What RTINGS Found When Testing HDR Banding on the LG C6 OLED

Last updated: September 2026

🕒 5 min read

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Stripes across a sunset, or faint steps where a dark HDR scene should fade smoothly, are what most people mean by banding. Everything here on LG OLED HDR banding comes from a single review of a single set: RTINGS’ look at the LG C6 OLED 2026, reviewed April 20, 2026, with its test bench brought up to date on September 18, 2026.

We didn’t test a C6 ourselves. RTINGS tested the 65-inch model and says its results also hold for the 55-inch. They don’t cover the 48-inch, which uses a tandem panel, or the 77- and 83-inch sizes, which go by the name C6H and use a tandem panel too. If you’re still weighing OLED TVs more broadly, our full OLED TV guide is the better place to start.

LG OLED HDR Banding on the C6: What RTINGS Reports

In RTINGS’ HDR gradient test, the C6 shows almost no visible banding in any shade with HDR10 content. RTINGS credits a new 13-bit processing pipeline and calls the result a considerable improvement over the 2025 LG C5. In its C5 comparison, RTINGS adds that areas of similar color show significantly less banding on the C6.

Two other findings matter if you’re seeing something on screen. Dolby Vision had gradient problems on the launch firmware, and RTINGS says those were fixed as of firmware version 43.10.69. Separately, RTINGS saw vertical bands in near-black scenes, which it describes as noticeable but mild. That second effect comes from a different test, and it isn’t the same thing as gradient banding.

For a general explanation of HDR itself, see our explainer on what HDR on a TV is.

Two Kinds of Banding RTINGS Saw on the C6

Gradient banding: steps where a smooth blend should be

Gradient banding shows up when a smooth change in color or brightness, like a sky fading toward the horizon, breaks into visible steps. On the C6, RTINGS credits its strong result to the new 13-bit processing pipeline. In its PQ EOTF tracking test, RTINGS also notes a slight roll-off near peak brightness, which preserves gradation in the brightest parts of a scene.

For the rest of this model’s performance, our LG OLED65C6 review covers the 65-inch set.

Near-black vertical bands: a uniformity trait

The vertical bands RTINGS saw in near-black scenes turned up in its gray uniformity test, which checks how evenly the panel displays a flat gray. RTINGS rates the C6’s gray uniformity as good overall, with very little dirty screen effect in the center and sides that are a bit darker than the center.

What to Check, Symptom by Symptom

Steps that appear in Dolby Vision content

RTINGS links the C6’s Dolby Vision gradient issue to the launch firmware and says version 43.10.69 fixed it. Check for and install the latest firmware on your TV. One deduction of ours, not an RTINGS finding: if your set already runs 43.10.69 or later, that launch-firmware issue is unlikely to be the cause.

Steps that appear in HDR10 content

RTINGS found almost no banding in HDR10 on the C6 it tested. Its review doesn’t go further than that, so it doesn’t say where visible steps in HDR10 might come from on your set, and this page won’t guess.

Vertical lines that only show up in very dark scenes

That pattern resembles the near-black bands RTINGS saw in its uniformity test more than gradient banding. RTINGS treats them as a minor issue and doesn’t name a setting or update that removes them.

You’re still choosing a TV

RTINGS’ C6 findings don’t cover the 48-inch C6, the larger C6H or LG’s other OLED lines, so check results for the exact model you’re considering. Our LG OLED buying guide walks through LG’s 65-inch OLED tiers.

Common Misconceptions About Banding on the C6

“A firmware update fixes any banding.” On the C6, RTINGS ties one specific fix to one firmware version: the Dolby Vision gradient issue, resolved as of 43.10.69.

“Calibration will remove banding.” RTINGS’ review doesn’t connect the C6’s gradient results to calibration. If you plan to calibrate anyway, here’s how to calibrate an OLED TV.

“What RTINGS found applies to every C6.” RTINGS excludes the 48-inch from its results, and the 77- and 83-inch sizes are the C6H, with a tandem panel.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is LG OLED HDR banding a problem on the LG C6?

Not in RTINGS’ testing. It found almost no visible banding in HDR10 gradients on the C6, and it describes the TV’s gradient handling as a big step up from the LG C5. This covers the 65-inch C6 RTINGS tested, and the 55-inch, which RTINGS says the results also apply to.

Did a firmware update fix banding on the LG C6?

For Dolby Vision, yes, per RTINGS: gradient issues reported on the launch firmware were fixed as of version 43.10.69. RTINGS doesn’t report a firmware fix for the near-black vertical bands it saw in its uniformity test.

Why do I see vertical lines in dark scenes on my LG C6?

RTINGS saw vertical bands in near-black scenes during its gray uniformity test and called them noticeable but not too bad. On the unit it tested, RTINGS reported those bands in its gray uniformity results, not its gradient test, and doesn’t name a fix for them.