Side-by-Side W PICS! Gloss vs Matte cover!

Alright guys I took the liberty of doing a good comparison for everyone wondering how the matte screen cover sold through Dell/Alienware looks compared to the factory high gloss. These are two identical M14x's, with the high res 1600x900 screen.

The matte is on the left, gloss on the right. 1st pic is with both screens off. 2nd is on a webpage running max brightness. 3rd pic is on the dimmest setting, same web page. The pictures perfectly represent what it looks like in real life. I hope this helps people make there decision on what to do.

NOTE: It is a royal PITA to install. You need to be extremely patient and have a good working knowledge on how to apply tint or films. The instructions aren't too bad to follow, but it would certainly help if you had two people. I personally love the matte, and I don't regret it.

 

The "off" picture is the most helpful. Your reflection looks much more diffused in the one with the matte cover.

Another one which might help is if you take a picture of each with a small flashlight shining on the screen. Good stuff, though.

Say, why do you have two m14xes?

 

With a 9 LED flashlight. I placed a finger across the light source to show how clear and refined the reflection is on the gloss, and how diluted it looks with the matte.

It's hard with a camera phone (LG G2x 8MP) because it adjusts based off lighting. The reflection is so bright on the gloss that the camera dims it slightly.

1st pic is Gloss. 2nd pic is Matte.

 

In regards to why I have two...

To be completely honest I only own one of these. I am a programmer and computer component enthusiast if you will, so all of my co-workers and friends come to me for builds and customization. A buddy bought the same laptop as mine and left it with me to configure, tweak, and crack . It runs like a champ now. Dropping it off for him tomorrow. I just wanted to share the comparisons of the two because I doubt many people will have a constant to compare to like I did.

I hope this helps people make the best decision possible.

 

Thanks for this. I love antiglare screens. My Mbp ag screen is amazing on campus and near direct sunlight. I never thought I'd use it in these situations as much but when I do I never have issues.

 

No problem. It's definitely paid off for me. I seems a bit easier to see without too many drawbacks.

 

Why do you need the finish, what does it help you do? It looks like a waste of money to me, but meh... I guess if you like attracting attention to your laptop you may use at a coffee shop go for it!

 

Yeah Im sure the matte screen is going to be the thing attracting attention to his alienware..

 

hmmm what? It's for personal use/preference. I have a matte screen and love it. I owned an M11x and one thing I hated was the reflective screen on it. This seems to help that and he went with it.

 

Yeah a matte finish is going to attract a lot more attention than a gloss screen. Do you understand what a matte screen looks like?

You can't tell anything is there. It just looks less reflective which makes the screen MUCH easier to see in brighter lighting conditions. There is more function to this than an extra 1.5GB of RAM on the GPU . I take advantage of the screen every day.

 

Where can I get one of these matte screen protectors?

 

I'd love to get the matte covers as well.

 

eBay:
search for: m14x matte

 

Sweet, thanks!

 

So how hard was it to install? I've installed screen protectors on cell phones and tablets many times, and have somewhat steady hands, but I want to make sure before taking the plunge.

 

It's very easy to screw up the installation if you don't know what you're doing. Play it safe and have a friend help you. Remove as much dust as possible (ALL dust, or it won't look good, ever) and carefully work from one side to the other.

 

Will do, though I just found a batch of dead pixels on the LCD! I just got the laptop on wednesday.

I'm on hold with Alienware support now to see what they can do for me.

 

And they will warranty it!!

Tech coming onsite with a new screen next week...apparently Dell's policy is 8 dead pixels or more to qualify for replacement.

 

I hope I never have a pixel issue. One dead pixel is enough to make me go nuts and something I would complain to them enough until I get a replacement. My M14x has simple been the best laptop I've ever owned (first Alienware).

 

If I had 1 dead pixel, I'd return the machine within the (no-questions asked) refund period.

8 dead pixels is a lot. My external monitor came with a zero dead pixel policy - the first one I got was replaced with a new one because of exactly 1 dead pixel!

 

Dell sells them on their site or you can get them here: AG2 Anti-Glare screen Protector for Dell Alienware M14x | Green Onions Supply (Exact ones Dell sells)

I'm not too trusting of stuff on ebay sometimes.

 

Hey guys is there any downside to using the matte cover? Loss of picture quality or anything?

 

I have a matte cover on my iphone 4 and I can tell you that visual vibrancy and brightness get diminished slightly. It's not enough to visually distract or distort. Everything still has a high amount of clarity. Once it's on there, you're generally more excited about the less glare than the brightness.

 

Yeah true, but I got it from the Dell Outlet, and the price + specs is kinda tough to beat.

I'm hoping this will be the only issue I come across with this laptop.

 

Gotcha. One thing that puts me off is all the reports of reflective screens.

 

Doesnt it sort of deteriorate color quality too? All the matte screens Ive ever seen usually dont have as nice contrast as glossy screens.

 

I do not have an Alienware computer yet. Is the glossy screen about the same as an iMac?

 

The gloss is pretty strong. My matte cover produces a SLIGHT film appearance over the screen but the image quality is still amazing. Without all of the annoying reflections on bright lighting it's worth the trade off for sure.

 

I bought mine through Dell when I configured my Alienware.

 

I just picked up 2 of the Green Onion matte protectors...just in case I ruin one trying to put it on.

If I don't I'll have one available FS if anyone wants.

 

curses. Now I regret not getting the m14x even more than I already do.

Nice job, though!

 

how much???

 

I paid full price for it, $35 each plus shipping, so $25 with a few bucks for shipping sound ok?

 

I installed the screen protector in about 15 minutes, with a little bit of prep. I recommend the Green Onion kit, even though it's $40. It comes with a dust screen which is basically a large square screen protector you put on first, and then slowly peel back while applying the real one. I only ended up with a tiny dust spot near the alienware logo, but otherwise it fit perfectly.

I am posting this right now with the screen at 100% brightness, and I can notice the difference in screen quality. There is a slightly flimly look (that's the best way to describe it), but that's fine for me.

 

I agree, just finished applying mine.

 

Glad to see you still like it after you finished transferring it on. I think the cover helped a lot with glare.

 

Yep, and I managed to get the dust speck out by lifting the corner with an exacto blade and using a piece of scotch tape to lift it.

Now the screen protector is seemless!

 

hi, just wanna ask you if it's better to put of anti glare to alienware mx14 or not.
and about the quality of the screen as well, is it reduced it's resolution quality?or is it the same as the newest alienware m14?
thanks

 

hi is the mate cover on mx14 will gives the same resolution as in m14?