Latest update 3/19/2020: My mod is designed to work with just about any machine, or even outside of a pinball machine! I am now offering more options with cases, including a generic bezel that can be painted the color of your choosing (default black), antique picture frame (gold or silver), CRT monitor, and of course the high-quality Hallmark TV ornament. And for a limited time, I am offering a 12% discount code for anything in my store. MV8B-SAPV-D6RY-2SEC

Latest update 2/10/2019: Production has started on a new and improved version of my mod! This version has a new higher quality display with 2x the resolution and a high viewing angle. I am also near completion on a Munsters version of my mod as my standard TV fits perfectly with this machine's theme and the original videos look amazing! I have also been given the idea to include trailers from related tv shows and movies on my mod, so I will be trying this out with my other current and future themes.

Latest update 3/10/2018: Production is still going strong on my mod. I have many themes available for shipping immediately. If you do not see the pin theme you want, contact me and I will make it! I have a new version of the software out, makes the video playback better in all ways (smoother, better sound support, faster boot, longer runtime). All new TVs sold will include this software, if you already have my mod (Version 2 or above), I can ship out a new SD card to upgrade your existing mod to version 4.1.

I have made this mod for a lot of different themes, and I am adding more every day! If you dont see your machine listed, reach out and I will see what I can do!
Twilight Zone, Addams Family, Dirty Harry, F14 Tomcat, Highspeed, Indiana Jones Williams, Indiana Jones Stern, No Good Gophers (and Teed Off), Space Station (and other space shuttle/space station themes), Terminator 2 and 3, Tales From the Crypt, TMNT, Waterworld, XFiles, Scared Stiff, Elvira and the Party Monsters, Freddy: Nightmare on Elm Street, Hurricane, Jurassic Park, Sopranos, Munsters, RoboCop and more!

I currently have 4 different cases available for the mod: Standard old TV case, Antique picture frame (gold or silver), CRT monitor. Blood Splatter is available as an option for any case.

AVAILABILITY:
Version 1: Discontinued.
Version 2: Discontinued.
Version 4: Discontinued.
Version 5: Cost varies by pin, check my store here: https://pinside.com/pinball/market/shops/1076-cztv-mods

If there is interest in more will I continue to make them and improve them. (it looks like there is! Thanks all for the support!)

VERSION 1 IS FINISHED AND IN PRODUCTION- 10/11/2014

Features:
-Raspberry pi computer
-8GB SD card for the operating system
-2.8" LCD full color display, 320x240 resolution (model HY28B)
-custom TZ boot animation
-boots directly to video
-video configuration for looping a sequence of video clips OR randomized clips
-audio output (pre-amp)
-old TV case for the LCD display, looks great in pinball machines with old TV show themes (TZ, AF, etc)
-LCD secured in the TV case with hot glue
-mounting bracket for TZ
-back panel slot cut for the ribbon cable to pass though
-back panel of TV secured on
-power cable to tie into pinball 5v power line
-16GB USB thumb drive for video storage and configuration settings
-tested power in machine
-installation manual
-finished software error handling, display common errors and solutions on LCD screen
-just under 4 hours of TZ sample clips

Finished features for version 2 release- 6/11/2015
-smaller cable running between raspberry pi and the LCD. This will make it easier to run the cable in the middle of the playfield rather then only against the back wall.
-LCD adaptor board includes screw mounting holes to make it easier to attach to new faceplates
-additional placement options in machine

Version 3 (Prototype of version 4 really..)- 11/13/2016
-Raspberry Pi Zero support!
-All hardware for the mod fits into the TV case. No more external wires/board.
-Single cable for power
-continued audio support
-additional LCD cases to fit with other pin themes (Picture frame for TFTC and Elvira)
-smoother video playback

Version 4- 3/30/2017
-Custom interface board between raspberry pi and the LCD
-Cleaner/more reliable connection for power, USB, and audio
-cleaner audio (added additional hardware to filter noise)
-Adjusted bracket location for better mounting options

Version 4.1 software update- 3/10/2018
-Updated software on SD card and raspberry pi
-smoother video playback
-better sound support
-faster boot
-longer runtime

Version 5- 2/10/2019
-New high quality IPS LCD display
-640x480 resolution
-High viewing angle
-Updated software on SD card to support new display
-smoother video playback

Unfinished features slated for expansion board
-some interactivity with the game (this will hopefully be backward compatible with all versions with an upgrade kit)

ORIGIAL DESCRIPTION

I realize this has been done before, so it is not exactly new.. but I did not like the options out there currently for sale so I have been working on my own version of the TZ TV mod for a few years now.

-Why did I make this?
I just purchased a TZ machine without mods, so I was looking at my options. I liked the TV mod with the slide show, but it was lacking for a couple reasons.
1. It is only a slide show, no video.
2. The LCD does not actually fill in the whole plastic TV model... you can see the frame (UGLY!).
3. The price!!! Just wow! ~$180-200 for about $20 in parts and a couple hours to figure out how to put it together?

I saw that someone made a limited run of these TVs with full video in them (though not available for sale anywhere), so I started looking at how I could do this myself.

-How did I make this?
I will detail exactly how I did this in a future post. Check the pictures for now. I may even sell discounted kits if anyone wants to tackle the hard work themselves and save some labor costs.

-How is this different from other options?
1. This mod uses a raspberry pi to process the video and display to the LCD. This opens up infinite possibilities for using this mod and customizing it to how you like it.
2. Sound output is available!
3. There is very little or no delay moving from one video to the next.
2. It can drive any size display. I am currently using a 2.8" LCD because it fits perfectly in the TV housing.
3. The displays have a very small bezel and circuit board around the edges, so you do not need a large bezel to hide the edges and take up your playfield real estate.
4. It can hold countless of hours of video on large USB drives or even external hard drives. I plan to make a personal edit of all "action" scenes and "iconic" scenes from Twilight Zone TV series. This is completed and currently ~4 hours long.
5. Custom software can be created to do anything, from using external input devices to control it, to controlling other mods, lights, servos, etc.
6. Custom and pre-made hardware can be connected to the pi like cameras, wi-fi, sound, etc.
7. Ability to connect with the pinball machine for interactivity. (which I plan to do in a future revision with a super cheap upgrade kit)
8. The end user can very easily configure the video content themselves. You simply plug the USB drive into your computer and place videos into the appropriate folders. There will also be a configuration file where you can specify things like if you want to play the videos in order or randomize them.
9. Sound and video output is built in. There is a pre-amp output for sound. There is also HDMI and composite video output so you can display the video on a bigger screen in addition to the one provided.
10. The possibilities are endless, I am starting small and I will add additional features as necessary.

I want to make it clear that I am not selling any copyrighted video with my work, however I may includes "samples" on the USB drive, or point buyers to where they can find appropriate sample videos online to download.

-How does it look?
It looks amazing! Pictures and video will not do it justice. The display is a full-color LCD display at 320x240 resolution. The encoding I used for the video looks perfect. You can see very few flaws in the video even close-up.

-This looks like it would be amazing in other pins, are you offering the TV for any other machines?
Yes! I have made it for these pins in the past: Twilight Zone, Addams Family, Dirty Harry, F14 Tomcat, Highspeed, Indiana Jones Williams, Indiana Jones Stern, No Good Gophers (and Teed Off), Space Station (and other space shuttle/space station themes), Terminator 2 and 3, Tales From the Crypt, TMNT, Waterworld, XFiles, Scared Stiff, Elvira and the Party Monsters, Freddy: Nightmare on Elm Street, Hurricane, Jurassic Park, Sopranos, and more!

It will also fit into any other machine as long as you can tie into the power and find an appropriate mounting point. I have power taps available for many platforms, just ask! I also plan on using different LCD sizes and finding other cases to place the LCD inside to fit the themes of other games.

-When will this be available
I have mods available for shipping! I am making new batches all the time. Check out the latest posts for the current progress.

-And what about the cost?
I want to offer this amazing mod to as many people as possible, so I am trying to price it low enough so it is affordable and low enough so people will not decide to go with an inferior option (such as the slide show TV). Originally I was thinking of pricing it fairly high, considering the high price of the slide show model. However with the recent release of other TV mods (though inferior to this mod!), I have decided to keep the price low compared to my material and labor costs. I don't stand to make much after the price of hardware, but I do feel this is both fair to me for the amount of work that goes into them, and also I hope it is fair to you. The price of my mod has stayed about the same since I have started making it, even though it has come a long way since the initial release.

It was very tempting to try and get a lot more for it, but I love this pinball community and some of the people I have purchased from on these boards have been just super, so I wanted to do the right thing and give back to the community with a cheap but amazing mod.

_{Post edited by CraZyMuffin: adding pictures}
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Parts list:
-Raspberry pi model B
-8gb sd card
-16gb+ usb drive
-Raspberry pi ribbon cable
-ribbon cable connector
-custom interface board
-2.8" LCD display model HY28B
-Hallmark TV ornament
-power cabling (TODO)
-mounting bracket (TODO)

What else was done:
-custom software for the raspberry pi
-assembly of the display board, adaptor board, and connector
-modifying the TV ornament to fit the display and add the mounting bracket

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awesome, thanks! i will add to the list. i am looking to get $170 at the moment.

thanks! post will be actual cost, so should be reasonable. i will put you on the list!

should be a very simple hookup.
What do you mean by reversible though?

great! sure thing!

wow! that was fast! thanks everyone for the interest in this! looks like the list for the first batch is full, but keep the orders coming, because the second batch should be ready shortly after the first!

Yes you were the first!
oh! yes, I am currently investigating where i want to mount it, maybe with a screw on the back of the backboard? in any case, i will make sure everyone approves of where it is mounted.

as for power, that should not be invasive at all

sure thing!

ya, i have plans myself for this thing in other pins and even non-pin usage, family gatherings running old home movies and a secret use i will reveal later (lets just say putting the tv back to use as it was originally intended on a christmas tree)

so should i mark you down for one?

Sweet! Thanks!

And ya'll haven't seen the best part yet! Let me get a video up of how it works!

Will do!! Thanks!

VIDEO IS UP ON THE FIRST POST!

It looks like we are getting close to my limit for the first and second batch, so if you want one sooner rather then later, get on the list now!

Else you will have to wait for some more parts from oversees. I suppose I can get expedited shipping for the parts. If I get a large backlog of interested people, I will do that for sure.

Sure thing!

duplicate post.

But I guess I will take this time to put this offer out there.

Is there anyone local to SE Michigan (near St. Clair Shores) that is interested in one of the prototype displays at a discount? It may not be in perfect condition, but I want to get a couple of these in some machines ASAP to give them a trial run and see how they hold up.

My TZ is currently torn apart getting ready for a playfield restore.

It is the same frame used for the slide show mod, which you can find step-by-step guides for.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B007WEM5NW/ref=olp_product_details

However with my LCD mod it requires a bit of work to get the LCD to fit.

Sweet, thanks! Will put you on the list.

Are you using the colorDMD in white mode? It is very tempting to pick one of those up. Looks great.

Awesome! I am not sure how I will feel about a full color DMD for TZ... but I will reserve judgement until I see it.

Also, I have updated the OP with some more useful information, including the current status of the mod (what is done and what is in-process).

Sure thing!

Thanks! That is what I was going for, I probably could have charged a lot more and still sold some... but I would rather get this to as many people as possible.

I will probably follow the same mounting that the original slide show mod used, I belive the guide I saw mounted to the top of the backboard with a screw, so if people are not against a screw hole on the backboard, that is probably easiest.

I am trying to look at a way to mount without making a screw hole (clamp?), or using an existing mounting point. We will see.

But YES, it should include all necessary hardware to mount in the suggested location (bracket and screw), and also include the power wire that connects from the raspberry pi to a molex connector on the machine. Plug and play all the way!

I will keep you where you are at on the list for now, and you can decide later if you want to hold off.

As for version 2, I am planning that the interactivity will be backwards compatible with version 1, which I will sell as a cheap upgrade kit. It would add an expansion board to the raspberry pi, 2 cables that connect to the driver board, and a new SD card with updated software.

So do not let that hold you back.

The only thing version 2 is planned to have new/better is smaller cabling between the LCD and the raspberry pi. This will not effect TZ, since the cable should be completely hidden at the backbox. However it is necessary in order to place the tv in the middle of the playfield for other games (so there is not a huge ribbon cable hanging out the back of the tv).

So if you are looking to use it for TZ, version 1 and 2 should not be noticably different.

Thanks for the offer, but I am hoping to find someone within driving distance so I can install it in person. I'm not planning a trek out to west michigan at the moment, so unless you are going to sell me a nice pin cheap...

I will get that up as soon as I can. I can also offer custom discounted kits with the parts you need. With the exception of the raspberry pi, the rest of the components are sourced from overseas, including a custom circuit board I designed and had printed up.

Thanks! We need to get one of these in your machine ASAP to test it out.

Thanks, agreed. I will have to play around with it. I am still unsure if I want to place it to the left or right of the clock.

Looking online I see it in both places.

Here it seems to be using the mounting point you mention on the right side: https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/twilight-zone-tz-tv-mod

This one is screwed onto the backboard right behind the clock, not sure if this is the best place? A shorter person probably wouldn't see the whole TV (I wouldn't know, I'm 6'5")
http://www.edcheung.com/album/album08/pinball/tz2.htm

A video of this one behind the clock:

This one is on a different mounting point, to the left of the clock. But it is too low down in my opinion, I would rather have it at the backbox.
ebay.com link: Twilight Zone Pinball TV W Slide Photo Imaging Mod Add On Brand NEW Design

This! right here is probably where I will mount it on my machine:
http://pinballdecals.com/TwilightZoneTVPage.html

Can I get some opinions from others? especially those who are interested in one.

This version 1 of the mod really needs to be at the backboard. The raspberry pi cannot fit inside the TV, and the ribbon cable will not fit though the playfield wiring holes.

It needs to be at the back so the ribbon cable will be hidden and can hide behind the backglass channel and be draped over the backboard. The raspberry pi will hang behind the backboard (or it can be mounted if you want to screw it into the back side of the backboard, but this is not necessary)

I will get pictures of this as soon as I can get it in an assembled machine. Should be sometime this week.

I am NOT using RPiLooper, didn't know that guide existed. It would be a great starting point for someone to do this project themselves.

RPiLooper only loops a single video file over and over seamlessly. I am looping though multiple files, which can be configured to play in order or randomized. There is other configuration of the videos possible that I am working on.

$40 is not much more for a larger screen, better case (IMO), software customization, and the potential for interactivity.

But I was not trying to compare myself to the MDM displays, I was more-so comparing myself to the version of this mod that uses a slide show to display 30 static images. The cheapest I could find this for is $160, and up to $200. ebay.com link: Twilight Zone Pinball TV W Slide Photo Imaging Mod Add On Brand NEW Design

Or maybe the last TZ TV that played video (and looks like a poor frame rate at that) for $385...
https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/twilight-zone-tz-tv-mod

And yes, I hope to get interactivity working by tying into the switch matrix and/or lamp matrix. Which will trigger video to play during certain modes.

I saw the AC/DC version, and it is a great mod, but it is way overpriced for the hardware, they must have a lot invested on the software side.

I have decided to glue the display/board in with hot glue. This should keep it in place, but also able to remove it if necessary for repairs or re-use in another case. The back door will be screwed in, and the top bracket will be screwed in.

Added back door back on, with hole for the cable. Just need to get the pillars in to secure the back door. The hole position is subject to change based on the cable used and position screen is in. I am thinking of flipping the screen up-side down because of a viewing angle issue on the top (but not the bottom)

I also have a prototype bracket to hold the top of the TV from the backboard. As soon as I can get this in a machine I will test out placement, and also look at possible places to run a bracket to an existing screw.

Next is to make the power cable, then version 1 should be complete and ready for shipping.

(my playfield is lonely... it should be getting shipped out to HSA any day now! I will get a new thread up of my restoration.)

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Any other ideas for securing in the display? if you look at the 3rd post, I have picture and video of what it looks like on the inside. There is no room for mounting holes on the display board to screw it into the case.

The other options I can think of is epoxy for a more permanent and solid solution (but makes it non-removable), or tape like I am doing now (which makes it prone to loosening up over time).

One possibility since I am screwing in the back-plate, use a spring/rod that is fastened to the backplate, and presses up against the display back to keep it in place. I may test this out and see how well it works.

The raspberry pi board will not fit in any version, the board is a fair amount larger then the display. The case would have to be oversized to contain the display and raspberry.

Version 2 will have smaller/less cables running out the back, and the raspberry will be below the playfield. Either mounted to the underside of the playfield in an existing mounting point, or at the bottom/side of the cabinet.

This was the easiest way to connect up the raspberry pi, so I had a small run made of custom circuit boards using this method. It was originally only made for me, and I wanted it to be at the back of TZ, so I didn't mind the cable.

I can give people the option when I am ready to ship version 1 to either buy now or wait for version 2. If you want the TV at the back, this will work perfectly fine.

If my idea with the back cover holding it in does not seem to work, I can epoxy them in. I just didn't think a permanent solution would be ideal, but I guess you can still take a dremell to the epoxy if you really wanted to get it out.

The boot time is probably not going to get any shorter, which is why I added the custom boot animation to have SOMETHING interesting to see rather then a black screen. In the CFTBL hologram LCD display mod, you will see in the instructions that there will be a black screen for a minute while the raspberry pi boots up. And of course they don't show this in the youtube videos, so you don't know its there. I assume it is similar with the AC/DC LCD mod which is also using a pi.

I will look online and see if there is any options for making bootup faster.