Minimalist ball set improvement

nataddrho

nataddrho

www.digicue.net
Silver Member
Most people here like the classic centennials or Aramith tournament for the ball design. Traditional colors. I thought that the original problem trying to be solved by changing the colors was for television / cameras. Now it has grown into just being different and unique for marketing purposes.

If we go back to the original problem, maybe this helps solve it. Just add a thin black outline between the stripe and the white portion so that the two colors are less likely to blend under low resolution. It is an extra manufacturing step but might make everyone happy. What do you think?

IMG_2026-11-09-081248.png
 
nataddrho said:
Most people here like the classic centennials or Aramith tournament for the ball design. Traditional colors. I thought that the original problem trying to be solved by changing the colors was for television / cameras. Now it has grown into just being different and unique for marketing purposes.

If we go back to the original problem, maybe this helps solve it. Just add a thin black outline between the stripe and the white portion so that the two colors are less likely to blend under low resolution. It is an extra manufacturing step but might make everyone happy. What do you think?

View attachment 942358
Click to expand...

Interesting minimal improvement. I like the Aramith Super Pro Set pretty much like it is.
I keep a set in the car to play one pocket with because they play correctly.
 
i like the classic look too, the centennials and the aramith tournament set just look right to me lol. that thin black outline sounds pretty subtle though, would it actually help on a dim table at end pocket or is it mostly a tv thing.
 
I think the thin black line helps the stripes but doesn't help the solids. Back in the day, the issue was telling the difference between the 2, 4, and 8 balls, the 2 generally wasn't a huge issue, but could be - the 4 and the 8 were, IMHO, always the issue, which is why I was ok with changing the color of the 4 ball. With the quality of the cameras today I don't think it's much of an issue but I'm ok with a different color 4 ball, leave everything else alone.
 
It's interesting now, with Ultimate Pool using Centennial Balls, and new quality cameras, how we feel about color differentiation with that exact combo. I think its been over 20 years that we've had Centennials on TV, when the cameras were not nearly as good.
 
iusedtoberich said:
It's interesting now, with Ultimate Pool using Centennial Balls, and new quality cameras, how we feel about color differentiation with that exact combo. I think its been over 20 years that we've had Centennials on TV, when the cameras were not nearly as good.
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It sounds then, that the color-change effort started twenty years ago to accommodate VGA resolution. The problem disappeared with high-definition and the ball colors turned into a novelty.
 
iusedtoberich said:
It's interesting now, with Ultimate Pool using Centennial Balls, and new quality cameras, how we feel about color differentiation with that exact combo. I think its been over 20 years that we've had Centennials on TV, when the cameras were not nearly as good.
Click to expand...

the 4-ball fooled the commentator
 
nataddrho said:
Most people here like the classic centennials or Aramith tournament for the ball design. Traditional colors. I thought that the original problem trying to be solved by changing the colors was for television / cameras. Now it has grown into just being different and unique for marketing purposes.

If we go back to the original problem, maybe this helps solve it. Just add a thin black outline between the stripe and the white portion so that the two colors are less likely to blend under low resolution. It is an extra manufacturing step but might make everyone happy. What do you think?

View attachment 942358
Click to expand...
don't like the black ring. these: https://dynaspheres.com/product/vanadium-572/ are tough to beat both in looks and price.
 
Chili Palmer said:
I think the thin black line helps the stripes but doesn't help the solids. Back in the day, the issue was telling the difference between the 2, 4, and 8 balls, the 2 generally wasn't a huge issue, but could be - the 4 and the 8 were, IMHO, always the issue, which is why I was ok with changing the color of the 4 ball. With the quality of the cameras today I don't think it's much of an issue but I'm ok with a different color 4 ball, leave everything else alone.
Click to expand...
Hate to say it, but just last week playing 9 ball, I shot the 5 while the 4 was still on table. Did this twice. 🤦🏻‍♂️Had a good laugh about it at the time, but wasn't funny after I left. First time for everything, eh??
 
Mensabum said:
Hate to say it, but just last week playing 9 ball, I shot the 5 while the 4 was still on table. Did this twice. 🤦🏻‍♂️Had a good laugh about it at the time, but wasn't funny after I left. First time for everything, eh??
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Been there done that. When I had a table the balls were pretty old and the 2 and 8 were hard to tell the difference and I had an elderly friend I would play with, he was constantly hitting the wrong ball, he did it so much he wanted to buy me a new set of balls, LOL.
 
I feel like the problem that these new ball designs/colors were supposed to solve is mostly no longer present. With todays camera and stream/broadcast quality I just don't know that the same problem exists anymore.

If the problem was distinguishing stripes from solids I could see this helping, but it would need to be tested with cameras to be sure. I find it unobtrusive and would take this over a changing colors any day. But I'm just not sure either is needed these days and I would like to see a return to a standard colored ball set.
 
Chili Palmer said:
Been there done that. When I had a table the balls were pretty old and the 2 and 8 were hard to tell the difference and I had an elderly friend I would play with, he was constantly hitting the wrong ball, he did it so much he wanted to buy me a new set of balls, LOL.
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Sucks to get old.
 
slide13 said:
I feel like the problem that these new ball designs/colors were supposed to solve is mostly no longer present. With todays camera and stream/broadcast quality I just don't know that the same problem exists anymore.

If the problem was distinguishing stripes from solids I could see this helping, but it would need to be tested with cameras to be sure. I find it unobtrusive and would take this over a changing colors any day. But I'm just not sure either is needed these days and I would like to see a return to a standard colored ball set.
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I don’t think it’s trying to solve a problem.. People like different cues, different tables etc and why not change their home table to some different balls. Why do they HAVE to stay the same when everything else changes to the different tastes people have. Of course if I’m going to be the sponsor and spend money on matchroom I’m going to use a set of balls that makes my product stick out when you see it. The also sell traditional balls if that’s what you like. The different designs of balls isn’t the national calamity that you all act like it is lol

As far as this design I like it. Just like the black around the centennials numbers it makes them pop.
 
336Robin said:
Interesting minimal improvement. I like the Aramith Super Pro Set pretty much like it is.
I keep a set in the car to play one pocket with because they play correctly.
Click to expand...
You do know that and centennials are the exact same ball in every way except color?
 
nataddrho said:
Most people here like the classic centennials or Aramith tournament for the ball design. Traditional colors. I thought that the original problem trying to be solved by changing the colors was for television / cameras. Now it has grown into just being different and unique for marketing purposes.

If we go back to the original problem, maybe this helps solve it. Just add a thin black outline between the stripe and the white portion so that the two colors are less likely to blend under low resolution. It is an extra manufacturing step but might make everyone happy. What do you think?

View attachment 942358
Click to expand...
this won't work as most events on camera are 9 ball so all the stripes are off the table in any case...
The problem is that some colors look very much the same on the screen, the 1 & 5, the 2 & 4 and the 3 & 7 (and the corresponding stripes).
The pink 4 was a good solution but the orange five stayed the same and the 7 changing to brown did little difference.
I actually think now after watching a few WNT events that the new balls colors are actually working great on the screen.

For those who just want to use different looking balls, there were always options out these
 
trob said:
You do know that and centennials are the exact same ball in every way except color?
Click to expand...

I wouldn't be surprised, but of course I'd bet they hype it up on the description to make the
Centennials look like something more special. Sure is a big difference in price.

I've played with and tested the latest rage in balls-- Dynaspheres against Aramith.

No comparison is possible, they are like apples and oranges with Aramith balls being able to be thrown
in pass banks and such and Dynaspheres not so much. I even rolled a Dynasphere down a ramp into one
of their balls and did the same with an Aramith and the Aramith collision produced more travel distance.

They dampened down ball travel. So I bought a set of balls to play one pocket with.

I'm the envy of the Pool room. lol
 
iusedtoberich said:
It's interesting now, with Ultimate Pool using Centennial Balls, and new quality cameras, how we feel about color differentiation with that exact combo. I think its been over 20 years that we've had Centennials on TV, when the cameras were not nearly as good.
Click to expand...
might be ok on tv but I was watching it on youtube on my pc and I struggled to tell the difference between the 4 and 8 so I'm not convinced the problem is fixed.
 
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