PixelBright^TM High-Gloss LCD Screens

• What is PixelBright^TM?
• How much is PixelBright^TM?
• How do I order PixelBright^TM?
• What is the difference between PixelBrightTM (also known as "high-gloss" or "anti-reflective") notebook screens and traditional notebook screens?
• What are the benefits of a PixelBrightTM (a.k.a. "high-gloss" or "anti-reflective") notebook screen?
• Is there a difference between PixelBrightTM (a.k.a. "high-gloss" or "anti-reflective") notebook screens and for example Sony XBRITETM or Toshiba TruBriteTM screens?

What is PixelBright^TM?

PixelBright^TM is ScreenTek's proprietary name for the latest in high-gloss LCD screen technology. High-gloss, or more formally known in industry parlance as "anti-reflective", is an LCD screen technology available in select notebook brands and models. This technology provides crisper images with more vibrant colors than traditional notebook LCD screens while still reducing ambient light reflection. High-gloss is also perfect for multimedia applications like gaming, watching DVDs, creating and manipulating graphics and photos and more. Currently, Acer (CrystalBrite), ASUS (Color Shine), Dell (TrueLife^TM), Fujitsu (Crystal View), Gateway (UltraBright), HP Compaq (BrightView), Sony (XBRITE^TM) and Toshiba (TruBrite^TM) offer high-gloss, anti-reflective screens for select notebook models which are marketed under their own high-gloss proprietary names.

How much does PixelBright^TM cost?

The following table lists the prices for PixelBright. Prices may vary depending on whether you are purchasing a new screen with PixelBright or are just upgrading your current LCD.

Scenario	Price
1) My laptop currently has a high-gloss, anti-reflective screen (i.e. Sony XBRITETM, Toshiba TruBriteTM, etc.) which I have damaged and would like to replace the screen with a high-gloss, anti-reflective screen.	Price is already included in the replacement screen’s price. Click here to locate your LCD screen at ScreenTek.
2) My laptop currently has a traditional laptop screen which I have damaged and would like to replace the screen with a high-gloss, anti-reflective screen.	Price of replacement screen + $50
3) My laptop currently has a traditional laptop screen, however, I have not damaged my screen but would like to upgrade it to high-gloss, anti-reflective.	$100 Note: Must send us your laptop with AC adapter. The LCD screen will be disassembled so that the traditional anti-glare polarizer can be removed and then a high-gloss, anti-reflective polarizer will be installed in a Class 100 (US Fed Std 209E) / ISO Class 5 clean room environment.

How do I order PixelBright^TM?

PixelBrightTM cannot be ordered via the shopping cart. Please contact us at ScreenTek so that we may (depending on your needs; see pricing above) locate the appropriate screen for you if you are ordering a replacement screen, or make arrangements for you to send us your laptop if you are upgrading your screen to high-gloss PixelBrightTM.

What is the difference between PixelBright^TM (also known as "high-gloss" or "anti-reflective") notebook screens and traditional notebook screens?

All LCD screens use a special multi-layer filter called a polarizer which is affixed to the the glass of the LCD. A polarizer serves two main purposes: 1) is a sort of gatekeeper only allowing light waves of a certain rotation through which is necessary to rendering an image on the display and 2) helps control the reflection of external ambient light. There are two types of polarizers which control external ambient light differently: 1) anti-glare (traditional screens) and 2) anti-reflective (new high-gloss screens).

Most LCD screens use a polarizer with an anti-glare layer to diffuse light from external light sources. The anti-glare surface of this type of polarizer has a rough matte finish. When light hits this rough surface it bounces off at different angles (diffusion), which minimizes the amount of light directly reflected at the user’s eyes. While this reduces the intensity of light from hitting the user’s eyes directly, it does, however, leave a hazy image of the reflection which may block the onscreen imagery. In addition, this polarizer also lowers the contrast ratio, viewing angles and reduces the clarity of the LCD image.

Traditional LCD with Anti-Glare Polarizer Advantage:   1) Reduced intensity of reflected light. Disadvantage:   1) Reflected light creates hazy image.   2) Distorted image generated by LCD screen.

An anti-reflective LCD screen does not use a rough matte, anti-glare polarizer. Instead, an LCD with an anti-reflective polarizer has a high-gloss finish. The anti-reflective layer of the polarizer is made of magnesium fluoride which actually reduces reflected light by lowering the Refractive Index of the surface of the LCD panel to a number closer to that of air. This process is known as index matching. This greatly reduces the reflection and refraction of ambient light as it hits the surface of the LCD display. Also, because the surface of an anti-reflective LCD has a smooth gloss finish, the image is crystal clear.

Both anti-glare and anti-reflective LCD screens serve a distinct purpose. While high-gloss, anti-reflective LCD screens may seem superior in all facets, they are better suited in indoor environments where ambient light conditions are not as bright. This way the user gets the required level of ambient light reflection reduction without sacrificing image quality. Anti-glare, on the other hand, may be better suited to the outdoors or indoor environments with intense direct light. In this situation, the user may be better off sacrifice image quality for maximum ambient light reflection reduction.

What are the benefits of a PixelBright^TM (a.k.a. "high-gloss" or "anti-reflective") notebook screen?

High-gloss, or more formally known in industry terminology as "anti-reflective", LCD screens have many advantages over traditional anti-glare LCD screens which have historically been used in laptop computers. Advantages of anti-reflective LCD screens include:

• Sharper contrast
• Crisper images
• Colors that are richer
• Wider viewing angles
• No reflected hazy image

The advantages of anti-reflective LCD screens over anti-glare LCD screens are simply the result of using a smooth high-gloss surface. A high-gloss surface allows the light from an image to be directly transmitted to the viewer’s eye without being diffused. Diffused light blurs the crispness of an image, blurs the richness of colors and reduces the darkness of the darkest of black pixels thereby decreasing contrast. Contrast ratio (CR) is the measurement of the difference in light intensity between the brightest white pixel and the darkest black pixel.

In addition, viewing angles are superior for anti-reflective LCD screens. Viewing angle is defined as the number of degrees measured from a line perpendicular to the plane of the display in which the display is readable. This is usually defined as the angle at which the contrast ratio (CR) is greater than 10:1. As can be seen in the diagram below, the contrast ratio decreases from the maximum contrast ratio at the perpendicular axis as the angle increases. Hence, the greater the contrast ratio on the perpendicular axis the greater the angle will be where the contrast ratio is 10:1. See diagram below.

Viewing Angles of Traditional Anti-Glare and New Anti-Reflective LCD Screens

Is there a difference between PixelBright^TM (a.k.a. "high-gloss" or "anti-reflective") notebook screens and for example Sony XBRITE^TM or Toshiba TruBrite^TM screens?

No, there is no difference between PixelBright^TM anti-reflective notebook screens and for example Sony XBRITE^TM or Toshiba TruBrite^TM notebook screens. Whether you are purchasing a new replacement high-gloss LCD screen from us or having your LCD screen upgraded, we offer the same types of screens for replacement as well as the same types of high-gloss, anti-reflective polarizers for upgrading.