So my automatic response is always to LED my 90's-current machine. But LOTR? Its a bright table that fades and dims the bulbs nicely, very bright for a 10yr or so old table. Anyone LED'd theirs? Or regretted it? Its the only one i've ever had that I didn't think needed it.
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My stock answer would be to LED the living daylights out of it and when I played one recently that wasn't LED'd it didn't change my mind. However, I know good results have been achieved with an OCD board, @windoesnot has a video somewhere of when he fitted one.
I've just ordered a load of anti-ghosting for my LOTR from Comet, the incandescents make LOTR seem dated IMO, especially on the white inserts. Personal preference of course!
I may have said this a few hundred times elsewhere (e.g. in your welcome thread), but to LED a game without using an OCD board is like pis$ing in your own eyes - visually offensive, generally pointless and it stings your eyeballs.
Either stick with bulbs
or
use LEDS (not non-ghosting) + LEDOCD.
I use OCD boards in all my games except LOTR currently, mainly because I'm not sure if it's a long term resident for me yet, but I've got a board waiting in case. Also TWD hasn't got one because it uses Stern's SAM with serial lighting comms, which doesn't do fading like Spike can (Stern being dicks). Even added one to IMVE and switched the lighting setting to incandescants to get the proper light show (the VE version is much crapper).
There was a short video in my recent AFM For Sale thread as I sold it with an OCD board in.
As you've spent a reasonable amount on other aesthetic mods like ColorDMD & PDI Glass; the OCD board really is an essential for your games.
Either stick with bulbs
or
use LEDS (not non-ghosting) + LEDOCD.
I use OCD boards in all my games except LOTR currently, mainly because I'm not sure if it's a long term resident for me yet, but I've got a board waiting in case. Also TWD hasn't got one because it uses Stern's SAM with serial lighting comms, which doesn't do fading like Spike can (Stern being dicks). Even added one to IMVE and switched the lighting setting to incandescants to get the proper light show (the VE version is much crapper).
There was a short video in my recent AFM For Sale thread as I sold it with an OCD board in.
As you've spent a reasonable amount on other aesthetic mods like ColorDMD & PDI Glass; the OCD board really is an essential for your games.
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I've got a spare B/W LED OCD on my desk too, so if you want to pop over one day I can show you them fitted in the current games and you could always try one.
(I don't have shares in LED OCD!)
(I don't have shares in LED OCD!)
Slippery slope...
It's subtle, PDI glass subtle, but definitely a noticeable improvement. Just don't use any anti-ghosting LEDs as they defeat the function a little bit.
Wouldn't it be a bit cheaper in your particular case to buy stateside and get a 'work friend' to post?
where do you get one of these from I might try one as well ?
cheers
kev
cheers
kev
Possibly but then it means they might ask me to do something for THEM.
Here (http://www.pinballshop.nl/ledocd) although it looks like they have massively increased the price.
Might work out cheaper from the US but be wary of import duty.
http://ledocd.com/cart/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=1&products_id=2
concerns understood.
wow that is damn expensive for what is actually on the boards!!!Here (http://www.pinballshop.nl/ledocd) although it looks like they have massively increased the price.
Might work out cheaper from the US but be wary of import duty.
http://ledocd.com/cart/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=1&products_id=2
If you are going to LED a LOTR - OCD board 110%.
I've seen with and without and without LOTR suffers badly from strobing, if the OCD board was not available I would not have put LED's in mine.
I've seen with and without and without LOTR suffers badly from strobing, if the OCD board was not available I would not have put LED's in mine.
I'm going to see what the anti ghost are like in LOTR. I can switch an OCD from another Stern if they're not up to the job, but I only have 2 of them, it costs too many $ for me to put in every machine .
Led every time.
It just really brings games to life!
It just really brings games to life!
R
RobZombie
Here (http://www.pinballshop.nl/ledocd) although it looks like they have massively increased the price.
Might work out cheaper from the US but be wary of import duty.
http://ledocd.com/cart/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=1&products_id=2
For that sort of money I'd rather pis$ in my own eyes.
Knock yourself out.
Careful with your back.
Can we all club together for a YouTube video?
incandescent bulbs are what most pinball machines before about 2005 were designed for, and if your few pins are only on for a few hours a day, you don't need to worry about the heat or the extra electricity cost.
to me, LEDs generally look too bright, too glarey, and i get sick of them not working properly: being on when they're supposed to be off, staying on too long, not dimming like an incandescent, blinding the player .....
Although i do appreciate some things they can do that incandescents cant, like fitting in tiny spaces and on flexible tubing, like being 'green' and lasting longer (i'm a recycling Nazi at home, going through bins and complaining), like being fitted on direction-aiming stalks, like massively improving a Stern backbox fluorescent tube when put together as a kit, like having colours that incandescents cannot without painted glass or rubber bulb-condoms ...... i'll think about LEDs only when this bollo_cks is finally put to bed about needing to buy a board to make them work properly. **** that ****. i'd rather watch a youtube video of some guy pi5sing in his own eyes
diffferent strokes for different folks and all that.
to me, LEDs generally look too bright, too glarey, and i get sick of them not working properly: being on when they're supposed to be off, staying on too long, not dimming like an incandescent, blinding the player .....
Although i do appreciate some things they can do that incandescents cant, like fitting in tiny spaces and on flexible tubing, like being 'green' and lasting longer (i'm a recycling Nazi at home, going through bins and complaining), like being fitted on direction-aiming stalks, like massively improving a Stern backbox fluorescent tube when put together as a kit, like having colours that incandescents cannot without painted glass or rubber bulb-condoms ...... i'll think about LEDs only when this bollo_cks is finally put to bed about needing to buy a board to make them work properly. **** that ****. i'd rather watch a youtube video of some guy pi5sing in his own eyes
diffferent strokes for different folks and all that.
R
RobZombie
I'll wait for a windy day. Not daft me.
My personal preference is a mix of coloured bulbs and leds. Usually with bulbs at the bottom of the PF and the LED's at the top. I do this because i cant time the ball properly when there are LEDs in the slings and inlanes (strobing). Inserts LED's are a must for me, but can be a pain to find ones that don't ghost. Non ghosting ones from Pinball-led.co.uk ghost like mad on my BSD, lol. Need another LED OCD in my life.
IMO certain titles are a crime to LED,
like wh20 and creech, ( but I have comet led strips in both of mine! )
Space games look great with leds.
like sttng
like wh20 and creech, ( but I have comet led strips in both of mine! )
Space games look great with leds.
like sttng
Space Station looks awesome with LEDs
I think creech is fine with leds providing the ramps left incandescent. Has to be done subtle, can't wash out that beautiful artwork
The benefit of LEDs is the choice. I have a BSD that originally had white LEDs. Looked awful. Replaced with blue, green and purple LEDs with coloured flashers.
Now it looks beautiful. The colours make the playfield come alive without being too over the top.
Some ghosting but the cost of an OCD board currently doesn't warrant the advantage.
The LED debate is subjective. Just putting LEDs in a machine won't make it look better and in some cases makes it look worse.
As long as it is done tastefully then it's a good thing. Problem is that 'taste' is a matter of taste.
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Now it looks beautiful. The colours make the playfield come alive without being too over the top.
Some ghosting but the cost of an OCD board currently doesn't warrant the advantage.
The LED debate is subjective. Just putting LEDs in a machine won't make it look better and in some cases makes it look worse.
As long as it is done tastefully then it's a good thing. Problem is that 'taste' is a matter of taste.
Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
100% agree. Yes it has a little ghosting if you're being picky. Doesn't even bother me and most of the people that play it that don't really know pinball all that well won'trl really pick up on it. It's all personal preference at the end of the day. I can guarantee the vast majority of people that play my games will say it looks better with the leds.
Obviously EM machines need to have incandescents