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3M privacy filter

Florent Alzieu
Updated: September 9, 2009
Verdict
Outside of its main use, privacy, this filter isn't really worth bothering with.

Viewing angles are so reduced that on a large screen that you can't even see what is displayed on the edges of the screen. You have to put yourself directly in front of whatever you're trying to look at. Otherwise all you get is the black filter.

Brightness also suffers a good deal.

As you might have guessed from the title, the primary function of this filter is privacy. It was designed so that neighbours on, for example, a plane (see photo) can’t see over your shoulder and spy on your super confidential Excel files - as long as the air host or hostess hasn’t previously snatched the computer from your hands for having interfered with the pilot’s instruments.

Photo from 3M packaging

What is good is that you can remove the filter. To use it (see image below), you stick little plastic fasteners around your screen and slide the filter in.

Photo of the filter instructions


Is the screen less reflective?

Yes. However at some cost. There are less reflections but brightness is also greatly reduced. On our test screen brightness was down from 86cd/m² to 51cd/m² when we put the filter into place (measured on a white screen). Colours remain good. The average DeltaE was 0.8 (screen calibrated of course) and the addition of the filter didn’t change this.
 
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