Antireflection treatments reduce the amount of light being reflected back off of the protective surface. Thus, more of the light from the LCD behind the surface can be clearly seen through the surface without the distraction of the reflection. This increases the visible contrast and brightness of the LCD because the brightness and contrast of the LCD are not being ~{!0~}washed out~{!1~} by the reflections on the protective surface. A person with a white shirt positioned in front of the protective surface treated with Antireflective treatment will still see a reflection of the shirt, but it will appear to be much darker and muted as though the glass were tinted.

Antiglare treatments, on the other hand, cause the reflections to be scattered into all directions. By chemically or mechanically etching the surface of the protective glass or polycarbonate, a carefully controlled surface roughness is created. This is similar to frosted glass and is commonly called an antiglare treatment. The result is that the white shirt is now not easily seen at all and what is seen is just a hazy large whitish blob of low brightness. This increases the visible contrast and brightness of the LCD because the brightness and contrast of the LCD are not being ~{!0~}washed out~{!1~} by the reflections on the protective surface. This is subjectively chosen more often than the antireflective treatment. In addition, the cost of antiglare treated protective glass is typically lower than the cost of antireflective treated protective glass.

Both treatments can be combined to provide an optimal treatment to reduce reflections off the surface of the protective element. This is, of course, more costly than either of the two individual treatments.