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Manufacturing opportunity at Highway Games - need your feedback!


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Hey Everyone,

 

Highway Games has an opportunity to manufacture a 29inch 4:3 screen LCD monitor for plug and play with existing machines. The costs will be high due to limited production run, generally quantities of 100,000 are needed but we have located a manufacturer willing to make smaller production runs for us.

 

We would like to check with our customers whether there is any interest and what price is acceptable, please let us know your feedback below.

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Think its a great idea! CRTs wont last for ever, and the widescreen monitors look terrible in an old cabint designed for a 4:3 monitor.

Not sure what people will pay though?

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Would it be multisync 15k-31k? I would say that the right people would pay up to $500 for one. A Joey chassis costs $270 posted, which can still be paired with a free CRT tube harvested from a 29 inch TV. We won't be able to do that for too much longer, but I expect that most enthusiasts would not want to pay too much more for an LCD screen. $500 is a workable price point, but I imagine there is a good chance they can't be made for that price, in small numbers.

 

I will be watching this thread with interest. I would not be 100% adverse to putting a 29 inch 4:3 LCD in a candy cab, if the need arose. It would all be dependent on cost and the quality of the screen.

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Thank you for your feedback. Highway Games is in negotiations with the manufacturer now, it will be over $590usd but they are not sure yet depending on economies of scale. It maybe has high as $800usd. Once they go into production they will be shipping out of Taiwan or Hong Kong.

 

- - - Updated - - -

 

Its multi-sync plug and play, with RGB+VGA+HDMI inputs.

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800 would put it out of a price range I would pay, but there may be people who would pay that. If you can keep it as close to 500 as possible, you'd likely be opening it to a much larger market. RGB+VGA+HDMI multi-sync sounds awesome though.
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I would tend to agree with the price suggested. $500 would be my total upper end. I have need of suitable replacement screens for a couple of cabinet's. But at $500 (Aust) a couple quickly adds up and it's then cheaper to source a different cabinet. Just my opinion
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Hey Everyone,

 

Highway Games has an opportunity to manufacture a 29inch 4:3 screen LCD monitor for plug and play with existing machines. The costs will be high due to limited production run, generally quantities of 100,000 are needed but we have located a manufacturer willing to make smaller production runs for us.

 

We would like to check with our customers whether there is any interest and what price is acceptable, please let us know your feedback below.

 

Multisync means nothing if it can't do native resolution at 56hz - I would be checking that before committing to any production runs.

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I cannot see these selling for any less than $900 which i would say there is no market in the private market for them.

You also need to keep in mind it is fine to produce the monitor but you then also have the coast of retro fitting whatever you are sticking them in. Not the actual fitting of the display but the user will also have to make kits or adjustments to the factory bezels that the crt used and if the machine is out on site you will also have to add glass into the picture.

 

I think it will get to the point where you are better of scrapping the machine.

The people that really want 4:3 monitors are usually the die hard enthusiast and normally wont go near an lcd no matter what it does. Then you have the people that could not care less if they use an lcd but because lcd does not really bother them they are normally happy to buy a $179 PC Panel, converter and a piece of glass and be done with it.

 

I don't think the min order qnty will be worth it.

Retail customers are also going to want 2 years warranty etc. I think you will have issues there also. Commercial customers wont care so much but joe public will cry blue murder once it develops a single dead pixel after 18 months

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The last thing we bought from Highway (made in China of course) we demanded a refund . It was badly manufactured. . First unit was faulty on delivery, second (replacement) unit caught fire . It all about saving a $. But that's just our experience. Beware!!!!!!!!!!
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The last thing we bought from Highway (made in China of course) we demanded a refund . It was badly manufactured. . First unit was faulty on delivery, second (replacement) unit caught fire . It all about saving a $. But that's just our experience. Beware!!!!!!!!!!

 

Please tell me a product that ISN'T made in China? I tire of people "blanket" calling ALL Chinese products crap.

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I had IMO poor customer service from them when I made a small purchase awhile ago, but I do like that they import some arcade stuff that would otherwise be unavailable here and I would not rule out purchasing from them again.

 

As far as a 29" 4:3 LCD goes......I'm not interested in one really and I think they will struggle to sell in volume for anything over $500 and that would have to include the new bezel to fit it into the relevant cabs. The CRTs in mine are still going strong and I have a couple of 29" TVs for donor tubes that I will purchase Jomac chassis for one day as back ups. So I hope to not be in the market for LCD any time soon, fingers crossed.

 

But if I heard of 29" 4:3 OLED then I would be interested as they have blacks that are even better than CRT and if they were made curved like a CRT to fit these cabs I think they would look awesome :D

 

Astros with good monitors can still be purchased for between $700 - $900 so I can't see people rushing to buy an LCD for the same price.

 

I would be glad to see these made though even if I'm not going to pre-order one, the more options out there to keep these old games going the better.

 

- - - Updated - - -

 

Please tell me a product that ISN'T made in China? I tire of people "blanket" calling ALL Chinese products crap.

 

Actually Oldbyte said that the Chinese made products he bought from Highway were crap, he didn't say all Chinese products were crap :) just being pedantic, but I know you like that :)

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i used to buy IR touch panels from china and to get them at the right price you need to buy 20-30 , maybe 2 or 3 stuff up after

a month or so , it is what it is but you pay monkeys for them so i can't complain

 

900 for a 4:3 lcd is ludicrous in this day and age, operators will never pay that - maybe 500 AU dollars landed

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The last thing we bought from Highway (made in China of course) we demanded a refund . It was badly manufactured. . First unit was faulty on delivery, second (replacement) unit caught fire . It all about saving a $. But that's just our experience. Beware!!!!!!!!!!

 

I think you need to be honest with everyone. The machine you are referring is our premium video cabinet with full safety approvals/test reports and sold to commercial retailers. Its definitely not the stock China machines found in the marketplace.

 

We believed you did not connect the IO board (to play your Taito X2 board) correctly to the Jamma harness the first time, which burned out the IO board. You called our office and said the machine does not work and that the IO board is not working. So our office tested another IO board from our showroom machine and sent to you. You then plugged the 2nd unit in incorrectly causing the IO board to be destroyed together with the wiring harness. You called our office and said the product was rubbish. As we told you, we believed you incorrectly plugged in the components causing the issues. In any case, we refunded you machine, paid for the machine to be returned back to us, paid for the parts to be replaced, turned the machine on - working fine. We even paid a freelance technician to also inspect the machine in case we had missed anything.

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If you really want to take it further, I have all the pics to prove that the I/O board you are referring to is badly manufactured. I can post all the correspondence if you wish but we both know the goods were faulty. You also forgot to mention that we are still out of pocket $250. So please don't talk about honesty.
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same, *most* people would not pay anyway near $900 for this, I realise this is a custom production run but panels are crazy cheap now when you look at how far TV's have dropped. Even $500 would be stretching it for a 29" 4:3 add shipping on top, I don't see this going anywhere at these costs.
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I can see the need for the monitor and fully understand the cost in producing 15 -80 hz 4:3 panels. Shit i was paying $250 Aus each for 15" 4:3 a few years ago and that was when the dollar was strong.

I think the market for this might be commercial within the larger operators but with the decline in video takings might be a big ask.

It is all going to come down to your min order qnty..

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I am well aware of what the OP is trying to achieve with this product. I also have looked at this possibility, even traveling to Taiwan to meet with panel makers.

 

You simply cannot compare a current TV that sells for $299~499 with a custom made panel that you might have (say) 1000 pcs made.

 

TVs are made by the tens of thousands in a single run - sometimes even hundreds of thousands.

 

It's impossible to describe the steps needed to have a short production run like this made but I will just say that I gave up!

 

If it could be done for $800 each I would say that is an absolute bargain but I fear that price will not be achievable.

 

Over the past couple of years I have really come to realise just what "volume" means in China - I have actually ordered 10K of one part and thrown away 2/3 of the goods when they arrived as I know they would NEVER be used and it would be pointless to store them for 10 years and then throw them away. The manufacturer simply could not grasp why I only wanted 3000 of them.

 

Most in Australia simply cannot comprehend the true meaning of volume and mass production, me included until recently!

 

I hope the OP can get this project off the ground as I would be a customer in limited numbers (commercially of course).

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As Homepin said, And I Agree.

 

The $800~$900 is a fair & good price for a 4:3 29" LCD due to limited availability and limited quantity.

 

These are NOT replacing "Wide screens" so the comparison to existing TV's is a moot point.

 

And the bottom line is if your CRT is gone and don't have access to any replacements - Your options are limited.

For home users or operators alike - It does give the option of keeping a cab running.

 

Most in Australia simply cannot comprehend the true meaning of volume and mass production, me included until recently!

Most Australians simply cannot comprehend nowadays.

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it's not at all a moot point if you consider the buyer's perspective. Most buyers see 2 things: the PRODUCT, and the PRICE. The manufacturing process, volume production runs, these things have meaning for the manufacturer only, not the customer. How the manufacturing volume affects the price to the end user ? The customer could care less, they want a product at a price that is doable.

 

Comparison to ANY other panel is inevitable, TV or not. The individual end-user sees the price of a 46" panel being under $500 these days. Whether or not they are produced in lots of 500 or 500,000 at a time ? That's the moot point to an end user. So then they look at a 29" panel costing $900 ? It's just not going to fly at that price except for those wealthy enough to throw what amounts to the price for a whole 2nd hand cab at a monitor ! Cool as a 29" would be.

 

I fully understand the reason for the cost. I'm not just talking out of my arse, I had my own business selling (all manner of ) technology online (directly to end users, and mostly individuals) for 7 years, 2003-2010. That gave me a very dry opinion of end users of technology in the internet age. (and also bulk wholesalers, but that's another story..)

 

but back to the OP. He asked is there interest and what price would be acceptable ? a number of people said around $500 they would find acceptable, something I agree with, there's interest at that price. Doesn't seem there would be any interest for the individual at $800-$900 though. Even if that's considered a 'bargain'due to the costs involved in a mass production run.

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it's not at all a moot point if you consider the buyer's perspective. Most buyers see 2 things: the PRODUCT, and the PRICE. The manufacturing process, volume production runs, these things have meaning for the manufacturer only, not the customer. How the manufacturing volume affects the price to the end user ? The customer could care less, they want a product at a price that is doable.

 

Comparison to ANY other panel is inevitable, TV or not. The individual end-user sees the price of a 46" panel being under $500 these days. Whether or not they are produced in lots of 500 or 500,000 at a time ? That's the moot point to an end user. So then they look at a 29" panel costing $900 ? It's just not going to fly at that price except for those wealthy enough to throw what amounts to the price for a whole 2nd hand cab at a monitor ! Cool as a 29" would be.

 

I fully understand the reason for the cost. I'm not just talking out of my arse, I had my own business selling (all manner of ) technology online (directly to end users, and mostly individuals) for 7 years, 2003-2010. That gave me a very dry opinion of end users of technology in the internet age. (and also bulk wholesalers, but that's another story..)

 

but back to the OP. He asked is there interest and what price would be acceptable ? a number of people said around $500 they would find acceptable, something I agree with, there's interest at that price. Doesn't seem there would be any interest for the individual at $800-$900 though. Even if that's considered a 'bargain'due to the costs involved in a mass production run.

 

It makes zero difference if the customer appreciates how the pricing is arrived at, or not. Simple fact is that volumes bring down the price. Anyone with a brain can understand that.

 

.....and it's "couldn't care less" - as in could NOT care less.

 

"Could care less" means that it is possible for them to care even less than they currently do. Why Americans find this simple English term difficult to grasp is beyond me?

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It makes zero difference if the customer appreciates how the pricing is arrived at, or not. Simple fact is that volumes bring down the price. Anyone with a brain can understand that.

 

.....and it's "couldn't care less" - as in could NOT care less.

 

"Could care less" means that it is possible for them to care even less than they currently do. Why Americans find this simple English term difficult to grasp is beyond me?

 

Sorry for making this completely :offtopic:, but Mike this is also a pet peeve of mine, but when I was instructed that Americans say it that way, I looked it up and found that they say it metaphorically, as if to say "Like I could care less" but because English is a lazy language, the 'like' got dropped. When they (Americans) say it, they mean it sarcastically. When Brits and Aussies say it, we mean it literally as you mentioned.

 

Now, back on track...

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