Strange 'color' problem

[Supakaiser]

Recently I've been experiencing a problem I've not encountered since 2006 or so and I don't know how to explain it properly. Either way I can't immediately tell if it is a problem with my graphics card or with my monitors (though I am, sadly, leaning towards graphics card at this point).

Anyways, this cropped up a few days ago and it's not a huge problem or anything but it is noticeable and therefore gets annoying at times. It is only really apparent when dark images/backgrounds are on the screen, but basically when there is a dark background and multiple rays or colors on said background, they seem to 'plateu' into various sections instead of fading from one to another naturally.

Here are some images to help explain what I'm seeing:

(Click to enlarge)


I did some crude highlighting to help illustrate what I'm trying to describe


As I said before, I haven't experienced this problem for almost 10 years (also with a completely different machine as you might guess). I never fixed it back then, I just forgot about it after getting a new machine at some point.

>> Additional Information <<
Monitors: BenQ XL2420t (DVI) & BenQ XL2420te (DVI)
Graphics card: GTX 780

Any help would be appreciated, thank you in advance!

[glo]

That's just standard image compression, common with jpegs and other lossy formats when you have simplified dark transitions.

[Supakaiser]

That's just standard image compression, common with jpegs and other lossy formats when you have simplified dark transitions.

I see it in games too (the biggest problem). That screencap was from a movie on Netflix.

[glo]

I see it in games (the biggest problem). That screencap was from a movie on Netflix.

Video compression does it as well. Do you see it in-game during pre-rendered cinematics or actual gameplay?

[Supakaiser]

Video compression does it as well. Do you see it in-game during pre-rendered cinematics or actual gameplay?

Actual gameplay

[Deleted]

Actual gameplay

All games or a specific game? And can you specify at least one?

[Supakaiser]

All games or a specific game? And can you specify at least one?

All games. Most notably in EvE Online (space, lots of darkness --> more obvious).

[Deleted]

All games. Most notably in EvE Online (space, lots of darkness --> more obvious).

I know your issue, and want to help...but I can't find the correct terms or wording to look it up either. I've only ever actually noticed it in prerendered content.

[glo]

All games. Most notably in EvE Online (space, lots of darkness --> more obvious).

Eve uses lots of flat images as backgrounds in space, might be the cause depending on what type of format they use. I doubt they're lossless as that would be resource heavy panning in and out and such.

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I know your issue, and want to help...but I can't find the correct terms or wording to look it up either. I've only ever actually noticed it in prerendered content.

It's called banding.

[Daljo]

http://www.lagom.nl/lcd-test/gradient.php

The above link may be of use. Banding occurs when there aren't enough unique shades/colours to display a smooth gradient. If it's only happening for certain things, such as images, it's likely the image was saved as file type without the neccessary colour depth to display a smooth gradient (like .gifs) and/or it was exported that way from whatever image/photo managing software was used to save it.

If it occurs for everything it could very well be an issue with your graphics card or monitor settings. The only real way to find out is to fiddle with your monitor, google your graphics card for posterization/banding issues and possibly update your graphics card driver. The above link also has some additional information and possibilities as to why you're having this problem.

[Deleted]

Eve uses lots of flat images as backgrounds in space, might be the cause depending on what type of format they use. I doubt they're lossless as that would be resource heavy panning in and out and such.

- - - Updated - - -



It's called banding.

Just found it, already looking into it...it seems it can be both a monitor, gfx card, game AND even the type of connection you are using from monitor to PC (HDMI).

- - - Updated - - -

http://www.lagom.nl/lcd-test/gradient.php

The above link may be of use. Banding occurs when there aren't enough unique shades/colours to display a smooth gradient. If it's only happening for certain things, such as images, it's likely the image was saved as file type without the neccessary colour depth to display a smooth gradient (like .gifs) and/or it was exported that way from whatever image/photo managing software was used to save it.

If it occurs for everything it could very well be an issue with your graphics card or monitor settings. The only real way to find out is to fiddle with your monitor, google your graphics card for posterization/banding issues and possibly update your graphics card driver. The above link also has some additional information and possibilities as to why you're having this problem.

Just used that on my 2 minotors, on my older cheaper monitor I see the banding and on my main monitor I don't see any banding at all.

[Denpepe]

May sound stupid but make sure you got 32 bit color depth selected in yr gpu config

[flarecde]

May sound stupid but make sure you got 32 bit color depth selected in yr gpu config

This. Insufficient color depth is the most common cause of this problem when I see it. Usually some application lowers it and never restores it afterward.

[Supakaiser]

My biggest point of confusion with this is that it just started happening. I double checked my color settings (both monitors at 32bit) and everything.