What % tint is best?

[OverRide]

Randy's explination is great.

I always thought tinted plexi/glass was only for hiding the monitor edges where there might not be a bezel. Then I acquired a Arkanoid machine with tinted plexi and loved the way the monitor looked through it. I then added smoked plexi to my cocktail machine and it looked a lot better IMO.
Sorry, I don't know the tint %.

[Marsupial]

The third reason is that on a 27" horizontally mounted monitor, a 19" vertical game (there were lots of them) appears at almost actual size.  But the thing that always spoiled the look of those games was the fact that they looked "pasted" into the center of a monitor that was turned the wrong way.  With the dark acrylic, there is no indication of monitor orientation.  19" vertical games just appear in the center of the view window of the cab, at pretty much actual size.

I might still be working on my first cab, but I too came to that same conclusion. Altough I am not using a 27 inch monitor, so my 19 inchers are smaller, the fact that you can't (or barely) see the rest of the monitor makes that it looks 10 times better.

The cab I modified into MAME is an operation wolf; the dark glass came from it. Its very dark, but I have no way of knowing how dark... but you barely see the black bezel. Makes great visuals.

[BamBam]

I went with 14 several years ago and on my CRT it really was a good fit. The screen is relatively close to your eyes so it relieved strain for long play and pops colors on a bright CRT. I'd consider trying 31 on my next cab

I think it's a matter of personal taste.  I have had graylite 31 and like it, but always thought something lighter maybe better.  The 31 does, however, do an excellent job of hiding bezels etc. 

[RandyT]

The 31 does, however, do an excellent job of hiding bezels etc. 

Perhaps hiding an actual bezel, but not so excellent at hiding the fact that none is present, or that the monitor is physically in the incorrect orientation for half the games.  It is a matter of preference, but primarily in what one is preferring to accomplish.

31% is actually quite a lot of transmission.  If the monitor face is uncoated (most of the early gaming monitors were) you get a 4% reflection from the polished glass face of the monitor.  So darker tint, because external light  passes through the window twice, is much better at controlling reflections from the monitor glass as well.  The lighter one goes, the more likely it is that these additional reflections will find their way into your view.  Unless your CRT has an AR coating, which will help quite a bit.

RandyT

[XNIF]

I am having a hard time finding tinted glass in the netherlands. I mean everyone has it, but nobody knows how much light transmission it has. I cannot just buy these things without knowing what i am buying. The plan is tempered grey tinted glas around 45% for over a trinitron. Anyone knows a company in the Netherlands of ships to me?

[Marsupial]

The plan is tempered grey tinted glas around 45% for over a trinitron.

Who cares the specific number??? as long as it does what you want, the specific number doesn't care. Anyway, by your own standard, the number isn't very strict.

You should get samples and see where it goes, would work wonders.

[XNIF]

I care about a number since i have seen 45% and i like that tint, it hides the bezel nicely but isn't super dark. Now i wanna buy it somewhere!

[Marsupial]

if you have seen it and its good for you, now all you have to do is see something that is good for you and buy it. Who cares if the seller knows what number it is? If it gives the same result, then it must be the same light transmission factor.

If the stores aren't local, you ask them to ship you samples of the various grades of smoked tint they have.


Good luck with your purchase.

[XNIF]

if you have seen it and its good for you, now all you have to do is see something that is good for you and buy it. Who cares if the seller knows what number it is? If it gives the same result, then it must be the same light transmission factor.

They do not have samples .. and i can not carry my cabinet to the store. Now stop asking who cares....  i already told you... i care.  And what i am looking for is a store that can supply me glass with a known transmission factor.

[Marsupial]

If you prefer being anal about it, just forget I tried to help.

[cmoses]

I have wanted to do this on my cab as well.  I took the existing glass to a local window tinting shop and had them install some gray tint that lets 13% of light through.  It was the closest they had to what I was trying to replicate - Greylite 14.  It was about half the cost of buying a new piece of glass and if I didn't like it then I could always remove the film and put the clear glass back.

It worked very well in my opinion.  It hides the bezel and the screen very well per RandyT's comments.  I like how the games look on the monitor now, especially the vertical games.  Since you don't see the bezel and monitor it gives it a better look and feel in my opinion.  I may go with the actual glass at some point but this is working great for now.

[Donkbaca]

Randy and others.

So if I go Graylite 14, or its equivalent, then I don't need a bezel?

I am thinking about using a 32" tv mounted vertically like in Malenko's KI2 cabinet, not sure how I would do the bezel, but if I understand you guys correctly, dark tint will allow me to not need a bezel? That would be sweet.

So are you saying that if I get dark tint, the screen would just "float" and you wouldn't see the monitor and I wouldn't need a bezel?

Thanks for helping

[RandyT]

Randy and others.

So if I go Graylite 14, or its equivalent, then I don't need a bezel?

I am thinking about using a 32" tv mounted vertically like in Malenko's KI2 cabinet, not sure how I would do the bezel, but if I understand you guys correctly, dark tint will allow me to not need a bezel? That would be sweet.

So are you saying that if I get dark tint, the screen would just "float" and you wouldn't see the monitor and I wouldn't need a bezel?

Thanks for helping

Correct on all counts.  The 14 is probably the transmission of the tint, so light going in is cut down to 14% of the intensity at the point of entry, and any reflections caused by that 14% are cut down an additional 86% before exiting.  You will need to crank up the contrast and brightness if you do this. 

RandyT

[Donkbaca]

Randy - What light transmission % did you use on your cab to hide everything?  I wouldn't want to go any darker than I need to

[Savannan]

Just picked up a 27x25 1/4 of greylight 31....paid $40.  Im not too sure if the lady behind the desk knew what she was talking about or not but she said that 1/4" only comes in 31 and 1/8" 14.  but I ordered 1/4" from what you guys are saying on here.  I installed the glass and man...talk about night and day between my old cab with clear and my new cab with greylight with the same kind of monitor... granted that I had to make the brightness/contrast higher but the picture looks like it has more depth to it. I'm glad I didnt go with 14.... so if anyone is debating between the 2 styles (clear vs greylight)..go greylight..you wont be dissapointed at all!!!!!

the greylight 31 does do a really good job hiding the monitor frame if you dont have a monitor bezel...but you still can see the shiny metal...looking at the metal frame it looks dark grey...  painting the frame black will help alot.

[Blanka]

I am having a hard time finding tinted glass in the netherlands.

I found el super-cheapo solution:
http://www.ikea.com/nl/nl/catalog/products/20142659
Just 3 sizes, but super-cheap.

[Los Abrazos Rotos]

.

[GregD]

This is the Ikea link in English.
http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/20142659/] [url]http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/20142659/ [/url]

The small size may work for bartops.

[MTPPC]

I used 20% grey and if i were to do it again, I'd use 35%.

[Dawgz Rule]

See the links below for a good comparison of 31 and 14.  I went with the 31 and it hides the bezel well.

http://www.grayglass.net/product.cfm/GrayGlass/GRAYLITE-14/product_id/4173
http://www.grayglass.net/product.cfm/GrayGlass/GRAYLITE-31/product_id/4174

[wp34]

See the links below for a good comparison of 31 and 14.  I went with the 31 and it hides the bezel well.

http://www.grayglass.net/product.cfm/GrayGlass/GRAYLITE-14/product_id/4173
http://www.grayglass.net/product.cfm/GrayGlass/GRAYLITE-31/product_id/4174

Thanks for the link.  That helps a lot.   

Do any of the big box stores sell Graylite?

[Dawgz Rule]

Home Depot and Lowes was a washout.  I went with a local glass shop but if I had to do it again I would have went with onedayglass.com.  The glass turned out to be special order and the price was the same.....I would have just preferred to get the glass in a day versus two weeks.