Answer:
An anti-glare screen is a screen that features a layer of coating that minimizes reflections.
The effectiveness of an anti-glare treatment depends on its haze value and the screen surface.
Glare is the reflection of light from a source (such as the sun) off of a window or a screen, making it hard to see what is happening on the display.
With the help of an anti-glare coating, these glare effects can be reduced.
However, they can also make the picture appear more grainy, depending on the haze value of the coating and the type of screen surface.
Glossy vs Matte Screen Surface
There are two types of screen surfaces: matte (textured) and glossy (smooth).
Displays with matte screen finish and anti-glare coating diffuse light instead of reflecting it. This can make the picture appear somewhat fuzzy, but it efficiently prevents reflections.
There are anti-glare treatments with different haze values. A higher haze value means better reflection handling, but it also adds more graininess.
Ideally, you should look for displays with light or medium matte anti-glare coatings (25% haze), as they help with reflections without notably affecting the image quality.
Displays with a smooth or glossy screen finish are very reflective, but they have a more vivid picture quality as there’s no added graininess. So, if you decide to get a monitor with a glossy screen surface, you’ll have to mind the lighting in your room.
Some glossy screens also have low-haze (1-4%) anti-glare or anti-reflective treatments, which can help with the reflections without affecting the picture as much as matte coatings do, but they’re still quite reflective and hardly usable in very bright rooms (next to a window without curtains or blinds) or outdoors.
You might also run into ‘semi-glossy’ screens, but these actually have a matte finish that’s a bit smoother and has a low ~15% haze surface.
How To Choose The Right Screen
Sadly, monitor manufacturers don’t reveal much information about the type of screen surface or coating used.
It’s also hard to properly describe different types of coatings as it can be subjective – what’s too reflective or grainy to some, might be negligible to others.
It’s usually clearly noted if a monitor has a glossy screen with anti-glare or anti-reflective treatment, such as Dell AW3423DWF and other models using Samsung’s QD-OLED panels.
As for matte screens, you most likely won’t find what type of matte anti-glare finish it has or any details regarding its haze value or surface smoothness/texture.
Philips is one of the rare companies that at least shows haze value for their monitors with anti-glare coatings.
In our reviews, we’ll always point out if a monitor has a glossy surface or a too grainy matte finish.
