dead pixel policy

maritzio

well, i took delivery of my new Powermac 2.7 with 23inch display. Sweeet!



however after loading Doom3, i noticed a pinprick of light in the centre of the screen. Alas, a dead pixel.



is one enough for me to get a new screen or is there a minimum number of pixels before i can get a replacement?



i mean it's not noticable in every day work,



thanks

hodog16

My new iMac G5 is coming in a few days and I dread if there are any stuck pixels .



Here's Apple's official stance on "stuck" pixels - note the ambiguity that is the last paragraph.



http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=22194



I've always heard around 8-10 pixels being the magic number that gets you a new screen, but that might just be heresay.

lundy

Quote:

Originally posted by Maritzio

well, i took delivery of my new Powermac 2.7 with 23inch display. Sweeet!



however after loading Doom3, i noticed a pinprick of light in the centre of the screen. Alas, a dead pixel.



is one enough for me to get a new screen or is there a minimum number of pixels before i can get a replacement?



i mean it's not noticable in every day work,



thanks

One pixel is not going to get any official response from Apple. However, you could perhaps get the return of the item and the restocking fee. Of course, the new display could have 2 dead pixels....



Have you tried gently rubbing the stuck pixel with your fingertip?

ichiban_jay

I think apple generally will replace the pixel if:



4 pixels or more around the screen

3 pixels clustered together or in the center of the screen



Basically, it depends on how much you complain to them about it. One is hard impossible though... but it is in the middle of the screen.

icfireball

Also, not all dead pixels are created equal.



There are two types of dead pixels: Pixels that are always stuck ON, and pixels that are always stuck OFF. They consider pixels that are always stuck ON much worse than those always stuck off. Pixels that are always stuck on have a very light/white apperance, and pixels that are always stuck off have a black apperence.

aplnub

I have noticed 3 dead pixels (always on) on my 20" iMac. It doesn't bother me though. I just notice it typing word docs and crap like that.



I dread the day I have a bunch of them on my screen. That will suck. I wonder if they will throw a fit with my warranty since I have upgraded ram, hdd, and added a dual layer burner?

ipodandimac

Quote:

Originally posted by icfireball

Pixels that are always stuck on have a very light/white apperance, and pixels that are always stuck off have a black apperence.

uh so what about my blue one?

keot

Each pixel on a LCD is made up of three sub pixels. A red one, green one and blue one.



Any of these could fail in either the 'off' or 'on' state meaning you could get a black stuck pixel, white stuck pixel, blue one, red, green, yellow (red and green), pink (red and blue) etc.



Given that the 23" display in question has a little under seven million sub pixels, I'd say you're lucky it's only three that are faulty! Then again you did pay extra for a premium quality product...

ipodandimac

Quote:

Originally posted by keot

Each pixel on a LCD is made up of three sub pixels. A red one, green one and blue one.



Any of these could fail in either the 'off' or 'on' state meaning you could get a black stuck pixel, white stuck pixel, blue one, red, green, yellow (red and green), pink (red and blue) etc.

right. i was just wondering cause icfireball generalized all stuck pixels into either dark or light in his response.

icfireball

Quote:

Originally posted by ipodandimac

right. i was just wondering cause icfireball generalized all stuck pixels into either dark or light in his response.

I wasn't going to get into any detail. A better word than light would have been bright when talking about all turned on pixels.

messiah

There's an urban myth, that if you rub a 'stuck' pixel for a while, sometimes it will become unstuck and start functioning properly.



I'm cynical, but a friend swears that it worked on his Cinema Display.

inaka

Quote:

Originally posted by Messiah

There's an urban myth, that if you rub a 'stuck' pixel for a while, sometimes it will become unstuck and start functioning properly.



I'm cynical, but a friend swears that it worked on his Cinema Display.

It's not a myth, it actually works.



I've done it on Dell laptops and LCDs before. I usually use a soft cloth and rub around the dead pixel a bit and I've seen then flicker and vanish before my eyes.

lundy

Quote:

Originally posted by Messiah

There's an urban myth, that if you rub a 'stuck' pixel for a while, sometimes it will become unstuck and start functioning properly.



I'm cynical, but a friend swears that it worked on his Cinema Display.

Quote:

Originally posted by lundy

Have you tried gently rubbing the stuck pixel with your fingertip?

tekmate

Quote:

Originally posted by inaka

It's not a myth, it actually works.



I've done it on Dell laptops and LCDs before. I usually use a soft cloth and rub around the dead pixel a bit and I've seen then flicker and vanish before my eyes.

I have had it work about 50% of the time when I notice them on used equipment.



I would not accept any dead pixels on new equipment I deploy 10+ LCDs a week and maybe once every two months I see one with a dead pixel and I return it under warrenty. I paid for working equipment I won't accept a PC that starts up most of the time right? I look at it this way if they want to lose my business that's fine we have 5,000 end users be my guest.

atrox

I always found Apples stance on dead pixels rediculous. I have a Dell 20.1" widescreen LCD for half the price of apples. My original shipped with one dead pixel. Dell replaced it without question overnight. not even a slight argument, just a "OK sir, you have new one tomrrow and you can ship the bad one back at your convenience". Checking forums, this seems to be Dell's normal policy. for over double the price, Apple shouldnt even question sending a replacement for even one stuck/dead pixel.

rocjetblue320

I just a had a dead subpixel on my screen. I rubbed it and it went away. I guess its no urban myth...thank god. I was going to be pissed if i had to deal with it.

dfiler

A friend fixed his stuck green pixel by cramming a piece of cardboard between the bezel and screen. Whenever it reappears, you'll find him fashioning a new tiny shim off of anything on his desk.

amorya

Quote:

Originally posted by lundy

One pixel is not going to get any official response from Apple. However, you could perhaps get the return of the item and the restocking fee. Of course, the new display could have 2 dead pixels....



Have you tried gently rubbing the stuck pixel with your fingertip?

Check your country's laws. In the UK, you can return (for a full refund) any product bought over the internet, within 14 days of receiving it.



Just keep doing that until you get a display you like



Amorya

icfireball

Quote:

Originally posted by Amorya

Check your country's laws. In the UK, you can return (for a full refund) any product bought over the internet, within 14 days of receiving it.



Just keep doing that until you get a display you like



Amorya

Many companies "blacklist" customers from returning items given a previous history of constantly returning items. Thats not a good thing to do. And you do have to realised these companies have to make a profit. Usualy you can live with one or two dead pixels. If people keep returning LCDs like these the prices will go way up.

placebo

I remember a maximum of four per screen and two in a one-inch area.

tekmate

I am always amazed at this topic you paid good money it should work as advertised. If I buy a car and there is a crack in the windshoeld they don't tell me to come back when it gets bigger. Apple needs to get off their duffs and invest in decent LCD screens. I work in a mixed enviroment and can tell you I see less than 1 in 30 LCDs come in with bad pixels and when they do we return them as defective that is what they are bottom line. I'm typing this while looking at a ViewSonic 19" LCd with no stuck pixels.