Actually it's more than that... We preserve all the grayscale information.

On WPC and Whitestar there are 48 possible colors per frame (16 hues x 3 nonzero levels).
For SAM there are 192 possible colors per frame (16 hues x 12 nonzero levels).

We currently support 4 unique palettes in each game but this is easily expanded. No game has needed more than 4.

We put a lot of effort into the ColorDMD upscaling algorithm.

2xSaI and HQ3x only provide 2x and 3x scaling respectively. The scaling required to go from 128 dots to 1920 pixels is significantly higher (15x!).

To achieve high quality scaling and avoid blockiness by repeating pixels, we needed to develop a unique scaling algorithm that looks over a larger region, employs high resolution smoothing of diagonal lines, maintains proportions between lit and unlit dots, and avoids softening/ringing at sharp contrast edges inherent in 4-level (or 13-level) images.

The resulting algorithm is considerably more complex than both 2xSai and HQ3x and the processing power required is significant. Our current platform (which employs a higher degree of parallel processing than a general purpose processor) can either perform multicolor processing or upscaling at a 60Hz frame rate, but there's not enough processing resources to do both at the same time.

Randy

We're not racing. It will be available early spring. It will be worth the wait. And it will be awesome.

Mistaken. This is handled the same way as other variable text (like player scores).

There appears to be confusion about the role of the Pinball Browser and SmartDMD, both created by Olivier Galliez (OGA83) which PinballMikeD is attempting to bundle with off-the-shelf hardware and commercialize.

The Pinball Browser is being used to modify Stern's copyrighted game ROMs to substitute color indexes in place of the original 4-bit dot intensities, resulting in data loss and flattened artwork. The first 8 dots of the image are modified to contain encoded data that can be used by a display device to simplify identification of the frame.

The SmartDMD display device implements a limited subset of ColorDMD's protected IP (US 8,773,452 B2) to generate a tag from the first eight dots (in this case, a palette identifier), and retrieve color information for the frame. The ColorDMD display utilizes custom hardware that is also capable of more complex algorithms to extract a tag without the need to modify any manufacturer IP.

Furthermore, the ColorDMD hardware is capable of more complex video processing to color-enhance the original 4-bit images without data loss, produce context-based colored text, and implement buffering to eliminate the visible screen tearing that otherwise results during flashing text and scrolling animations.

Olivier and I have corresponded several times in the past about ColorDMD support for modified game ROMs. Creating a color database is easier with a modified ROM. The main sticking points were the data loss and approval by Stern. This was left open for future discussion. I admit to being surprised by some of the announcements and claims in this thread.

Mike, I'm not going to engage in a schoolyard fight with you on a pinball discussion forum. Your position is clear. We'll deal with it in an appropriate manner.

_{Post edited by Dmod: Removed message to customers.}

It wasn't intended to be, but I see your point. I've deleted it.