Greyscale Test — Adjustable 4–64 Step Check
Professional Greyscale Inspection
A professional greyscale test: a 4–64 step adjustable gray ramp with dedicated dark/bright modes and a fullscreen uniformity mode to examine bit depth, shadow detail and gray balance.
4–64 Adjustable Steps
Slider or ↑↓ keys with 17/32/52 presets — from a quick scan to an extreme ramp.
Dark & Bright Modes
Dedicated 0-50 and 200-255 ranges targeting the two ends where detail dies first.
Uniformity Mode
Any gray from 0-255 fullscreen — exposes DSE, dirty screen and backlight unevenness.
Bit Depth, Crush & Gray Balance
Depth & Steps
6-bit gives 64, 8-bit 256, 10-bit 1024 gray steps. Fewer steps means visible crush on demanding ramps.
Black Crush
Adjacent dark grays collapse into one black — caused by panel response, gamma error or signal compression.
Gray Balance
Every step should stay neutral. A red/green/blue tint in some range means RGB gains need calibration.
Three Steps to Check Greyscale
Full-Range Scan
Start with the default 17-step full range — every step distinct and neutral.
Attack the Extremes
Switch to dark 0-50 / bright 200-255, raise steps above 32, and look for crush at the ends.
Uniformity Sweep
Use uniformity mode at gray 32/128/224 to check for uneven luminance or tint.
Reading the Results
All distinct
Excellent- · Clean step boundaries
- · No crush at either end
- · Neutral tint
- · 10-bit or great 8-bit
Minor end crush
Good- · Darkest 1-2 merge
- · Invisible in daily use
- · Typical IPS result
- · Calibration may help
Heavy crush
Fair- · Shadow detail lost
- · Bright-end clipping
- · Check gamma setting
- · Check Full/Limited range
Uneven uniformity
Attention- · Same gray, uneven luma
- · Local color-temp drift
- · DSE dirty screen
- · Severe: warranty claim
Pro Tips
Check Signal Range
Set GPU output to Full Range (0-255) — Limited crushes both dark and bright ends.
Fix Gamma First
A gamma off 2.2 compresses one end of the ramp; verify the curve on the Gamma Calibration page first.
Shadow Boost
Gaming OSD “black stabilizer” lifts shadows for FPS visibility but ruins black level for movies.
DSE at Mid-Gray
Dirty-screen effect peaks at 30-70% gray — inspect around level 128 in uniformity mode.
FAQ
Recommended Test Environment
- Dim room — full darkness not required
- Daily brightness (120–160 nits)
- Disable HDR and dynamic contrast
- Confirm GPU Full Range output
- 50–70cm viewing distance
- Warm up 10 minutes before judging