TECH2

Most modern TVs, tablets, and laptops have glossy screens. While these have benefits as far as image quality goes, they’re not great in bright environments. Hard reflections can make the actual content on the screens hard to see.

NuShield makes special removable films that aim to combat this problem.

I checked out both the DayVue and Triple A films on my Kindle Fire, though there are many other sizes available.

The original Kindle Fire was especially bad for reflections (and the new one isn’t much better). If I was watching a video on a plane, for example, and the interior lights were on, I’d see my face superimposed over whatever I was watching. Narcissus I am not, so the effect was less than enjoyable.

The DayVue screen is designed to reduce reflections, making the screen more visible in bright light.

The Triple A is “anti-glare, anti-microbial, and anti-fingerprint,” perfect for the heliophobic, mysophobic outdoorsman in your life.

Both films have a simple “install” process. The film itself is sandwiched between two protective (and labeled) plastic layers. Peel off the first layer, and lay the exposed side of the film on the screen. Remove bubbles. Peel off the top layer. Enjoy. Once installed, the films peel off easily, leaving no residue. They also don’t seem to interfere with the touch sensitivity of the screen (at least not with my Fire).

I tried the DayVue first, with various combinations of inside and outdoor (afternoon) lighting. The clear film didn’t add any artifacts, though its ability to reject ambient light was minimal.

I had better luck with the Triple A, which transforms your glossy screen into a matte screen. No film can work miracles, but while watching a movie on the Fire it went from “unwatchable” in bright sunlight to “watchable” with the Triple A. Pretty impressive for a $16 film.

Reading some pages from an ebook on the same screen was far easier, as the biggest improvement made by the Triple A is the subduing and blurring of reflections. Instead of a mirror-like finish reflecting your visage, the Triple A film softens and sort-of defocuses the reflections, making them far less distracting.

The tradeoff is sort of sparkly rainbow effect, adding a texture to the screen. This is common with many matte screens, even those that come from the factory that way. If you use your tablet outdoors, this is probably a reasonable tradeoff, letting you see more of the screen, at the expense of a “cleaner” image.

Bottom Line

With the majority of today’s screens being highly reflective, and the fact that most people like to go outside (an affliction I certainly don’t suffer from), it can be hard to see your various content. The DayVue only offered a slight improvement, making its higher price rather odd. The Triple A worked as advertised, though you trade visibility in bright light for somewhat mild rainbow sparkles. Still, the added visibility in bright lighting is probably what a lot of people want in a product like this, so it’s certainly worth checking out.