Color banding (contouring) can be seen on XPS and Dell Precision laptops with the Premier Color application and Intel-integrated graphics. This happens when viewing an image or video playback on the darker part (low-end blacks).
The color banding gets more significant as we decrease the Gamma value using the Gamma slider on the Premier Color User Interface (UI). Color banding gets less significant as we increase the Gamma value using the Gamma slider on Premier Color UI.
Below are examples with the Color banding (contouring) issue when Premier Color is installed:
Figure 1: (English Only) Color Banding (Contouring) on Image
Figure 2: (English Only) Color Banding (Contouring) on Image
Figure 3: (English Only) Color Banding (Contouring) Improved Image if Gamma Value is Set to the Max
Figure 4: (English Only) Color Banding (Contouring) Improved Image if Gamma Value is Set to the Max
Color banding (contouring) happens because the Gamut remapping can introduce artifacts in the low-end blacks, which are a limitation with the Intel-integrated graphics. This issue can be seen when enabling the WideGamut registry and viewing select content. The hardware is working as designed. The next generation of Intel-integrated graphics will improve the color banding (contouring) behavior.
If you have further questions about this article, contact Dell Technical Support.