Get the banding Out ! Pixel Clock and Phase Guide.

Why this calibration is nessessary.
Pixel phase - An adjustment common to scalers and projectors, which adjusts the point in time that a sample is taken in the A-D conversion process.
The pixel (or dot) clock in a computer and the pixel clock in a display device may operate at the same frequency for a given resolution and refresh rate, but not necessarily in phase with each other.
Pixel phase adjustments are provided on digital monitors and projectors to synchronize the two independent clocks.
A test generator like the Extron VTG 300 includes an alternating pixel pattern, which is used to eliminate banding and shimmering artifacts that are symptomatic of pixel phase error.
http://www.extron.com/technology/glossary.aspx?id=P

1) Unzip the Video Files.
2) In Media Player Classic's 'File' Tab, Click 'Open File'.
Click 'Browse', and go to where you unzipped the video files.
3) Now the video is playing, under Media Player classic's 'View' tab, Click 'Video Frame', 'Normal Size'.
4) Now, open the LCD, or CRT Monitor's OSD and go to Image Settings.
There you should see a icon with Vertical lines, and a icon with horizontal lines.

The Pixel Clock is the Vertical line icon.
The Phase is the Horizontal line icon.

5) Adjust the Monitors Pixel Clock using the burst 1280 Pattern.
If the Pixel Clock is set too high, the Lines will have jaggies on them, like teeth on a saw.
Lower the Pixel clock number until the jaggies on the lines go away, but no lower.

6) Now, adjust the Phase using the vertrez720 Pattern.
If the Phase is set too high, the Horizontal lines will quiver up and down.
Lower the Phase number until the Horizontal lines stop quivering up and down.

After you've calibrated your monitor as shown above.
Please take the banding test in this link; http://www.lagom.nl/lcd-test/ Look at the Grey right before it turns pitch black.


dr1394 kindly made the calibration patterns that I've included in the package I've made.
You can find his stuff here; http://www.w6rz.net/
I've add the package so we can save him bandwidth and Money.

Summary. If your Pixel Clock and Phase are not Calibrated Properly, you May experience Banding.
This is not a problem with a defective Monitor.
Just because you calibrate the Pixel Clock and Phase with one Video Card, does not mean it is the same adjustments for every video card.
So when you change video cards, you need to recalibrate the Pixel Clock and Phase again.

Pixel Clock test Pattern
Phase test pattern
Media Player classic
Package

Epilepsy Warning. The pictures linked to when viewed may cause seizure. Caution.

Hmmmnnnn,this is whats causing banding (pixel clock and Phase being out of whack ?),will it make a TN panel have less banding as well ? even the 262k and 16.2m panels ?

I hope so.

bump

Big thanks to this post. Especially since I'm using both DVI and VGA ports on my 2405 for two PCs, it helped tremendously on VGA display calibration. Your effort is much appreciated. Everyone should take a quick run of these tests!

Bump for a most valuable post.

Vote for a sticky (temporary at least)

it'd be nice if my monitor had those settings (20wmgx2). I really don't like the banding on this monitor. You pay a premium price, but banding makes lots of things look shitty.

No all LCD's or CRTs have this feature (image Settings.
There you should see a icon with Vertical lines, and a icon with horizontal lines) on their OSD. Are you referring to some other program perhaps?

Guys, keep in mind that many lcd's (my Dell 2007WFP for example) only have pixel clock and phase settings available when using the VGA input....the option doesn't even show up when using DVI.