I like original boards for the most part. Displays and that abomination of a power supply in GTB S1 is the exception.

I got an Xpin display this last black friday special ($150 or so i think it was). That was easy choice over finding a new plasma glass and replacing it the old burned out plasma (its a chore to be done by someone skiledl at PCB rework).

Very happy with the LED blocks Xpin uses. They are pretty close to the plasma look.

For this story.....

I bought two pieces of plasma glass from a pinsider or RGPr a while back. When i got them in tested them both and they worked and looked great. I had a glass gas out in my TimeWarp. I throw one of those used by working ones i got. It worked about three hours before it gassed out too! The display heated up a bit after sitting dormant for how knows long, and the seam split open and the gas escaped. Dead......

Can't really fault hte guy i bought the used glass from a time back, it did work, just briefly and there probably wasn't any clue it was going to gas out and work briefly. Just ate that one. The 2nd glass I got is working fine for 6 months or so.

Glass with nipple seals are less likely to have a gas out situation than the ones that are just sandwhiched together sheets of glass (which split open at corners and gas out).