1. A video coding method, comprising: identifying, from content of pixel blocks of a frame of video data, candidate pixel blocks that are likely to exhibit banding artifacts from a video coding/decoding process; identifying regions of the frame that are likely to exhibit banding artifacts based on the identified pixel blocks' locations with respect to each other, the identifying regions including: identifying regions of the frame that are likely to exhibit banding artifacts based on the identified pixel blocks' locations with respect to each other, the identifying regions including: recursively joining a candidate pixel block to a respective region, starting with a seed candidate pixel block, by: comparing metrics of a respective region to metrics of a candidate pixel block that shares a border with a pixel block previously-admitted to the respective region; when the compared metrics match, admitting the candidate pixel block to the respective region; upon conclusion of the joining, determining from the respective region's shape, whether the respective region is likely to exhibit banding artifacts from the video coding/decoding process; disqualifying from anti-banding processing regions that are determined not likely to exhibit banding artifacts based on their shape; when a respective region is not disqualified, applying anti-banding processing to pixel blocks within at least one of the respective region; and coding the frame for transmission over a channel by a compression operation, the coding being applied to a frame comprised of the processed data of the anti-banding processed pixel blocks and source data of remaining pixel blocks.