What % tint is best?

[Don]

Have a TV in my cab and a glass bezel that I'm going to put some window film on to tint it. What %VLT (visible light transmission) do you guys recommend? I'm not sure if the best tint changes depending on your monitor (arcade/TV/PC), what do you guys think?

Heres a link to something similar to what i'm planning on getting: http://cgi.ebay.ie/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=170276186878&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT

Cheers!

[syph007]

Good timing, i was just looking through all the threads here for this subject.  Looks like everyone recommends graylite 14, so 14% light transmission, seems to be best preferred over a CRT.

I dont know about applying your own tinting, that sounds hard to do.  I sure couldnt get it perfect.

[Dexter]

I've used 30% grey tinted glass to good effect. Hides everything around the screen (bezel etc) when powered off and gives a real quality look when running . My wife has very sensitive eyes due to an accident and finds playing for extended periods easier due to less glare than on my naomi.

Just turn the brightness up on the CRT a bit.

[Ginsu Victim]

Mine is 35% and I'm quite happy with it, but I don't know what is considered by most to be the best.

[Beretta]

not sure about % but unless you're trying to hide something i think clear glass looks best.

and when i say glass i mean GLASS, i think glass is nicer then plexi.

[Ginsu Victim]

and when i say glass i mean GLASS, i think glass is nicer then plexi.

You're right. It does.

[Franco B]

Agreed. Acrylic (Plexi) is awesome for soooo many uses, however bezels should not be made from Acrylic, they should be made from tempered glass.

If you want it tinted you can buy ready chemically tinted glass or you can apply tinting film

[Blanka]

I would say let it depend on the blackness of the tube.
An old greyish tube might benefit from some tinting, but the newer blacker ones, or TFT's are more than black enough to use with clear glass.

[WhereEaglesDare]

This is the first Ive heard of this practice.  Is it common to tint your Bezel Glass?  Is there reasons that I would want it or is it just a preference?  And how much is tempered glass, I didnt even think of that, but it would look a lot better than plexi, how about LEXAN, would that look any better?

[Franco B]

The problem with using plastic Acrylic (plexi etc or) Polycarbonate (Lexan etc) is that thin sheets of it will bow and you get a fish bowl effect. You could increase the sheet size to 6mm (1/4") upwards to minimise it but by the time you have bought that, a sheet of tempered glass will be just as cost effective.

By the way there is no need to use Lexan (Polycarbonate) generaly for anything in this hobby. Acrylic is much more scratch resistant and is just as easy to cut when you use the right tools/techniques and is generally half the price Polycarbonate.

[Ginsu Victim]

^It helps when you're someone with the right tools

[Franco B]

In regards to cutting plastics I'm sure most people have a drill, a means to rough cut material, some kind of straight edge, a router and a flush trim bit

In regards to the bezel, if you are using glass then the glaziers will cut it to size. Like you said, they are the people with the right tools

[Ginsu Victim]

I was referring to your abilities with acrylic compared to what most of us can do. 

[gryhnd]

And how much is tempered glass, I didnt even think of that...

FWIW, tinted not withstanding, in my area tempered is a pretty expensive because it has to be special ordered.  For my cabs I use laminated safety glass (like you have in your car windshield).  If I was doing a cocktail with a full coverage glass sheet I might stick with tempered, but otherwise the laminated is a superb option.

[WhereEaglesDare]

So is it common to tint the glass or not really?

[Epyx]

I have tempered and tinted bezel glass for my cab as well and love it.  Imo, the tinting carries on the illusion of joining monitor to cab and unifying the look.   My tinted and tempered glass is 22" x 26.5" and cost me $25 here locally in Vancouver.

[Marsupial]

Epyx, did you get it at a glazier or at a hardware store?

[Beretta]

tempered glass usually has to be ordered.. it's because you can only cut tempered glass with a laser..

usually they'll cut regular untempered glass and then temper it, but if you want to cut it after it has to be with a laser.

trying to take a glass cutter to it will just make it shatter.

[Epyx]

I got mine through a glass shop (Nordel Glass) here locally and as Beretta pointed out it was ordered through them and took about 3 days to arrive, but for the price well worth it

[Sjaak]

I used Parsol Gray glass from SGG. It's pretty tinted, but it hides everything around the screen. And when the screen is switched off, you only see black.

[Hewskie]

Hey epyx, I contacted Nordel Glass myself for my bezel, but it turns out they were way overpriced! They wanted something like $56 for my piece, found it somewhere else for $24. Can't remember the shop offhand, but it was in surrey too, somewhere like 128th and 80th, around there. I'll try to remember for you,

cheers,

Hewskie

[Dafu]

I'm currently also in the market for display glass. I picked up a sample piece of Graylite 14 from the local store to test on the arcade. So far I only had a chance to test it against my LCDs at work, on which it looks too dark. Note that I sit right next to a huge window with a lot of day light (cloudy day), and these are LCDs, I expect CRT to pierce through a lot more. My arcade on the other hand, sits in the basement with a lot less light, and a CRT TV. I will test the CRT tonight and post more photos.

[Blanka]

usually they'll cut regular untempered glass and then temper it, but if you want to cut it after it has to be with a laser.

It also gives you a nice bevelled edge, guess you won't have it with laser.

[Don]

I used Parsol Gray glass from SGG. It's pretty tinted, but it hides everything around the screen. And when the screen is switched off, you only see black.

That looks really nice, do you know what %VLT that is?

I'm currently also in the market for display glass. I picked up a sample piece of Graylite 14 from the local store to test on the arcade. So far I only had a chance to test it against my LCDs at work, on which it looks too dark. Note that I sit right next to a huge window with a lot of day light (cloudy day), and these are LCDs, I expect CRT to pierce through a lot more. My arcade on the other hand, sits in the basement with a lot less light, and a CRT TV. I will test the CRT tonight and post more photos.

Graylite 14 - does that mean 14% VLT?

I'm just trying to get an idea of the choices of the arcade community on what tint they use. Will also help people in the future who see this thread 

[DolansCadillac]

I'm currently also in the market for display glass. I picked up a sample piece of Graylite 14 from the local store to test on the arcade. So far I only had a chance to test it against my LCDs at work, on which it looks too dark.

I've been using Graylite 14 in front of a Toshiba CRT for a year now and it really is too dark for my liking. It just dulls the brightest colours too much, and that's with the CRT's brightness and contrast cranked, as well as all kinds of colour balance tuning to counter the green tint that comes with it. I'm shopping for a replacement now.

[BlazzingFlippers]

Well I'll share my experience for what it's worth.  I got the following from One Day Glass:

Shape: Square/Rectangle
Glass Type: Tempered
Glass Thickness: 1/8"
Glass Tint: Solar Gray (Light Gray)
Edgework (Step 1): Seamed Edge

So I'm not sure what percentage the Solar Gray tint was but while it does look nice, if I could go back in time, I would have gotten completely clear glass.  I think this comes down to a personal preference but even with my Wells contrast and brightness at maximum, everything is not as bright as I would like it.  There was no returning such a custom piece so I've learned to accept it but tint is something to consider if you are the kind of person that likes your eyes to bleed from intense colors like I do. 

[Epyx]

Hey epyx, I contacted Nordel Glass myself for my bezel, but it turns out they were way overpriced! They wanted something like $56 for my piece, found it somewhere else for $24. Can't remember the shop offhand, but it was in surrey too, somewhere like 128th and 80th, around there. I'll try to remember for you,

cheers,

Hewskie

Thanks I will add who you find to the list but Nordel was fair for me...like I said $25 for the piece on my Aliens cab...was a good deal imo...what was the size of your cut?

[Dafu]

Here is my sample piece of Graylite 14 against the CRT. I think it is too dark for my liking, but at the same time without any tint the CRT at max settings is brighter than I would like. I'm sure there is some middle ground here, I'm going to try to get a sample of Graylite 31 next.

I tested Graylite 14 with my EMS Topgun 2 sensor bars, they work just fine through it.

[Dazz]

I'm using tempered 1/4" solar gray 16 glass on an LCD.  It looks great and the colors on games really seem to pop out quite well.  I've also tested my Ultimarc Aimtrack guns and they seem to work well.

The below pic is with the glass in.

[Hewskie]

Thanks I will add who you find to the list but Nordel was fair for me...like I said $25 for the piece on my Aliens cab...was a good deal imo...what was the size of your cut?

It was 26x18 1/2 i think. The only think I didn't like about it was when I asked for greylight 14 (as per your thread), they didn't know what that was and they gave me "light" tint, which isn't enough. I solved that problem by spray painting the back of the glass black around the TV. Turned out pretty well I think.

Hewskie

[BlazzingFlippers]

Here is a pic with the Solar Gray tinted 1/8" thick glass from One Day Glass with brightness and contrast at 100 on Wells Gardner 9810:

[Epyx]

It was 26x18 1/2 i think. The only think I didn't like about it was when I asked for greylight 14 (as per your thread), they didn't know what that was and they gave me "light" tint, which isn't enough. I solved that problem by spray painting the back of the glass black around the TV. Turned out pretty well I think.

Ah gotcha...ya I think I told them gray and it was an auto amount of blockage can't remember but it looks great.  Ya he couldn't relate to arcade etc until I said "you know the old ones like Pac Man" then he understood. Then I asked for samples of what the tint with Gray looks like and he provided it...then just gave him the measurements once I picked the one I wanted.  

Either way pass on the other one you used when you remember (PM me) Id like to give them a try for my next project.

[Dafu]

I picked up a sample of what I think is Graylite 31, but my local shop just calls its Gray, and doesn't know if its the same thing or not. Here again is what the shop calls Dark Gray (confirmed Graylite 14), and Gray (probably Graylite 31).

I'm going with the lighter tint. Its not as good at hiding the monitor plastics, and whatever crappy bezel I'm going to construct, but the picture color is much better.

[Epyx]

The lighter Gray is exactly the tint my cab has and I like it a lot, I don't think you will be disappointed.

[kronic24601]

So I guess the moral is, there is no standard? Some like it clear, some like it with ranging tint? Aside from the fact that everyone likes glass better than acrylic.

I too am coming very close to finishing my cab and will need to by glass so this is a very useful thread for me. Thanks for chiming in everyone.

I like Dafu's approach of actually taking samples and comparing them. That might be the only way to get a preferred method for yourself.

[Beretta]

the longer tinted piece on the bottom ain't bad. i still like clear best though.

[spacegoogie]

The glass place by me calls the dark stuff "smoked glass" I have used it on a cocktail build and on my first MAME cabinet a few years back. It sure beats spry painting or other methods of making a bezel. I think it also gives the cabinet a really nice look when its off. Just crank up the brightness and contrast and your good to go. Since I got my KI2 cabinet I have not needed to use any kind of smoked glass, however a few days ago I had to pull out the 25" monitor and put in a 22" LCD so now the bezel  does not fit, and you can see behind it and you can see the LCD frame. So as soon as I get some extra cash I will be ordering my smoked glass. In the pics it looks like your lose allot of the brightness but you don't because the brightness and contrast is just turned up so high if not all the way. 

[sman26]

In agreement that the greylite #14 is a bit too dark.  Used this on my first cabinet from reading what others said back in 2006 but on my CRT with brigthness/contrast cranked it just always seemed too much.  Some day I will drop the $45 and get the next grade lighter #31 I believe. 

[releasedtruth]

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

[RandyT]

Dark acrylic (or glass), is used for three purposes.  The first is contrast enhancement.  CRT's make pretty good blacks, but still not perfect.  But by the time you cut down the amount of light being produced at black levels by 85%, it's virtually a dead black, which is very nice.  While the rest of the colors aren't as blinding as they would be otherwise, the increase in contrast makes them "pop" more without looking overdriven.  It's also more comfortable to look at, especially in subdued lighting environments.

The second is the lack of a need for CRT shrouding of any sort.  For example, I have a 27" RGB monitor wedged into a cabinet that was originally designed for a 19" monitor.  Very little room for a shroud, and it would probably look silly if I cut one into the narrow strips that might have a chance of fitting in there.  With the dark acrylic, there is no indicator of a monitor edge at all.....which brings me to...

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.

Going with lighter material will give you benefit number one, albeit to a far lesser extent, but does nothing for reasons two or three.  So the choice becomes quite simple, when you understand why those who go dark decided to do so.

RandyT (a former optician who pioneered the use of dark view window material in arcade cabinets many years ago....)