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Colour DMD pinball upgrade in UK
- Thread starter Sttngjim
- Start date
Go for Stumblers Pin2DMD extra large
stumblorpinball.com
Pinball Mods | HD Pin2DMD 256x64 Full Kit
Your favourite colour display, now in full 256x64 HD ! This fantastic pinball mod is the same screen width used in the reproduction CGC titles, at a fraction of the price.
stumblorpinball.com
Thank you for the DMD suggestions.
Anybody used this one with link below?
germangamingsupplies.com
Anybody used this one with link below?
PIN2DMD Color DMD Display "Evolution", 239,00 €
PIN2DMD activated! for all common pinball machines, Plug and Play, replace your old or defective DMD with this colorful DMD, add your own colors, enhance
Max
Site Supporter
I would just ping @Terranigma (Andrew - https://retrocity.com.au), they come from AUS but delivery is quick and the support from him is great, many others on here will vouch for him. They come in at less than £200 delivered from what I recall.
Wherever you buy from you won't regret it, the colourisation for STTNG is great on pin2dmd.
Wherever you buy from you won't regret it, the colourisation for STTNG is great on pin2dmd.
Max
Site Supporter
pin2dmd. I have one on sttng and the colourisation is basically a clone from colordmd of that game, really good.
Stumblors XL is the XL version of that pin2dmd solution.Thank you for the DMD suggestions.
Anybody used this one with link below?
PIN2DMD Color DMD Display "Evolution", 239,00 €
PIN2DMD activated! for all common pinball machines, Plug and Play, replace your old or defective DMD with this colorful DMD, add your own colors, enhance
Yeah mate, I know I was just asking about the £200 one because I'm a cheapo
He has a post about them here too, with positive feedback from other buyers: https://www.pinballinfo.com/communi...ard-x32-sega-xl-and-de-x16.55945/#post-513817
Hi and welcome @Sttngjim.
As you can see, there are a few versions that can deliver a colour version of the DMD.
But the two main camps are colorDMD available from https://www.pinballdisplays.co.uk/category-s/108.htm
These are a quality piece of kit, where they have teams to colour the files.
And then the projects like the boards from @Terranigma and the complete replacement panel with XL boards from @stumblor where many of the people who provide the colour files are on this forum. Many of us use these and see no need to spend more on a colorDMD but I do not have a Williams STNG but @Max has vouched it is good. I can vouch for both @Terranigma and @stumblor. I have an XL going into my BSD.
The reality is, if you don't like it for STTNG, someone else will usually buy it off you.
As you can see, there are a few versions that can deliver a colour version of the DMD.
But the two main camps are colorDMD available from https://www.pinballdisplays.co.uk/category-s/108.htm
These are a quality piece of kit, where they have teams to colour the files.
And then the projects like the boards from @Terranigma and the complete replacement panel with XL boards from @stumblor where many of the people who provide the colour files are on this forum. Many of us use these and see no need to spend more on a colorDMD but I do not have a Williams STNG but @Max has vouched it is good. I can vouch for both @Terranigma and @stumblor. I have an XL going into my BSD.
The reality is, if you don't like it for STTNG, someone else will usually buy it off you.
I would say about using pin2dmd is that the colourisation is not as good on CERTAIN GAMES as on colordmd.
Have to admit - the AFM, MM and TZ are real good on pin2dmd - but white water and another couple I have purchased are not as good.
You also have to pay for most of the colour files for pin2dmd which is about another £20 a game on average.
Pin2dmds sometimes need to be registered before you can use them. I would ask the seller if they are activated/registered. This is 20 euro I think.
Good thing about colordmd - you buy one and you can download as many files as you want for different games free of charge.
I would youtube the colordmd and pin2dmd versions of STTNG and see what you prefer.
Also importing pin2dmd's can get you a VAT bill as well.
Personally (I am in a minority here) - I did not like my large pin2dmd when I had one. Stumblor did some great work on the speaker lights saying that!
The next point is most of us feel that pin2dmd should be driven from an external powersupply. STTNG is already one of the most loaded pinball machines out there.
It is also best with pin2dmd to use the same EPROM version that the guy used when making the colour file - otherwise strange frames and colours can come up on random places of the screen. Also certain colourisations seem to work better on older pin2dmd firmware.
If you get your pin2dmd running perfectly then do not bother upgrading firmware.
So PIN2DMD is about £200 - maybe plus duty / VAT, maybe plus colour file cost, maybe plus activation, maybe power supply. That can add another £80+ to the cost.
Not all games have been coloured using pin2dmd, so if you plan to swap the display from game to game - go for colordmd. But with colordmd you always look at LCD vs LED....
I was probably the first, or one of the first on here to use pin2dmd when it was only used on vpins. But now for ease of use to the end user, I recommend colordmd. They are literally plug and play.
Have to admit - the AFM, MM and TZ are real good on pin2dmd - but white water and another couple I have purchased are not as good.
You also have to pay for most of the colour files for pin2dmd which is about another £20 a game on average.
Pin2dmds sometimes need to be registered before you can use them. I would ask the seller if they are activated/registered. This is 20 euro I think.
Good thing about colordmd - you buy one and you can download as many files as you want for different games free of charge.
I would youtube the colordmd and pin2dmd versions of STTNG and see what you prefer.
Also importing pin2dmd's can get you a VAT bill as well.
Personally (I am in a minority here) - I did not like my large pin2dmd when I had one. Stumblor did some great work on the speaker lights saying that!
The next point is most of us feel that pin2dmd should be driven from an external powersupply. STTNG is already one of the most loaded pinball machines out there.
It is also best with pin2dmd to use the same EPROM version that the guy used when making the colour file - otherwise strange frames and colours can come up on random places of the screen. Also certain colourisations seem to work better on older pin2dmd firmware.
If you get your pin2dmd running perfectly then do not bother upgrading firmware.
So PIN2DMD is about £200 - maybe plus duty / VAT, maybe plus colour file cost, maybe plus activation, maybe power supply. That can add another £80+ to the cost.
Not all games have been coloured using pin2dmd, so if you plan to swap the display from game to game - go for colordmd. But with colordmd you always look at LCD vs LED....
I was probably the first, or one of the first on here to use pin2dmd when it was only used on vpins. But now for ease of use to the end user, I recommend colordmd. They are literally plug and play.
Max
Site Supporter
It's 'ok', I have it in the one I'm in the process of selling. I would pay the extra and go for colourdmd for that game personally.
Max
Site Supporter
Interesting. I've never bothered with an external PSU but am now thinking maybe I should.. Does the pin2dmd put more load on than the old plasma display?
Most of the time they are out of stock from my experience, buy a few from abroad, group buy and they come in cheaper than the UK price.
I am the colour artist for PIN2DMD STTNG - no charge for my files, donations welcome but not required (and many don't). I can vouch for Retrocity, Andrew is a great guy and can sort you out with a preactivated display and my own files preinstalled no probs, he has a good relationship with all the artists. Similarly Stumblor has a good track record and I worked with him to create my creech 64 project to show off the HD displays, so if you decide to go down the PIN2DMD route and you buy from either of them you won't be disappointed. I would avoid germangamingsupplies their track record is not very good.
There is a VPIN demo from my tester Wob here:
- obviously that is a VPIN, but you can see the colour choices I made; on an LED panel the dithered gradients blend together much nicer and it looks really swish. I get lots of positive feedback for this project, LX-7, LX-8 and the upcoming LX-9 roms are all supported (the LX-9 testers will let me know if any updates are required)
There are a handful of very minor bugs in my version - flat palette (4 colours) for the video and wormhole modes, the spinner value increase "lead in" animation is a certifiable nightmare, and occasionally the nacelles of the Enterprise will trail behind the ship by 1 frame (a consequence of the moving starfield). There might also be a handful of multiplayer screens that don't colour correctly, but these are pretty rare. I am working on a 64 colour update that will hopefully resovle those issues and add a lot more depth to quite a few scenes, but this is months away at least; having said that I am very proud of the current 16 colour version and I was very careful to make sure I created something that was worthy of such an important franchise.
Whatever you chose, your scores will inevitably suffer for a while as you will be too busy watching the display so be ready for that
I resent this!! I was very careful to adhere to the Okuda/show palette whereas ColorDMD seemed to pick a rainbow of colours for their LCARS screens which just look out of place. But I am glad you like it
There is a VPIN demo from my tester Wob here:
There are a handful of very minor bugs in my version - flat palette (4 colours) for the video and wormhole modes, the spinner value increase "lead in" animation is a certifiable nightmare, and occasionally the nacelles of the Enterprise will trail behind the ship by 1 frame (a consequence of the moving starfield). There might also be a handful of multiplayer screens that don't colour correctly, but these are pretty rare. I am working on a 64 colour update that will hopefully resovle those issues and add a lot more depth to quite a few scenes, but this is months away at least; having said that I am very proud of the current 16 colour version and I was very careful to make sure I created something that was worthy of such an important franchise.
Whatever you chose, your scores will inevitably suffer for a while as you will be too busy watching the display so be ready for that
I resent this!! I was very careful to adhere to the Okuda/show palette whereas ColorDMD seemed to pick a rainbow of colours for their LCARS screens which just look out of place. But I am glad you like it
Used to think pin2dmd sucked but having put one in Batman I realise it's way too bright. Turning the brightness to 50% makes a world of difference
Wow that is impressive, no doubt if your colouring a STTNG go big or go home with that colour job, supersize the screen with a Stumblor XL screen, after seeing the above its the choice I would make.I am the colour artist for PIN2DMD STTNG - no charge for my files, donations welcome but not required (and many don't). I can vouch for Retrocity, Andrew is a great guy and can sort you out with a preactivated display and my own files preinstalled no probs, he has a good relationship with all the artists. Similarly Stumblor has a good track record and I worked with him to create my creech 64 project to show off the HD displays, so if you decide to go down the PIN2DMD route and you buy from either of them you won't be disappointed. I would avoid germangamingsupplies their track record is not very good.
There is a VPIN demo from my tester Wob here:- obviously that is a VPIN, but you can see the colour choices I made; on an LED panel the dithered gradients blend together much nicer and it looks really swish. I get lots of positive feedback for this project, LX-7, LX-8 and the upcoming LX-9 roms are all supported (the LX-9 testers will let me know if any updates are required)
There are a handful of very minor bugs in my version - flat palette (4 colours) for the video and wormhole modes, the spinner value increase "lead in" animation is a certifiable nightmare, and occasionally the nacelles of the Enterprise will trail behind the ship by 1 frame (a consequence of the moving starfield). There might also be a handful of multiplayer screens that don't colour correctly, but these are pretty rare. I am working on a 64 colour update that will hopefully resovle those issues and add a lot more depth to quite a few scenes, but this is months away at least; having said that I am very proud of the current 16 colour version and I was very careful to make sure I created something that was worthy of such an important franchise.
Whatever you chose, your scores will inevitably suffer for a while as you will be too busy watching the display so be ready for that
I resent this!! I was very careful to adhere to the Okuda/show palette whereas ColorDMD seemed to pick a rainbow of colours for their LCARS screens which just look out of place. But I am glad you like it
The palette and colouring of the computer screen text/imagary was the first thing that made me go WOW, that alone is a perfect touch.
Max
Site Supporter
It's great work, the colourisation for this game is the best i've seen across all the games I've installed a pin2dmd in. I only say clone as I couldn't really see much difference between the colourdmd and pin2dmd when running this game, unusually good.I resent this!! I was very careful to adhere to the Okuda/show palette whereas ColorDMD seemed to pick a rainbow of colours for their LCARS screens which just look out of place. But I am glad you like it
Apologies, no offence intended.
Absolutely none taken, genuinely glad that you are happy with it - I am always amazed that people want to put my work in their expensive machines!!It's great work, the colourisation for this game is the best i've seen across all the games I've installed a pin2dmd in. I only say clone as I couldn't really see much difference between the colourdmd and pin2dmd when running this game, unusually good.
Apologies, no offence intended.
That's a pin2dmd, colour file is by @-NetzZwerg- who does amazing work! Craig said he wasn't keen on colour screens till he saw my roadshow with the display at the UK Open. Definitely one of the best along with Creech.
We've got it as Spencer installed Daveys XL display in his TOM.
I'll be honest, the colourisation is great, (same guy as Road show), however, most of these colorfiles don't look as good blown up on the XL displays (plus it looks out of place in a lineup).
A lot of the detail is lost.
I know people love them but until it can scale them and not look like a blocky mess I find the results vary
Definitely a decent colourisation though!
Thanks everyone. That’s been incredibly helpful. I’ve just sent £198 payment to retrocity for a fully set up (plug and play) STTNG colour DMD. That price includes postage, but there will be tax and VAT to pay when it arrives. I’ll report back how well it works out in due course.
That's a pin2dmd, colour file is by @-NetzZwerg- who does amazing work! Craig said he wasn't keen on colour screens till he saw my roadshow with the display at the UK Open. Definitely one of the best along with Creech.
We've got it as Spencer installed Daveys XL display in his TOM.
I'll be honest, the colourisation is great, (same guy as Road show), however, most of these colorfiles don't look as good blown up on the XL displays (plus it looks out of place in a lineup).
A lot of the detail is lost.
I know people love them but until it can scale them and not look like a blocky mess I find the results vary
Definitely a decent colourisation though!
Thanks David mate, to be honest the LED is a must on this one which is why I won't go XL.
I wonder . . .does the same fella who did the colour file for Roadshow do stuff for TOM? The Road Show screen is the best I've seen since Judge Dredd LED ColorDMD
It is the same guy, Martin is his name, And I tagged him in the post. He's done a lot of colourisations, including Fish Tales and DEJP which we have.
The XL is LED, it's a pin2dmd but bigger panel.