Midtown Houston

Hi Guys.....we have a 3M dealer that did a vehicle (Volvo S80) install and this is how it look.  Customer brought it to me after saying we were too high price and want us to fixed it from another installer.  The defroster line is all broken up and all over the back glass looking like trash all over.  So I call a 3M Rep and he say this is normal with Volvo back glass...It break up after installing the film.  It is weird cuz I do many Volvo (new and old) and this never happen to me.  I need input.....have you guy seen this...Customer is piss and want us to redo it....Defroster is gone...I have not seen this in my experience....

In my experience "Elite Networks" and "Special Training" is nothing but marketing fluff. An "Elite Network" is simply a group of dealers that have access to products that the rest of the dealer organization does not have access too. In this case Panorama dealers are Solar Gard dealers that have access to Panorama films made by the same MFG that the rest of the Solar Gard network does not have access to. Does that make them "Elite" or better than other window film dealers? No, they simply are given access to the Panorama line usually because they make some kind of special commitment to promoting that line of film.
 
"Special training" is usually done by the MFG which is not uncommon throughout the industry. My issue with training. A trained installer is not necessarily a "capable" installer. There is no MFG guarantee that you as a consumer will have a capable installer working on your home even though they market their dealer network as "trained." What if the trained installer gets fired or leaves on Friday and today you get a new hire working on your house? Can Panorama or any MFG control that? Nope. What if the MFG trainer lacks the experience or skill to properly train installers? I know some of these folks and I can tell you that they do not install film on a regular basis and yet they are the ones teaching others... mostly from a book or manual. I don't recommend buying into this fluff. Get references, go with that gut feeling you get when you have confidence in a company rather than compromising that feeling for a lower price. Remember Ben Franklin's quote: " The bitterness of poor quality remains long after the sweetness of low price is forgotten."
 
Ok, let's talk tech... Your desire to research is very commendable.
 
"Spectral Select" is a descriptive term with a qualifier. All films are filters that "select" or more accurately "allow" certain wavelengths of the solar spectrum to pass thru the film. The industry gives the term "spectrally select" to films of all compositions that have a Luminous Efficacy (LE) of 1.0 or >. Most films in that class are "Sputtered" and use rare metals like silver and gold. Is it possible for a non-metal film to be spectrally select? Yes, there are a few but they are expensive and many use IR absorbing dyes which have limited lifespans before their effectivety starts to diminish. "Sputtering" is a manufacturing process that is very precise way layering of coatings in 1 atom thick layers. It is expensive but it yields the best optical qualities. Huper Select and Ceramic, Panorama Hilite, Vista VS 60/70, 3M ceramic are all sputtered films.
 
If you "install" (don't tape them) samples to the window, you will see the differences in optical quality from one film to the next. Let the sun come through at angle and you will probably be able to pick out the Vista films because they tend to exhibit 'low angle haze.' Panorama CX is a new product for them so that is the risk you may be taking. Dual layer is a must have in toilet paper and worth the added expense. In film, dual layer is incorporated to reduce reflectivity . It does not enhance the durability. So in the case of a dye-free ceramic like Huper, they patented dual layer technology to reduce the reflectivity of their ceramics without the use of dyes, carbon or pigments. Again, pllace both product next to each other and you will see differences.
 
SunTek UVLDS... Just place it up next to the others and let the sun shine through it. I've seen consumer complaints about the higher vlt's not rejecting enough heat. You can use your hand or face to determine if it meets your expectation. Stay away from BTU meters... those are misleading. 
 
Bottom line... You can pick the best film in the world but if the company that installs this film does not do a great job, then you are left with a great film that is poorly installed. Get references, go with who you are most comfortable doing business with. Look at the installed samples and choose what looks nice and balances out with everything mentioned in this thread. Window film is one of the most effective and least expensive energy saving upgrades that you can put on your home... that is a fact.  
If you want to PM me, I know a lot of the companies in your area. I'd be happy to give you additional input.

Shelby gt500 with some solar fx

Jaguar XE Prestige | Llumar CTX Window Tint
 

718 Cayman S Huper Optik C40

SEMA2017
 

SEMA2017
 

SEMA2017
 

I love this car 🚗....it is like a fast big boy gokart... Installing 3M Crystalline on this baby. 

Film removal in this Austin Cooper. I love this car. 

Film removal in this Austin Cooper. I love this car. 

Film removal in this Austin Cooper. I love this car. 

We are building our from the ground up slowy but surely 

I use baby shampoo and I don't wash my bottles out. I've found that as long as I dump my bottles out and tip them upside down each night, I don't get any nasty build up.
 
If you let them sit overnight, especially when it's hot and humid, you'll have gunk built up in no time. 

We own a graphic and design company call Innovation...I got my guys to make an awesome display for CP and PPF...If you guys need a display to explain and have a visual display for your customer...We can make it for you.  I can also send you the file if you do this inhouse..

We can change the logo to your ppf offering...

We own a graphic and design company call Innovation...I got my guys to make an awesome display for CP and PPF...If you guys need a display to explain and have a visual display for your customer...We can make it for you.  I can also send you the file if you do this inhouse..

By subtle differences I mean the location of semas, relief cuts or just the general shape of certain pieces. If you give them a chance, I'm confident you will like them!
 
All our our patterns are drawn by Matrix employees. We do not "sub out" pattern drawing, nor do we buy patterns from 3rd party sources. Each employee test fits their pattern before submitting and uploading it to the database. If it is off, they face internal ramifications! 
 
Our GM for pattern drawing (Adam) is always accessible by cell phone, so he makes sure everything fits because he doesn't want to be yelled at

Look at every vehicle before tinting....check for scratches, dents.....ect....so you don't get blamed for it.

Just mixed to test on ppf and it work perfectly ....had to play around with the mix for the hot humid Houston climate....I end up putting 14ml to 1 gallon of RO water to get that perfect mixed. When I squeegee the film with my yellow turbo it stick instantly....did a full front on a X5 today with it.
 
This will be my go to slip from now on....Im sick and tried of cleaning my bottle and pressure tank every morning.

oh man....I love the new tint slime....I mixed 2oz to every gallon.  We remove a lot of sweep/door panel.....so we need that extra slip to do a smooth drop.  It work perfect.  

Send us a sample....we use to used the green stuff but it doesn't wrk good in summer...