Pinball Machine Eras Explained: How to Tell EM, Solid State, DMD and LCD Apart
Pinball collectors sort machines by era before they talk about anything else, because the era tells you how a game works inside, what tends to fail, and what kind of owner it suits. The good news: you can usually place a machine in the right era from across the room.
This guide walks through the four broad eras as they are commonly described in the hobby, gives you a field checklist for identifying a machine in person or from listing photos, and explains why the era matters before you buy. All dates here are rough, commonly cited ranges. Manufacturers moved at different speeds, and transitional games blur the lines.
- Four broad eras: electromechanical (EM), early solid state (numeric and alphanumeric displays), dot matrix display (DMD), and LCD/video. The dates are approximate and overlap.
- The fastest tell is the scoring display: spinning score reels mean EM; glowing segment digits mean early solid state; an orange (or later colour) dot grid means DMD; a full-colour screen in the backbox means LCD.
- Era sets the ownership experience: what breaks, which parts you hunt for, and what skills you need to keep it running.
- Always confirm the exact title and manufacturer against a reference database before you research value or order parts.
The four eras at a glance
Think of these as overlapping bands rather than hard boundaries. A manufacturer might release a late electromechanical game in the same period a rival was shipping early solid state, and some machines mix features from two eras.
| Era | Rough period (commonly cited) | Scoring display | How it thinks |
|---|---|---|---|
| Electromechanical (EM) | Pre-war through the 1970s | Rotating score reels or lit backglass numbers | Relays, stepper units and switches, no computer |
| Early solid state (SS) | Late 1970s to around 1990 | Numeric 7-segment digits, later alphanumeric segments | Microprocessor boards in the backbox |
| Dot matrix display (DMD) | Early 1990s to the mid-2010s | A grid of dots, usually orange plasma or later LED panels | More powerful boards, animations and speech |
| LCD / modern | Mid-2010s onward | A colour LCD screen in the backbox | Embedded computer systems, often updatable software |
If you want the practical trade-offs between the first two and the last two, read our comparisons of electromechanical vs solid-state pinball and DMD vs LCD machines. This article is about recognising which one you are looking at.
Electromechanical machines
EM games run entirely on electricity and mechanism: relays click, stepper units ratchet forward, and score reels physically rotate to show your points. There is no circuit board brain. The famous flipper as most people know it was popularised in the late 1940s, so EMs span a long history, but the ones most collectors encounter come from the 1960s and 1970s.
How to recognise an EM
- Score reels: numbered drums behind small windows in the backglass, often one set per player.
- Sound: bells, chimes and the chatter of relays. When a game ends, you often hear a cascade of clicking as units reset.
- Backbox interior: rows of relays, a score motor, and stepper units with wiper contacts, not circuit boards.
- Playfield: simpler layouts, frequently two short flippers, pop bumpers and rollovers. Few or no ramps.
- Backglass: usually a true painted glass, not a backlit plastic print.
EMs are often the most forgiving to learn on because every function is visible. Problems are usually dirty switch contacts, worn mechanisms and sticky steppers rather than failed electronics.
Early solid state: numeric and alphanumeric
From the late 1970s, manufacturers moved game logic onto microprocessor boards. The first wave displayed scores on glowing segmented digits, the kind you would recognise from an old calculator, and introduced electronic sounds and speech. Through the 1980s, alphanumeric segment displays arrived that could spell out words and short messages.
How to recognise early solid state
- Display: separate blocks of glowing segment digits, often blue-green or orange, sometimes one display per player.
- Sound: electronic tones and early synthesised speech instead of chimes.
- Backbox interior: circuit boards, often including a CPU board, a power/driver board and a sound board.
- Playfield: more inserts, drop targets and multi-level features start to appear later in the era.
- Batteries: many boards from this period hold batteries that keep settings and high scores. These can leak and corrode the board, so check them first.
Open the backbox (with the machine unplugged) and look for battery packs on the CPU board. Green or white crust around them or on nearby traces is a red flag. Corrosion can spread quietly and damage the very board that runs the game.
The dot matrix era
In the early 1990s, the industry broadly adopted dot matrix displays: a single rectangular panel made up of a grid of dots that could show animations, video modes and detailed scoring. The classic DMD glows orange. Later replacement and aftermarket panels use LED technology and sometimes colour.
How to recognise a DMD game
- Display: one wide panel showing animated pictures, not separate digit blocks.
- Playfield: ramps, toys, multiball, and deep rule sets are common. These games are often heavily licensed with film, TV and music themes.
- Backglass: almost always a translite, a printed plastic or film sheet lit from behind, with a separate clear glass in front.
- Sound: music tracks, voice clips and layered effects.
This era is where many people who played in arcades as kids land as collectors. The trade-off is complexity: more boards, more toys, and more parts that are specific to one title.
LCD and modern machines
From roughly the mid-2010s, new machines increasingly used full-colour LCD screens in the backbox. Under the hood they run on embedded computer platforms, and many receive software updates from the manufacturer that add rules or fix bugs.
How to recognise an LCD game
- Display: a full-colour screen with video clips and graphics, often larger than a DMD panel.
- Lighting: LED lighting throughout, frequently with colour-changing effects.
- Model tiers: many modern titles come in more than one trim level with different toys or features. Confirm which version you are looking at.
An older game can wear an aftermarket colour display or a full LED conversion. That does not make it an LCD-era machine. Check the title and manufacturer to place it, then note any modifications separately.
Field checklist: identify a machine in five minutes
Use this in person or against listing photos. If a seller will not provide the photos you need to answer these, that tells you something too.
- Read the title off the backglass or translite and the manufacturer name, often printed on the backglass, apron, or cabinet.
- Look at the scoring display: reels, segment digits, dot matrix, or LCD.
- Find the serial plate or sticker, usually on the cabinet or inside the coin door or backbox, and photograph it.
- Look inside the backbox: relays and stepper units, or circuit boards.
- Check the apron and instruction cards for the game name and any model or version markings.
- Note obvious modifications: LED boards, colour displays, reproduction plastics, or a replaced backglass.
- Cross-check the title and manufacturer in a reference database before you research anything else.
The Internet Pinball Machine Database (IPDB) is the reference most collectors use for this step. It catalogues titles by manufacturer and typically lists the display type, flipper count and other features that help confirm what you have.
Why the era changes the ownership experience
Mechanical troubleshooting. Cleaning and adjusting contacts, steppers and relays. Fewer electronic failure points.
Board-level issues such as battery corrosion, connectors and power supply work. Rewards learning basic electronics.
Toys, ramps, opto switches and display health. Many title-specific parts.
Software updates, computer hardware, and dependence on the maker's support for parts.
Era also shapes how you research value. Comparing a machine to the wrong era, or even the wrong version of the same title, is one of the commonest pricing mistakes. Our guide on valuing a used pinball machine without guessing covers how to find properly comparable sales.
Researching a specific era on eBay
Once you know the era, searching becomes much more precise. Completed listings show what similar machines and parts have actually sold for, which is far more useful than asking prices.
Pinball books are also useful for training your eye. Illustrated histories show how backglass art, cabinets and playfields changed across eras. Browse pinball history books on Amazon.
FAQ
What year did solid state pinball start?
It is commonly placed in the late 1970s, when major manufacturers began shipping games controlled by microprocessor boards. Exact timing varied by maker, and some electromechanical games were still produced alongside early solid state titles.
Is a DMD machine the same as solid state?
Technically yes. DMD games are solid state machines too, because they run on electronic boards. Collectors use "solid state" loosely for the pre-DMD electronic games with segment displays, and "DMD" for the dot matrix era that followed.
Can I tell the era from a backglass alone?
Often, but not always. A painted glass with score reel windows usually means EM, and a translite usually means DMD or later. Reproduction and replacement glass can mislead you, so confirm with the display and backbox interior.
Does a newer era mean a better machine?
No. Each era suits a different kind of owner and player. EMs are simple and charming, DMD games offer deep rules and toys, and LCD games add modern software. Choose based on how you want to play and maintain it.
Where can I confirm the exact title and manufacturer?
The Internet Pinball Machine Database (IPDB) is the standard starting point. Match the title, manufacturer and visible features, then check the serial plate.
The bottom line
Place the machine in its era first, using the display, the sounds and a look inside the backbox. Then confirm the exact title and manufacturer before you price it or order parts. That one habit prevents most mismatched comparisons and wrong-part orders.
For what comes next, see our playfield wear inspection guide or browse the rest of the PinballMachines.co blog.