Update: Color Temperature and Dithering Was: LCD TV color reduction

[SavannahLion]

Correction: After spending hours Googling and examining the screen, I realized the problem isn't really banding per se, it's actually more like dithering. You can really see the difference on cartoons with solid colors or facial features in RL shows. I haven't found anything on how to correct this, just complaints.

I mistook it as banding since the problem became prominent with bars of color across (or down) the screen. The dithering effect was in strips or blotches.

Fiddling around it seems that my LCD isn't calibrated properly. I can use preset color temperatures (dynamic, standard, mild) or set my own. When I go in to set my own, I can tweak the RGB values directly. I played around with the values a bit and adjusting them definitely makes a difference with the dithering effect but I can't quite get the dithering to go away 100%

First question. Is this LCD shot?

If it's not shot, how the heck do I figure out what values to set for "65000K" color temperature with the RGB sliders? For the life of me, I can't remember the procedures for setting color temperatures. It was set once and forget back then. Every Google search that I can find all assume the same thing, that all LCD's have a preset 65000K setting. Well, this one doesn't.

I'm wondering if someone here can point me in the right direction. I've never had to deal with banding like this on LCD screens.

Our new LCD TV is showing this funky banding issue in the higher stations.

In short, it's similar to viewing a graphic with a color gradient and switching between full 32/24 bit color and ratcheting down to 16 bit color. I'm getting banding

It's painfully obvious on solid colors like blue sky in the background or closeups on the actors faces.

Before today, I didn't even notice it. Today the banding is so bad that even my GF noticed it and commented on it.

Looking at the lower channels (ie channel 4, 8, 12), I don't see the problem. Upper channels (ie 44, 54, 60) the problem really pops.

Google-Fu'd for a little while and I found all sorts of discussions, but I couldn't track down information on the banding. The closest I could find was a discussion about banding and rainbow related to the backlight. I don't believe this is the case but it's something I'll look into.

I'm hoping the problem lies with the cable (the 27" SD CRT doesn't exhibit this problem). That way it's a problem that isn't going to force me to shell out money or go through the hassle of fixing the screen.

Has anyone encountered banding like this with LCD TV's? Can it be a problem with a bad board or some such on the LCD?

[SavannahLion]

I think I'll be taking it in for warranty repair. (They damn well better cover this one.)

In the last two hours, I've been futzing with the settings until I could just about get rid of the dithering effect. Started to play a test movie (Cars) and to my surprise all my work was for naught. Besides a screwed up aspect ratio, the dithering was till there, especially in the reds. Then I spotted yellow speckles in an area where there was no prominent yellow at all. Then the blacks were almost completely filled in with red speckles. Started fiddling with the color settings and the reds would flare up, then "settle" down every time I changed a setting. AAARRGH!

So I reset everything and the funky ---steaming pile of meadow muffin--- was still there. Then I hear a subtle click and all the speckles went away. None, nada, nothing.

Fiddled with the settings again and the dithering returned (full on reds and yellows) in the last thirty minutes. Repeated the last thing I did and the dithering didn't go away this time. They eventually went away and everything is as it should... for now.

Should've researched LG's warranty policy on this one. It appears they don't have the best of support.

This sucks ass.