Bandingilmiöitä

Bandingilmiöitä, also known as banding or banding effect, refers to the visual artifact that can appear in digital images and video displays, particularly when smooth gradients of color or tone are reproduced. This phenomenon occurs when the continuous range of colors or shades in an original image is represented by a limited number of discrete levels by the display or recording device. Instead of a smooth transition, distinct bands of color or tonal values become visible, disrupting the intended smooth appearance.

The primary cause of banding is insufficient color depth or bit depth. For example, an 8-bit per channel image can represent 256 levels of red, green, and blue. When these levels are insufficient to accurately depict a smooth gradient, the color transitions can appear as stepped bands. This is more noticeable in areas with subtle color changes, such as skies, sunsets, or smooth surfaces. Factors contributing to banding include the limitations of the display technology, the compression used for image or video files, and the processing algorithms applied.

Techniques to mitigate banding include increasing the color depth of the image or video, using dithering to introduce subtle noise that can break up the appearance of bands, or employing post-processing techniques to smooth out gradients. While modern displays and image formats generally have higher color depths, banding can still be observed, especially in low-quality content or when viewing images on devices with limited capabilities.