Color Banding on LCD's?

I've been experiencing some minor, horizontal lines while using my PS3 on my new TV

http://www.crutchfield.com/S-WgDH0lSs1eY/cgi-bin/ProdView.asp?search=westinghouse&i=647LVM37W3

. I am told this is called "Color Banding", which results in the sudden shift between bright and dark colors.

In this video I took,

http://www.sendspace.com/file/x56e7b

you should be able to make out the lines if you focus on the stairs between audience members. This also occurs in Resistance, during indoor areas or up on the sky. Even when using Avia Home Theater to calibrate my set, the banding can still be seen.

I was told by a friend that this is a normal thing in most LCD sets, and that I shouldn't be worried. I asked another person, though, who says that it isn't very common in newer sets, but supports my theory that the banding may only be apparent on a select few games; I haven't noticed these lines on more colorful games like Genji 2 or Lemmings. I have noticed it a couple of times on PS2 games, however, though they're a bit harder to see.

I ran my PC through the TV and did a sort of test, posting wallpapersized pics of solid colors. In colors like red, green, blue, etc, I didn't notice any banding, but on gray I could make the lines out.

So I'm now asking for opinions from HDTV owners in this forum. Is the banding a common thing, and I shouldn't worry about it? Or is this a warning sign that something might be wrong with my TV, and I should ask for a replacement? I've been quite concerned with this, and I would greatly appreciate opinions from people who know this sort of thing (Dayvon).

Jam it back in, in the dark.

Yeah, the people in AVS haven't been any help. I've asked time and again for PS3 owners to compare their sets, but I haven't heard any confirmation whether they have the same issue or not.

I recently tried the Black Hawk Down 1080p trailer, and didn't notice any banding whatsoever. I haven't noticed it in any cable TV programming either. That's why I'd like to think that it has more to do with the quality of games rather than the set itself.

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NOTE: just because it is common doesn't mean it isn't a defect. If I remember correctly, it has something to do with backlighting.

Well here's the thing, how can I tell whether the set has too much banding that it would be considered "defective", or should it not have it period?

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Personally, I would try to exchange with the company you bought it from. If that doesn't seem to be working, then I would contact the LCD manufacturer and try to go through their process of returns/exchanges.

Well that's the problem. Crutchfield no longer carries this TV. If I were to return it, it would have to be a for a straight refund, and no other place sells it for the same price (which is pretty much my price limit). If I were to have Westinghouse exchange it, I wouldn't want to have to pay for the shipping and handling, unless they cover that (which I doubt).

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leaking-light corners

Could you explain this further? Because I've noticed on the top right of my screen, when pitch black (like say, when a game is loading), I could make out a very faint trail of light, sort of leaking like you said. I don't think this has affected the picture whatsoever, since I fired up Silent Hill just to make sure.

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Okay so I watched your video and I can't really tell what I'm looking for.

If you mean the video in this thread, look at the stairs as I move the camera left and right.

There's nowhere I can't reach.

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It shouldn't have it, period.

That's not what Metal Sphere says. According to him, a good majority of LCD's have a tiny bit of banding, and there's hardly such a thing as a "perfect" set.

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The best test is HDMI/DVI grey solid background. Works everytime. If you see varying shades of grey with a solid grey background, you've got banding.

Will either of these do for the test?

http://babyholder.com/images/web_swatches/0782.jpg

http://www.fjwestcott.com/images/pro...makey/gray.jpg

Although I have a VGA connection to run the PC to the TV. I'm expected to get a video card along with DVI cable for christmas.

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How long since you bought the TV?

Less than a month. The 30 day return policy has been extended until the end of January. That makes little difference, unless some incredible sale occured, and I could return this one and use the money to buy a whole new set.

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I do mean the video in the thread. Is it the really thin vertical lines? Or the bright grey to dark grey color shift when moving left to right, respectively?

The lines aren't vertical, they're horizontal (up/down). The color shift, I thought, was the result of those lines. I'm not sure if the two are connected. Also, how wide is the banding in that screen you linked? Seems to take up the whole center of that monitor.

This thing is sticky, and I don't like it. I don't appreciate it.

Can I link the results using printscreen, or would it have to be something I judge on my own?

I am a dolphin, do you want me on your body?

Okay, I downloaded your test, ran my PC to the TV via VGA cable, and I checked out the colors section of the test. I went through all the available colors, one by one. I also set my desktop to gray, as per your instructions.

In what may hopefully be a case of good news, I didn't see any banding whatsoever. Even with these camera shots, they appear perfectly clean.

So what gives? Could this be a problem with the PS3, after all? Is it possible that just the HDMI port suffers from banding, or would it affect the whole TV no matter what output? Could maybe the HDMI cable have anything to do with it? It was bought in monoprice by Metal's recommendation

http://www.monoprice.com/products/product.asp?c_id=102&cp_id=10240&cs_id=1024002&p_id=2282&seq=1&format=2&style=

.

Should I rest easy, now?

I was speaking idiomatically.

NBA, yes; Resistance however is 720p along with Lemmings and Genji 2 (both which did not appear to have banding).

Okay, I can pretty much confirm the banding is from the PS3's end. Earlier I tried both SOCOM 3 and Burnout Revenge on my PS3 (both on progressive scan) and nearly had a heart attack at all the banding on Burnout's tracks and SOCOM's skies. But just now I tried both on the PS2 (hooked to the same set via component) and nearly breathed a sigh of relief as neither game had the banding seen on the PS3.

This saves me a lot (and I mean A LOT) of grief, but I'll still wait for someone from another forum who plans to check his PS3 tommorow to confirm the banding (if that's what it even is anymore). As to how to fix this issue on the PS3, I'm not sure whether to wait for a firmware upgrade or try switching cables. I've heard a few people mention that they've gotten better results with an HDMI to DVI cable, although there hasn't been reports of any visual improvements.

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I'm aware of that, but I was worried when the banding appeared in PS3-legit games. But let's crunch numbers; if I don't see it on PC mode, or on cable TV mode, or very very little of it on PS2 mode, and probably none whatsoever on GC mode (this requires further testing), then it has to be a problem on the PS3's end. The question is how to fix it, or when it'll fix itself (firmware).

I was concerned mostly because I hadn't heard any PS3 owners bitch about it (and they bitch about a lot of things), and Blu Ray movies didn't have this issue whatsoever (drive is seperate from the drive for games?).

FELIPE NO

I'd be happy if that was the case, although I still have some slight suspictions as I haven't heard anyone in AVS complain about this. It's mostly been that one dipshit going on and on and on about the flickering issue.

I'll try a few Gamecube games just to be safe.

Double Post:
Tried Soul Calibur II. Almost no banding (a little seen in Astaroth's pea-soup level)

Tried MGS:TTS. Tons of banding This TV doesn't like gray shades. I almost feel like I'm back to square one. Maybe I should call Westinghouse after all.

What, you don't want my bikini-clad body?