Color/gray banding issue on the Prestige 15 (4K screen)

[taolucn]

I've already opened up a ticket with MSI support, but to notify others who may run into this issue.

There is a very obvious color/gray banding problem on the dark side of spectrum. And after some tries, I am suspecting the MSI True Color (latest V2.6.10) is causing the problem.

1\ With TrueColor set to sRGB, as seen in the attached photo of a gray gradient test image (also attached for your reference) on the screen, shot with Sony A7R3 SLR. On the dark range, from black to about 1/3 section, the banding is obvious. No matter what mode I set in the True Color software, the banding maintains the similar pattern. In dark scenes of games, videos or photos, there are huge amount of color/gray banding, rendered the results unacceptable.
Gray Gradient Test Image:
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Camera photo of the screen with banding
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2\ However, once I open up the intel graphic control panel, and adjust the color gamut slide bar (under display, color settings) from vivid back to natural and to vivid AGAIN, all banding gone. The same gradient test image, viewed in the same windows photo app, will be just a complete smooth transition. And all related issues in dark scenes of videos/games are gone.

3\ And if I turn on MSI TrueColor after that, the problem will turn up again. However, the color setting function is necessary for this wide gamut screen. I assume the MSI TrueColor and Intel Graphic Control Panel are overriding the setting of each other.

Targeting at content creators, this screen is advertising the highlights, including 4k, 100% adobe RGB, delta-e<2, AND: Ture Color Tech. I can kindly accept that new products may need refinements, but it cannot stay like this.

 

[taolucn]

OK, I think I partially figured it out.

MSI sent me a RMA right away. Too much hassle for such a thing. Especially not sure if the staff will just restore it to intial and call it a day.

By uninstall and re-install intel graphic driver and control panel, the problem was gone. Then I completely wiped the ssd and did a clean OS re-install, then managed to duplicate the problem, and fianlly solved it.

Sequence of events: OS install (Win 10 1903) -> intel graphic driver intall (26.20) -> MSI True Color (2.60) (Stage A) -> windows upgrade (cumulative updates etc.) (stage B) -> uninstall intel graphic driver and graphic control panel -> reinstall intel graphic driver and control panel (stage C)

TLDR: Stage A & C, fine; Stage B, problem.

To be specific, the intel graphic control panel interface will be different under stage B. As shown in the screen captures attached, the "color gamut" slide bar appears only in stage B, and just disappeared in stage C.

It looks like a conflict issue among Intel graphic driver/app, MSI true color and MS updates.

 

[katherinego]

Glad that you figured it out! Thanks for sharing your process.

-k

 

[Nees]

OK, I think I partially figured it out.

MSI sent me a RMA right away. Too much hassle for such a thing. Especially not sure if the staff will just restore it to intial and call it a day.

By uninstall and re-install intel graphic driver and control panel, the problem was gone. Then I completely wiped the ssd and did a clean OS re-install, then managed to duplicate the problem, and fianlly solved it.

Sequence of events: OS install (Win 10 1903) -> intel graphic driver intall (26.20) -> MSI True Color (2.60) (Stage A) -> windows upgrade (cumulative updates etc.) (stage B) -> uninstall intel graphic driver and graphic control panel -> reinstall intel graphic driver and control panel (stage C)

TLDR: Stage A & C, fine; Stage B, problem.

To be specific, the intel graphic control panel interface will be different under stage B. As shown in the screen captures attached, the "color gamut" slide bar appears only in stage B, and just disappeared in stage C.

It looks like a conflict issue among Intel graphic driver/app, MSI true color and MS update

So what is the status of yours? Because I stumbled on your issue, I looked into it, and I have the same problem.

I started noticing that on videos on youtube, that I first thought it was a problem with the videos compression, but after playing with the slide in the panel, back moved it back and forward to Vivid, it fixed the banding, but the color are way to saturated.

You can clearly see the screen "jump" or flicker to moment you move it to or away from the Vivid, its like it is changing bit depth for some strange reason.

I hope you have a good one now. Wonder if more people have this problem.

 

[carllelandtaylor]

FIX: Run Windows updates.

I just got my Prestige 15 yesterday, and I had the exact same problem. Thanks for writing this post, it saved me a ton of time.

After I saw this post, I checked my Windows Updates and saw that I had a pending update for my Intel graphics drivers. I ran that update, and now all my color banding is gone, even after rebooting my computer.

 

[Nees]

FIX: Run Windows updates.

I just got my Prestige 15 yesterday, and I had the exact same problem. Thanks for writing this post, it saved me a ton of time.

After I saw this post, I checked my Windows Updates and saw that I had a pending update for my Intel graphics drivers. I ran that update, and now all my color banding is gone, even after rebooting my computer.

Are you sure? Have you tested SRGB in Msi True Color? You might notice that AdobeRBG and sRGB dont do anything or just way to small of a difference, that is because sRGB is not working correctly in MSI True Image, your display is still showing way to much color.
Can you test that? I'm curious about your experience.

 

[yves.buehler]

I had the same issue. Just got my new prestige 15 and noticed banding in dark sections of youtube content. 

Here is what i did:

I set the intel uhd driver back to an older version --> Banding was gone. 
Restarted laptop with old intel driver --> Banding still gone.
Updated intel driver to latest version again --> Banding was still gone. 
Restarted laptop with latest version of intel --> Banding still gone. 

So I hope the problem is now solved and does not appear in the near future again....

Maybe this will help also other users. Let me know...

 

[morpheus.sphynx]

Interested in how this goes.  I don't think everyone in this post is realizing the true issue here, as it's the same issue I had with a Dell Precision that I purchased (and returned).

The issue is that the screens are 100% AdobeRGB.  As any professional photographer would know, it's not always smart to edit in AdobeRGB when you are editing for the web/social media/etc.  Therefore, this laptop has an awesome feature to be able to switch to sRGB mode.  However, once you switch to sRGB mode using the MSI app, I'm pretty positive that the banding issues comes up.  Not when you are in AdobeRGB mode.

Has anyone gotten a real answer from MSI on why there is a banding issue when switched to sRGB mode?

 

[morpheus.sphynx]

Bump

 

[victorperezpelay159e02e9]

Hi everyone!
I've just bought a Creator 15 and this topic is making me crazy. I'm a photographer and design student and I can't handle all these changes, flickering screen, banding, too saturated colors...

I fixed it by uninstalling all intel software and drivers and installing the latest version but when restarting the computer today, all the changes were gone, banding is again here and the auto-refresh panel option which causes the flickering was on.

MSI fix this incompatibility problem please, I don't know what else can I do...

 

[victorperezpelay159e02e9]

And if I reinstall Intel Drivers and Controller, banding is gone but MSI True color doesn't work and all colors are oversaturated.

 

[Crazydonkey]

Have you tried to clean install the Intel and NVIDIA drivers from MSI website?
Reinstall the vga drivers with DDU tool.
And if the problem still remains, I suggest you raise a web ticket to report the problem to MSI.