Premier Films

This is also a new product that we now carry - PhotoSync Heat Transitioning Film, which is made by Prestige Film Technologies. Simply put, this window film's (tint) heat rejecting capabilities transform when sun is more intense.

We were the beta testers for the manufacturer for a good 2.5 years now, so we are very familiar with its capabilities...So how does it perform and how it differs from regular tint?

We put it to test to compare it with Porsche factory installed thermal insulated glass. The factory installed option costs $1125 (for rear glasses only) to the Porsche owner.

Here is our test:

Outdoor temperature: 72 degrees
Time during test: 4pm

Product: Spectra PhotoSync45
Shade: 45% VLT (visible light transmission)
IR Rejection: 98.5% IR Rejection at peak performance
Total Solar Energy Rejection: 65%

VS:

Porsche Thermal IR Glass
Shade: 30% VLT (visible light transmission)

**surface temperature measurements taken on passenger seat exposed to window with PhotoSync45 vs. rear seat exposed to window with Porsche Thermal IR Glass

TEST 1
PhotoSync45 measured at 1 Minute 39 seconds 85.6 degrees
Thermal IR Glass measured at the 2 Minute mark 87.8 degrees
Windshield exposed front dash measured at 2 Minute 35 seconds at 101.1 degrees

TEST 2
PhotoSync45 measured at 18 Minutes 52 seconds 86.3 degrees
Thermal IR Glass measured at 18 Minutes 5 seconds 91.4 degrees
Windshield exposed front dash measured at 19 Minute 35 seconds 106.8 degrees

PhotoSync45 Exposed Seat


Porsche Thermal IR Glass Exposed Seat


Dash

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This product comes in as light as 75% VLT (visible light transmission), which means the higher the percentage, the lighter the film. By comparison, 85%-88% VLT is factory glass rating.

For those interested in this and not in California, please contact the manufacturer directly:

www.prestige-films.com

Premier Films

Here's what PhotoSync45 (45% VLT shade) look from a distance. To compliment its high heat rejection, it also looks quite nice to boot! For those wondering, PhotoSync comes in the following shades (for comparison purposes, OEM glass comes in at 85%-88%):

75%, 65%, 45%

Manufacturer mentioned to us earlier this month that they may be coming out with a 30% some time later this year.

thebishman

I have the Nano fusion 20% on my R8. Premier did their usual incredible job on the car btw. The reduction in heat transmission versus my other cars that have a different 20% film on them is easy to feel. In fact in the R8 I routinely have to set the temp on 76F or I freeze, whereas in my S4 I generally have the temp set to 72F. IMHO this is the best window film I've ever used.
Bish

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Bish. The film in these photos were a recent add to our product line. So if you liked the Diamond Cut IR on your R8, you would be blown away with PhotoSync that's on this Cayenne!!!

Diamond Cut IR brings in 94% of IR block, whereas PhotoSync reigns in an unbeatable 98.5% of IR block. In addition, this film has a seasonality effect that actually darkens and lightens based on solar intensity. Overall, when it is very hot, the film's performance increases and can darken by up to 11%. The technology built into this product is truly unsurpassed.

....on your next car, be sure to ask for PhotoSync

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As we have all heard, the earth is warming up by approximately 5 degrees since records were kept pre-1900. The hotter regions will get hotter, which means having proper IR and UV protection is important to protecting the interior of vehicles. What we love about PhotoSync is that the performance of it improves as it gets hotter, which at some point reaches as high as 98.5% of infrared rejection. That is quite significant considering that regular tint are typically in the 30% -40% infrared range. With some of the higher end products such as metallics and ceramics, they would only run up as high 75%-85%.

boschk

72 degree day test? Not even our low this time of year. Come to Vegas and test in August. That would be more impressive.

Premier Films

Completely agree! The conditions weren't the best to show how well the product can perform, but considering that it really was not too hot yet the film still exhibits a significant difference in heat rejection goes a long way!

NickE63

good stuff

Premier Films

Here is how this looks from the interior. Again, this is PhotoSync45 on the front two windows only. This product not only performs exceptionally well, but also has a high clarity adhesive system

Premier Films

The performance difference between PhotoSync45 (45% shade) vs. Porsche Thermal IR Glass in the rear windows (approximately 30% shade) is quite significant. Below is a simplified version of our test results:

At around the 2 minute mark - PhotoSync45 windows show a 2.2 degree improvement
At 2.35 minute marker, the windshield (no film) dash area registers a surface temperature of 101 degrees

The seats after over 18 minutes of exposure shows that PhotoSync45 registers an improvement of 5.1 degrees
The windshield dash at that time shows a surface temperature of 106 degrees.

Result: Although the exterior temperature does not provide a very compelling difference (it was only 72 degrees), there is an apparent variance between Porsche's IR Thermal Glass and PhotoSync45. Keep in mind the Porsche glass is darker, so less light (approximately 15% less) is entering the cabin in the rear, yet PhotoSync still outperforms it.

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Here is a different angle shot. PhotoSync45 (45% VLT), 98.5% IR rejection

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Just some more information to help members here understand better how this nano window film compares to other products out there

The solar spectrum consists of Visible Light (44%), Infrared (53%), and Ultraviolet (3%). Since infrared accounts for 53% of the solar spectrum, the performance of the product in this form of measure is quite important. Most dyed window films on the market only produce infrared rejection of 20%-30%. By comparison, PhotoSync blocks out up to 98.5% of infrared. The uniqueness of this product is that it's infrared rejecting capabilities improve as it gets hotter...

Some of the metallized films on the market will produce some impressive results; however, at the sacrifice of interfering with electronics. PhotoSync uses nano technology to produce significant heat rejection without affecting items like cell phone signals, radar detection signals, am / fm, etc.

Premier Films

Some have asked us how it compares to Huper and Madico's Ceramic. From our experience and perspective, both of these products will have distortions in the rear glass resulting from heat shrinking. It is absolutely necessary to heat shrink the window film to get it to conform to the curvature of the rear glass and the heat shrinking process distorts the composition of the ceramics. These will actually look like metallic distortions that can be seen in direct sunlight.

On PhotoSync, you will not get any of these issues. From direct experience these ceramic products also can affect keyless entry systems in BMWs and Audis and also affect other wireless transmission signals such as AM / FM, radar, etc.

Another difference is the heat rejection capabilities. The products above, based on our own testing, rejects approximately 80%-85% of IR whereas PhotoSync blocks out up to 98.5% of IR. This is extremely significant for those living in the hotter climates.

For those not in our area, contact the manufacturer directly to see who is in their area - www.prestige-films.com

And for more projects with this film, just Google "Spectra PhotoSync"

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And here is a video test of Prestige Film Technologies PhotoSync65% with the windows rolling up and down to show how well this film performs.

Conditions: 78 degrees
Time of test: 2pm

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One of the most commonly asked question is how well does Spectra PhotoSync compare with other window tint products. So we decided to actually put Spectra PhotoSync to test against a 5% metallic limo tint. Now keep in mind, the shades we used for comparison is PhotoSync65, 55, and 45, so much lighter compared to limo tint at 5%. There is also one major difference - the limo tint has metals in it so it can produce some decent heat rejection that would be comparable to a lighter ceramic based tint:

lunarx

Impressive test.
So the PS 65, 55, 45 all gave about the same results?

Premier Films

they are close, but one thing we did not mention is that the Spectra PhotoSync on this glass was not exposed to solar rays, which will activate its coating - Solar Adaptive Coating. This coating's nano particles will converge to block out more heat after exposure to direct sunlight for 15-20 minutes.

Premier Films

For those not familiar with Spectra PhotoSync, it is a nano window film that will adjust its nano properties to perform better when exposed to direct solar radiation (sunlight). The result is the film's heat rejecting properties begin to change to block up to 98.5% of infrared rays. This video below shows this effect:

Manufacturer: Prestige Film Technologies (prestige-films.com)

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Conducted another test since we have been receiving inquiries to test PhotoSync against ceramic

Test: PhotoSync vs. a leading ceramic tint at 40%

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We had received several inquiries from interested enthusiasts in the New York area, so we checked with the manufacturer. The only authorized Spectra Dealer in NY is www.theartoftint.com

For those seeking an installer in your area and not close to us, give the manufacturer a call to see who's authorized in your area. FYI though, there's typically only 2-3 authorized Spectra dealers per state:

Prestige Film Technologies (prestige-films.com)
Copied from manufacturer's page:
Automotive Division
North America Sales – vtran@prestige-films.com
Sales Office: (925) 989-9473
Sales Office: (408) 657-3880
Fax: (866) 723-4278

Jimania

I'm unfamiliar with Premier so I am unqualified to comment on this product. It does look like a much better product than the expensive Huper Optik films.

Here's my opinion on automotive window tint films. First, check your local laws to determine the legal darkness limits for window films to prevent fines and having to go through the hassle and cost to remove and replace it. Second, metallic films will almost always interfere with radio signals for phones, GPS, satellite radio, etc. Third, most any warranty is for a pro-rated cost of the film and does not cover labor. If you buy a decent product/brand you should not need to be overly concerned with the warranty.

American Standard Window Film (ASWF) (Erickson International) in Las Vegas manufactures window films, including ceramic window tint films, for many of the window film companies.

3M makes decent window film products that are available from most any reputable window tint shop. Personally I think you’ll get a better product from a company that specializes in window films.

Eastman bought Solutia, which owns Vista, Huper Optik, Llumar, Formula1, Gila, EnerLogic, Sun-X, V-KOOL, and other brands. While Solutia companies offer good window tint films they are marketed at different price points. Of these, Huper Optik is way overpriced while the Llumar and Formula1 brands provide exceptional value in price, looks and performance.

Other products are available from Madico, Johnson, SolarGard, Solar Control, and SunTek.

What Is The Best Value?
From talking to many window tinting companies, that offer several competing product lines, the final opinion is that Llumar, Formula1, and Sun-Gard(by Madico)offer the best value for your money.

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A video we just created to show how well Spectra PhotoSync performs even on 75% VLT (this is pretty light compared to factory glass at approximately 88%)

The windshield of this Tesla Model S has the 75% PhotoSync on the windshield. In just twenty minutes time, the surface temperature difference is 20 degrees. Again, this is with a 75% film, which is extremely light for window film (no longer have to go dark to block heat)

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We just installed Spectra PhotoSync 75% to the windshield of a Tesla. Right here, we use a BTU meter to test the performance of the product installed - what a difference!