1. A method for detecting banding noise in a signal representative of an image, the method comprising: determining, by a banding noise detector, a count of increment steps in pixel values and a count of decrement steps in pixel values along a filter direction in a neighborhood of a current pixel of the image; checking, by the banding noise detector, if the count of increment steps or the count of decrement steps in the neighborhood of the current pixel exceeds a step threshold value; classifying, by the banding noise detector, the current pixel as being located in a banding noise zone if the count of increment steps or the count of decrement steps does not exceed the step threshold value; checking, by the banding noise detector, if a ratio of a minimum count of increment steps or decrement steps to a maximum count of increment steps or decrement steps exceeds a ratio threshold value; and classifying, by the banding noise detector, the current pixel as being located in the banding noise zone if the ratio does not exceed the ratio threshold value.