Home streamers. Set this up in your game corner and let people actually see what’s happening while you nail that one handed grind to Attack Mars.

Arcade and barcade owners. Use it for leagues and tournaments. It’s free advertising, it’s fast to set up, and it’s reliable enough to leave running all night.

Tournament directors. You already have enough to move. At least the streaming rig won’t require two people, an extra vehicle, and a prayer you aren't missing a piece. It also won't require the person sitting in the corner baby sitting the stream to keep it alive during the fun.

That was the goal. If you can play a game of pinball, you can set this up. And if something isn't clear, reach out, I am more than happy to assist.

Frame assembly: 10-15 minutes

There is a guide, but you probably wont need it. Disassembly for transport takes about the same time. No tools required, no second pair of hands required, no deciphering cryptic instructions required. Easier than a lot of Ikea furniture.

First time PARABOX setup: 10-15 minutes

Most of that is waiting for Wi-Fi to configure, so you can play a game while it connects.

Once connected: under 5 minutes to start streaming

Choose your frame rate, hit the big start button, and you are live!

It works by itself! You can stream directly to YouTube or Twitch with just a few clicks, no external computer or laptop required.

If you want to layer in microphones, commentators, graphics, or effects, PARAFLIP publishes a standard RTMP stream that drops cleanly into OBS, Streamlabs, or similar software.

The cameras are also UVC compatible, meaning they can plug directly into Windows, macOS, or Linux and behave like standard webcams.

Pretty much all of them. Stern, Bally, Williams, Jersey Jack, Spooky, American Pinball, CGC, if i missed one, it wasn't intentional. If something doesn't fit your machine, let me know and I'll fix it for free.

Widebody machines like our beloved Paragon do require a widebody adapter.

That's what it was designed for. The entire rig fits in my backpack. The shipping box doubles as a carrying case and measures 26 x 6 x 6 inches.

Honestly? I didn't want to. But, the market is split into two sub-par choices. You either get a cheap camera with poor motion handling and questionable quality. Or, you get very expensive cameras packed with features you don't need.

There is almost nothing in the mid to upper mid range that solves for fast motion, low light, multiple cameras, and strobing LEDs. So, I designed one by working with a camera manufacturer.

The same logic applies to our frame, connectors, and software. Yes, you can use OBS. Yes, you can use capture cards. But, trying to run multiple cameras is both challenging and inefficient. PARAFLIP uses custom firmware and low level software to sustain long streams of multiple cameras at high frame rates, low latency, and low power without sacrificing quality.

No, but its intentional.

PARAFLIP is a closed system, similar in spirit to Apple. Many third party cameras technically work, but most have poor motion handling, inconsistent exposure behavior, or performance limitations that break the experience. We maintain image quality and performance from tight integration between the camera hardware, firmware, and low-level software. Unfortunately, that stack and customization isn't portable to most off the shelf cameras. This is one of those rare cases where less flexibility is a better outcome.

Short answer: carefully. Seriously, use one of the presets.

Long answer: its a delicate balancing act between motion clarity and brightness.

At 60fps, a common exposure of 1/60 (16.6ms) means a pinball moving at 3m/s travels ~50mm during a single frame. That's almost two pinball long, no wonder why it looks like an oval!

Reducing exposure (for example to 8ms) dramatically improves motion clarity. The tradeoff is less light hits the sensor, which makes the image darker. And, pinball machines in arcades aren't exactly well lit to begin with.

To compensate with a lower exposure, you can increase gain and brightness. It also helps to increase gamma to lift mid tones (which helps most playfields a lot). But, if you push too far, you will introduce too much noise, which is just as distracting as motion blur.

PARAFLIP ships with sensible defaults for a few different environments, give one of them a shot and try tweaking a bit.

I started with an 80/20 extrusion frame like most hobby frames. It worked, but it was bulky, hard to assemble, hard to transport, and honestly ugly. I wanted something which collapses for transport in something like a backpack. Ideally, it would look pretty, maybe even hiding all of the cables required.

This adventure led through a few iterations until I finally realized there was nothing on the market and designed my own connector. Patent pending! This let me hide cables and attach the cameras directly to the frame, while allowing collapsing into a small box.

I've measured speeds on a few modern Stern machines.

• Typical play: 2-3m/s
• After slings, pops, or combos: ~4-5m/s
• Fastest measured: ~5.2 m/s (about 12mph)

These are estimates based on frame timing, not a lab instrument. But, they do explain why a lot of cameras struggle, they're not designed for that type of speed without camera artifacts. A pinball is a small, shiny, fast moving object across strobing LEDS, a cameras worst nightmare.

All of it.

I am a solo entrepreneur, which means when you reach out, you are talking to the person who designed, built, and uses the system. Ask questions please. If you are confused, someone else probably is too, and you will help me improve the product.

If you are in Colorado, I might even swing by. Hosting a big tournament and want "just in case" IT support? We can make that happen.

Emotional hugs are optional, but negotiable.

If you want an accessory, just ask.

People have already reached out about:

• Microphones
• Battery banks
• Lighting

If there is enough interest, I am happy to support it. If you have something different, a custom camera idea, special mounting needs, or a different setup, reach out. I can't promise everything, but I can promise I'll consider it.

Everything is designed in Colorado, USA. 

Manufacturing is split because I am tiny. While I'd love to do more domestically over time, this balance lets me focus on reliability, cost, and making fun products!

• Aluminum: Sourced from a US supplier in PA
• Electronics: Manufactured in China (there is no alternative at my size)
• Firmware and software: Written entirely by me
• Misc (connectors, cases, etc..): Manufactured in house (literally) on my own 3D printer

Best of all time? Paragon. Say it slowly, para-gon.

One of my all time favorites is Keith Elwin's Jurassic Park. Its fun, funny lines Nedry, deep but not too deep, and endlessly replayable. I'm somewhat embarrassed I still haven't beaten it after thousands of games.