Developing x-rays in a darkroom in vats of chemicals is a thing of the past. In fact, modern digital x-ray machines are faster and more accurate than their predecessors. If you haven't had an x-ray in a few years (or decades), here's what you need to know about digital x-ray machines. What is a digital x-ray machine? A digital x-ray machine is an x-ray imaging system that uses a digital detector to capture and store x-ray images.