Colour banding

[MBytes]

Well, so today I got brave and installed the latest Microsoft updates. Hadn't had my Surface Pro 2 on for twelve days I see.

That completely undid all of the fixes I had applied and I'm back in banding hell. The screen looks ridiculous to a fairly trained eye. As it is now with its factory settings (albethey calibrated by a Spyder) this thing is completely useless for any kind of graphics work. I cannot use a device that needs a couple of hours service and work every time I turn it on so it will probably remain unused.

(I actually tried giving it away to my girlfriend who needs a new laptop but she didn't want it).

Perhaps after the upcoming Windows update, I will reinstall the working drivers (Intel) and calibrate it anew and then never do any kind of system update ever again except for virus definitions. I have never in my life spent this much money and time on something so completely worthless out of the box as a Surface Pro 2.

Ok here are things you need to know:
- The panel is a 6-bit IPS panel like all tablets. Entry level IPS display is what it is. So, already you can't do color critical work (let alone even have uniform backlit and color processor). It's out of the question. You should seek for a true 8-bit panels to start with. While I don't know for sure, I don't even think the Wacom Cintiq Companion Pro has a true 8-bit IPS panel, as it doesn't seam that Samsung or LG makes them.

- Get the March firmware update.

- Open the Intel integrated graphics panel, which is now available, and go through every option, and disable all the Intel ****ty "color enhancement/modification" crap features, everywhere you see it. I have asked a friend, and it looks like it's feature that Intel enables by default and shoves this crap in our face to "enhance the display", while it does is turn a fine IPS panel to a mess. It MIGHT be helpful for ****ty TN panels that other manufactures loves to put in, but on IPS panel, its horrible. On the Intel panel, when you click on a section, they are hidden options (on some sections) by clicking the section name at the top right.

 

[randomscandinavian]

I don't expect this display to perform like a professional monitor. Out of the box it is far too green and calibrated it somehow becomes far too red. More pleasent to look at but wrong. But if I look at the color picker panel in Photoshop the way this thing is now, it is like looking at a computer that has been booted into 16 bit safe mode. Same with my desktop background. I find nothing in any control panel to improve that. I don't find any enhancement settings to disable. Except that I have removed all the power saving options and put everything to best performance.

There are so many banding lines that it is like looking at a topographical map of a mountain or a valley.

I am unable to find any of the hidden settings you speak of.

Including a phone screen shot, which is completely unscientific but actually shows the problem well. I figured that if I took a regular screenshot then it would display correctly on other computers with better displays.

 

[MBytes]

Can you send me the background?

 

[HeyCori]

Sad to see such lovely devices hampered by color banding. I have a Surface 2 and the color banding is atrocious. It gets even worse when I'm outputting to a second monitor.

 

[randomscandinavian]

It's included in Windows. It'z one of the default wallpapers. ��

 

[randomscandinavian]

It appears that I can choose: If I delete the graphics driver altogether I get no banding but no optimizations for the Surface Pro 2 either. Resolution seems a bit off. If I install an old October 2013 Intel driver things also look pretty good. But in the test page with grayscale swatches the five deepest ones are not visible. I found that the desktop looks best if I delete the graphics driver and then do the March 11 update anew. No banding at all on desktop. Well very little at least. But that leaves 14 gray shades rendered as just black. Which is where all of this started.

So perhaps this is the best option. To simply forget about shadow detail for this device. Will do some photo comparisons later between the SP2 and my Mac with the wide gamut display I have.

Black level - Lagom LCD test

 

[MBytes]

Here is how the background looks like:

Desktop - Dell U2410 - 24inch true 8-bit H-IPS panel - using DVI - 1920x1200 (I don't know why the colors appear off when I take the picture (red'ish). Too lazy to fix my camera. But the point is the stepping, not color accuracy)
http://www.helpweaver.com/P1000205.JPG

Surface Pro 2
http://www.helpweaver.com/P1000203.JPG

As you can see, I don't have the problem.
It is like I said, you have the option(s) in Intel Control Panel which does this enabled. Disable all image processing, and "Display Power Saving Technology" (does not save anything)

 

[randomscandinavian]

Thank you for the feedback! Very helpful to see!

As for the Intel panel, I still cannot find these enhancement features. Under Color/Advanced there is just one setting. I have it set to natural colors and not Vivid Colors (these settings are all translated to Norwegian so it may not use the same words exactly).

Under basic Color Settings we simply have 32bit and Color improvement, which os set to its default of Brightness zero, Contrast 50 and Gamma 1.0.

Under Screen Settings/Advanced it simply says that the screen does not support any advanced settings.

Basic screen settings only has Resolution, scaling etc. Nothing to set here. And that's about it, isn't it? There are also the Windows controls for the driver.

 

[MBytes]

You owe me a thanks for this:
http://www.helpweaver.com/Intel/Intel/Intel.htm
Make sure that every option are matching mine

[Edit]
Just noticed I forgot to go through 1 section. In the last one at the end of the video, I go under "Display" section, I go under "Color" sub section, where you see I show the Intel color adjustment (Brightness, Contrast and Gamma), I forgot to click on "Advanced", and show that your want the slider bar for Color Gamut on maximum "vivid colors" The setting is on REVERSE. Natural Color over-saturates all colors, Vivid Color puts them right. It's Intel. What can we expect?

And be sure to hit that Apply button each time, before changing sections. I don't do it, as its already set. Be sure to do it.

 

[randomscandinavian]

I am grateful but there is nothing here that affects the banding problem. The settings you go through only applies to video (hence it is listed under video) and not to desktop graphics. Video runs in an environment of its own and has nothing to do with this. Interesting what you say about natural and vivid color settings. Mine are not reversed. Actually the vivid setting is useful for detecting color casts, as a slightly too red display setting will go all reddish in vivid mode.

oh well... I keep returning to the web page with the greyscale swatches. It actually varies how many shadow tones are visible. It is not a very capable piece of display hardware. Perhaps because it needs to be a touch screen, a pen tablet and display stuff accurately at the same time. Bottom line: it doesn't.

 

[MBytes]

Yea I know Video section is for Video, but I like to disable EVERYTHING, I don't want Intel to touch any of my colors
But, at the beginning of the video, I go under Power. Make sure that you have the same settings there.

By the way: My drivers are: 10.18.10.3431 from March firmware.
Make sure you have the same drivers.

 

[Nimdock]

Thanks for that guide MBytes.

I was not experiencing any banding or visual issues but I went ahead and turned all of those off anyway.