Torrance, CA
Quoted from Fytr: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.
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.
