in TWD and would certainly put one in mine. Do you think TWD will get any more code updates ?
The current code is great but there are a couple of rough edges. One or two of the modes are very similar.

I thought it was done but there are some Pinsiders who have good contacts with Stern (better than mine for sure) who say a polish is still in the works.

Agreed. I'd like to see the cross bow intigrated a little more somehow.

I'm currently about 3/4 of the way through coloring SMVE with SmartDMD. The time and effort involved colorizing the game, trouble shooting hardware and software issues, and creating a custom mount make $400 + cost of mounting accessories seem like a bargain. At this point I would have been better off buying a color dmd version but I enjoy the challenge.

Please stop complaining about a luxury.

Sigma support is now working with SPIKE systems. Randy posted a beta version 22 days ago that anyone can download.

https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/colordmd-spike-is-coming

http://www.colordmd.com/support_firmware.html

People spend WAY more than that to outfit their games with tacky mod garbage. Color dmd is one of the only ones that is actually worth the money.

Whoa. Lets put a little thought into this. Most of that $25 ($24 actually) goes toward a clear window because Stern now puts red windows into the machines. So this is not just a mounting kit. The actual "mounting" part of the kit is only $8 and can easily be made with common parts already in our toolboxes. If the other 40 ColorDMD games all needed a new window then I could see including it in the cost.

The way I look at it is that the new Stern backboxes are a big improvement over the old ones even though the red window needs to go when installing ColorDMD. I will gladly pay for the extra parts for my STLE.

I am in the same boat. To me it's not worth it for something you only look at a fraction of the time. For less than $250 you can buy a PinballSP color LED display kit and either use custom color palettes or colorize stuff yourself. This is a much better solution in my opinion.

It's the very first thing thing Listed in the product description in big bright red text....

WHAT?!?? I'M OUT!

image_(resized).png

Gonna spend $400 on a screen...then complain of $25. Really.

Many of us are very aware of your stance since you post the same opinion in most of the ColorDMD threads.

How many of these PinballSP color LED displays or even the SmartDMD have you already colorized?; Or are waiting on someone to colorize the game (s) that you have installed one of those displays in?

I am not an artist so I find the ColorDMD solutiion perfect for me. All the work to get it working, mounting solutions, and colorized is very much worth it for me as many others. The time saved can be used to spend with family or finishing up that pinball project.

Nothing beats plug and play.

Man , pinheads can be cheap freaks. Do you know the work that has gone into these color dmd's? Your lucky there not $750! Try running a business of this caliber and you what would charge now OP?! So you buy a 7000 dollar machine and complain about another 450?, that's with shipping. We're supposed to feel sorry about you spending another $25?
If you where smart you would drain this thread before it hits page two to save face.
You know, they have the right to refuse service and cut you off.
The work and time they put into this, inventory, storing, manufacturing, programming, website, customer service, dealing with upgrades and hardware to make them work in your machines, the list is rather endless!
Ther're great guys and have families too.
Sell your machine now and find a new hobby!
The more I think about this topic the more it pisses me off. Going back to top to but in a thumbs down, I rarely do that on anyone.
Not to mention our cross border brothers who pay tones in taxes just to get these to Australia, England, NZ, Europe.
$25 bucks in hardware?
Get a life and start an apology Thread to Color DMD now!
Thank you Color DMD for all your years of hard work , and making our machines better!

And on the other note: Hey ColorDmd, whatever you're charging, it's not enough?!?!

I'm just kidding, I know what you meant. But I also know what the OP means too.

You fork over $400 you want a complete setup. I actually think that's what he meant.

I own quite a few Colordmd setups, so I get it.