Protective film worth it?

[Ryanonymous]

Hey everyone, I've been reading this forum the past few days, ever since I put my ipod through the wash and have been looking for something to replace it.

Anyways, from reading the forums I've decided that the Cowon J3 might be my replacement of choice. I started out wanting to spend less than $150, but I don't want to buy something substandard, and having something touch screen that I can also watch videos on and play a flash game or two is very attractive.

Anyways, the reason I made this post is that I was wondering if buying the protective film for the glass screen is worth it. I know you want to protect such an expensive piece of equipment, but I thought during my early search for a new mp3 player that I saw a video of a guy using a knife and razor on the J3 as well as a few other top end players, and showed it didn't scratch it. At least I think the J3 was one of them.

I also am going to get the leather case, which I will keep closed when I'm not using the device.

So is the protective screen worth it?

Thanks a lot.

[CrowdAds]

[Syndrome]

I would most definitely suggest you put a protective film over your screen, even though it has gorilla glass it can still be scratched.

Step back into your highschool earth science class. Take a look at the Mohs hardness scale and you will quickly realize that sand(quatzite for those who don't know its mineral name) is actually harder than both glass and hardened steel.





Sorry if it sounds rude, its copied from another thread.

[rickysio]

I would most definitely suggest it, mostly because stock glass coverings on all capacitive screen devices are quite grippy, and by placing a plastic covering on it it becomes much much easier to use, since you don't get the large amounts of friction unlike on clean, oilfree glass.

[Ryanonymous]

Alright, thanks. If it's a necessity, as it seems, why don't they include something like this when you buy the thing?

Also, it has no effect on using the touchscreen? Never had a touchscreen device before.

[rickysio]

It's not a strict necessity. The device will function regardless of whether it is on or not, unlike Apple's iPhone 4 and the bumpers.

And yeah, it has no effect on using the touchscreen.

[Syndrome]

It has no effect on how it operates, And honestly with the J3/S9 it holds up very well without one. But some people say it is scratch proof, and it is NOT. I've got plenty of scratches on my S9, all from sand, which is pretty much 90% of the earths crust. But if you live in a large city then it probably isn't a big deal, but I live in a desert.

[dfkt]

The special feature of Gorilla Glass is that it doesn't break as easily on impact as normal glass, and can be bent much further - but they indeed don't mention anything about its hardness and scratch-ability anywhere.

[Syndrome]

Yes, thats true DFKT, but I have also proved that it will shatter/crack.

[Olley]

The film protectors are nothing more than plastic that scratches easier than the glass. They also obscure the screen image somewhat, and don't do anything to keep fingerprints from making the device look a mess. If you're getting a leather case with a flap to cover the screen (strongly recommended), then skip the film.

[The DarkSide]

It's easier to replace a cheap plastic screen protector than repair a damaged/scratched screen - get a screen protector, Syndrome is 100% on point.

[Syndrome]

Originally Posted by The DarkSide

It's easier to replace a cheap plastic screen protector than repair a damaged/scratched screen - get a screen protector.

Quoted for Truth, Finally me and TDS are seeing eye to eye.

[rickysio]

Originally Posted by Olley

The film protectors are nothing more than plastic that scratches easier than the glass. They also obscure the screen image somewhat, and don't do anything to keep fingerprints from making the device look a mess. If you're getting a leather case with a flap to cover the screen (strongly recommended), then skip the film.

If you get a good screen protector, they do reduce fingerprints TREMENDOUSLY.

[DSperber]

Fingerprints can be cleaned off easily. Just breathe on the screen and then use a 100% soft cotton cloth or chamois to buff away the grease and fingerprints.

Who leaves fingerprints on a J3's screen...protective plastic sheet or glass? CRIMINAL!!!

[dfkt]

Originally Posted by Syndrome

Yes, thats true DFKT, but I have also proved that it will shatter/crack.

Oh right - I totally forgot about that. Just had the image of your thoroughly hairline-scratched S9 in mind. Did Cowon fix it?

[markmp3guy]

I'm adding my bid for Invisible Shield by Zagg.com. Every mp3 player I've owned, except for my iriver, had an invisible shield on it. Especially my cowon s9. Only recommendation I'd make is that if you buy one find a Zagg kiosk in a mall nearby and pay them the install it. Zagg used to send a nice rubber squeegee with their invisible shields which made installation a snap. Now they send them with a hard credit card, which is not as flexible as the squeegee, and it doesn't always result in a perfectly aligned screen. I bought a screen for my S9 and installed it. It looked nice but there were one or two bubbles that were driving me crazy. I found the squeegee from a prior installation of an Invisible shield but it was too late to use it. I reordered, took it to a zagg kiosk, and wouldn't ya know, they use a rubber squeegee to install the invisible shield. I spoke to the guys at the kiosk about the stupid credit card they send in place of the squeegee and they agreed with me that it's not as easy to install with the cc as it was with the squeegee. Still, once an invisible shield is installed it's impossible to detect and will keep your player beautiful for a lifetime.

[Ryanonymous]

Is Zagg only in the states? I live in Canada, and have never heard of it, so I think the kiosk might be out

[The DarkSide]

Originally Posted by Syndrome

Quoted for Truth, Finally me and TDS are seeing eye to eye.

Heh, as long as we can bury the hatchet - just not in my buddy lestatar's head please (he's vewwy delwicate).

Besides, I remember the pics of your S9, damn that really sucked.

PS: As dfkt was wondering - did Cowon repair your S9 Syndrome?

[Syndrome]

Its still sitting on my desk, I need to send it off tomorrow. lol

And about what screen protector to use, I generally go with 3M clear bra, which is built for the front bumpers of vehicles. Its a bit expensive and can usually be bought only in rolls(some people on ebay sell it by the foot). But it is most definitely the strongest screen protector I've found.

[The DarkSide]

I think I'll be looking into that for my J3,..............I'm paranoid after some of the mishaps I've seen - especially yours, thanks.

[Syndrome]

I did my D2 in that on the front and back(everything but the silver strip) and it held up VERY well. Its very flexible also, so you can apply it pretty easily.