OLED Gray Test
Near-black gray steps that expose OLED banding, near-black flicker and uneven low-light uniformity.
Use a dark room. The ramp shows 0–20% in steps; each step should be just visibly different from the next.
Quick answer
What is the OLED Gray Test?
An OLED gray test shows very dark gray steps near black, where OLED panels most often show problems. It reveals near-black banding, mura (blotchy patches), vertical lines and uneven shading that bright content hides on OLED TVs, monitors and phones.
Key features
- Near-black gray steps from 1% to 20%, plus a ramp
- Full-screen fields with no overlays
- Manual stepping to compare levels slowly
- Works on phones, TVs and OLED monitors
Why use it
- Check a new OLED within the return period
- Find banding before calibrating
- Free and quick
Built and tested by Whitson Rao
About the OLED Gray Test
Show very dark gray levels, from 1% to 20%, that are hard for OLED panels to render evenly. Use them to spot near-black banding, blotches and flicker in a dark room.
How to use the OLED Gray Test
Turn off the lights and set your display to its normal viewing brightness.
Press F for fullscreen and start with the 5% step.
Step down to 1–3% to see where the panel starts crushing or blotching.
Try the gray ramp to look for visible steps between neighboring shades.
Common uses
Near-black uniformity
Very dark grays expose blotches and vertical lines on OLED panels.
Black crush check
See whether the lowest shades are visible or merged into black.
Low-brightness flicker
Some panels flicker at very low gray levels and brightness.
Comparing units
Compare two phones or TVs side-by-side at the same settings.
Frequently asked questions
Why do near-black grays look blotchy on OLED?
Each OLED pixel is driven individually, and tiny variations become visible at very low output. Some unevenness is normal across all OLED panels.
Is this test useful for LCD screens?
Yes, but LCDs show near-black problems mostly as backlight bleed or clouding. Use the uniformity test for those.
Why can’t I see the 1% step?
Many displays and picture modes crush the very darkest shades. Try raising brightness slightly or using a different picture mode.