Banding in the background - what is causing it

[Overread]

Yes its in the tech questions section because this is a hardware question not a purely editing one. I'm asking because in recent weeks I've noticed a lot more banding in photos - both offline and online and even on smaller websized versions of shots that shouldn't even show minor banding after resizing.

I know this is a problem at my end because I've noticed it in others work as well whilst other viewers of those same photos haven't reported any banding at all (even when asked).

So I'm trying to work out if its a shoddy cheak screen that is displaying things less than idealy or my graphics card not being up to the task or some combination of the pair showing up this additional banding in shots.

Screen is a Cybercom - not sure of the model but older cheap LCD screen
Graphics card: Nvidia 8400 GTS

 

[IgsEMT]

Can you try a different screen?

 

[Derrel]

I would definitely get a tinfoil hat for the monitor,and tape that on there. I think you Brits might refer to these as aluminum ( pronounced of course, as: al-you-min-ee-um) hats.

 

[Overread]

Can you try a different screen?

Sadly no my other two screens were killed off (I have a sneaking theory that my graphics card that cooked itself killed them first before taking itself out ) which is why I'm left with a really rubbishy old screen.

I would definitely get a tinfoil hat for the monitor,and tape that on there. I think you Brits might refer to these as aluminum ( pronounced of course, as: al-you-min-ee-um) hats.

Well its called aluminium foil yet we still call it tinfoil for short and stuff (at least in my house we do). :greenpbl:

 

[Garbz]

Cheap LCDs produce banding, there's no way around it.

 

[Overread]

even if I put a tinfoil hat on it?

 

[Arch]

Aye its probably your screen, your graphics card is easily high enough to not cause any visual defects. By all means tho, check your card and software settings in case anything has changed.

 

[Mike_E]

See if you can find a used CRT monitor still in good shape. If you still have banding.. well, I won't bore you with the obvious.

 

[Scatterbrained]

My last HP 22" screen did that too. It was so bad I literally couldn't look at some portrait shots. It made editing photos impossible.

 

[pbelarge]

Is it possible the location of his screen may partially be the blame.

Some older screens are susceptable to electrical interference. Placing the screen near or next to higher amperage sources can be the cause.
Locations such as:
1. is your meter on the wall behind the screen?
2. is your service panel on the wall behind or near the screen?
3. microwave units and other units as such located nearby can also cause this
4. magnetic sources located too close
5. are the cables and cords from the cpu to the power and each device proper managed. Remember not to have the low voltage cables parallel to the power cables.

 

[Garbz]

Actually that raises a good point. Do you use VGA or DVI connectors? Banding is often caused by the digital to analogue to digital process, and this is also susceptible to interference.