I wanted to see how all three 3.5" screens on the market stacked up. So I bought them and tested them out.
These are the three I got :







Now just a few notes before I continue.

We are going to label them for reference:
1. Flip Out 3.5"
2. Widescreen 3.5" (it's not but it looks like it is)
3. 3.5" with air fins.

1. Costs $49.89 shipped on Ebay
2. Costs $29.99 shipped on Ebay
3. Costs $29.99 shipped on Ebay

#1 has antiglare on it. #2 1nd #3 are glossy and have a good amount of glare.

Now I hooked them all up together to see what they look like running side by side :



First thing you will notice is that #2 is brightest and #1 is dimmest. The antiglare would be the reason #1 is the dimmest.
You will also notice #1 and #3 have cooler colors and #2 is warmer. This means that whites are more yellow on #1 and #3 and whites are more blue on #2.

This is evident on these pics:





Also even though #2 is brightest , it actually has the worst viewing angle. From the top it is washed out and from the sides it starts to darken quicker than the others :







Now to show you the contrast. #1 actually IMO has the better contrast and more realistic colors as seen in dark scenes.





Now for some insides pics and measurements.

The insides are quite similar on these screens. They are all less than 1/2" thick. The smallest is #1 and #2 both at just slightly over 3/8"

#1 is the hardest to take apart and use. You have 8 screws to remove. You have to pry the Lcd plastic case apart. You have to remove the ffc extension. The lcd and the ffc extension are double sided taped on and difficult to pry off. And you have to re-attach the lcd ffc when done which is slightly difficult and the ffc connector can break.

#2 is the easiest and simplest to take apart and use. 2 screws and everything falls right out. And the controller board is already taped to the Lcd .

#3 is easy to remove with 4 screws but the Lcd is double sided foam taped to the controller board and these need to be removed to make the lcd/board thinner.

Pics of the Lcd's disassembled:

#1




#2




#3




Pics of them side by side disassembled:


Now for current draw.

At 7.4v

#1 -- 113mA
#2 -- 125mA
#3 -- 128mA

Conclusion:

I really like the brightness of #2 and the fact that it has "warmer" colors. But the top angle wash-out and the side darkening is hard to ignore. Also the screen is the glossiest of all of them with a lot of glare.

I like the antiglare on #1. For a portable that helps to eliminate a lot of the glar and mirror like problems of reflection. But the brightness is a bit lower than the rest. The more natural reds and browns and the better contrast are almost worth the decrease in brightness though.

#3 is overall very good. Not the brightest , not the best colors, but overall good in every detail.

Which one will I use. Well it's hard to say. I my Nomad mods I might go with #2 since it is behind another plastic screen on the Nomad which would reduce glare and it's nice and bright and it's VERY easy to disassemble and use.. For an exposed screen portable , probably #1 because of the antiglare.

Oh and with all of these. If using them in a portable, the negative (ground) power wire needs to be tied in to the negative (ground) wire on the yellow rca plug to work properly.

Nice review. How do they compare price-wise?

1. Costs $49.89 shipped on Ebay
2. Costs $29.99 shipped on Ebay
3. Costs $29.99 shipped on Ebay

Added to the first post.

Are there any brand names or other identifying characteristics that would make finding them on eBay easier? That third one seems an especially good value, and I'd like to buy one for myself.

Edit: found the cheaper two on eBay - here's a helpful link to them and similar ones

Thanks for the reviews Hailrazer. Now I don't have to pay out the ear for the silly AEIcomp ones.

#2 All the way Woot Woot

I can't imagine why I might like #2..........not like I have used it before or anything

Yea I like it except for the bad off angle viewing. Guess i could live with it though. the Pros outweigh the cons on it.

Can anyone of them power off of 5V like the AEIcomp screens?

And what's the minimum voltage they can run at?

if i remember correctly the 3rd one can run on 5v

All of them will run off 5v

I bought screen #1 and it is in the mail. I liked the fact that the board can be seperated and distanced from the lcd (as shown in hailrazer's other review). I take it from the description and pictures that this extension is optional?? However, I am new to this and I do not plan on breaking or damaging this lcd. So, I was just wondering if there are any more tips on opening the case without damaging the internals.

I've had number 3 running of 4.5V

#2 looks like it might be an STN screen? I hate how they grind the numbers off the chips like that.