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Dead pixels walking
My brother bought a Sony PlayStation Portable at lunch yesterday, after becoming smitten with its video quality and screen. The display is so stellar, he says, that movie watching, even more than gaming, is an utter joy. But as he began to use it, he noticed that one or two discolored pixels appeared over time, and one, in the upper left of the screen, is completely and visibly black. It's not a big deal, but since he really started to notice the problem pixels after a bit of use, he's going to be watching it carefully and considering trying to return it to the Sony store where he bought it--if they'll take it.
Reports of dead PSP pixels have been, if you'll pardon the pun, lighting up the Web since the portable gaming console's U.S. release on March 24, and there were similar reports of problems in Japan when the PSP came out there. Now, dead, stuck, or discolored pixels are not considered uncommon in LCDs--Sony's own manual mentions that you might see them on the PSP:
"Red, blue, or green spots (bright spots) or black spots (dark spots) may appear in certain locations on the LCD screen. The appearance of such spots is a normal occurrence associated with LCD screens and not a sign of malfunction. LCD screens are made using highly precise technology. However, a very small number of dark pixels or continuously lit pixels exist on each screen."
A spotty rash
The problem, though, is that there seem to be a lot of defective PSPs out there. A GameSpot survey of 12 in-house units found that fully half had at least one dead pixel, and Engadget reports that a unit it bought had a big dead spot in the center of its screen. Forum posters are reporting entire rows of blanks, and one user posted a photo of a PSP with a spray of dead pixels all across its screen.
The problems could just be a normal part of a Hardware 1.0 release, but it's been seriously exacerbated because Sony hasn't issued any sort of consistent message about its return policy for PSPs with problem screens. While some buyers have reported easy exchanges at the Sony store, users went crazy when online retailer Video Games Plus told its users that Sony would not warrant any units with dead pixels. Since then, GameSpot has contacted a Sony rep who advised, somewhat paternally, that PSP owners should use the thing for "a week or two" to determine whether the dark spots really bothered them as much as they thought. I should note here that Nintendo suggests waiting to see whether dead pixels are a problem on its Nintendo DS gaming console, but it's made friends with users by promising to fix or replace units with any dead pixels as long as they're returned within the warranty period.
When it comes to LCD monitors, dead pixels are considered a cost of doing business. Dell maintains that between one and five dead or "stuck" pixels is an acceptable number, but notes that it will consider replacing displays with more than six fixed pixels, or several that are clustered in one spot on the screen. Manufacturer policies vary, and while some will fix or replace screens with one or two dark spots, the industry standard ranges from five to eight fixed pixels.
When it comes to PDAs and handhelds, there aren't any hard-and-fast policies yet, but the general feeling on the street is that three dead pixels are considered acceptable on a standard 2.5-inch PDA screen. Most users consider "none" to be an acceptable level, though. From a consumer perspective, if I stood in line for hours to pick up a PSP that I consider broken, the really unacceptable thing is to have Sony tell me that an obvious flaw is really not that big a deal, if I just give it some time.
Sony's story
The story got muddier, though, when CNET Fully Equipped author David Carnoy thought he'd investigate by attempting to return his PSP to brick-and-mortar retailer GameStop. There, he was told that Sony's "official policy" was to replace a unit only if it had 10 or more dead pixels. Now, consider that the PSP's screen is only 4.3 inches, and its resolution is just 480x272 pixels. So, the dead ones add up quickly--especially on a gadget that's made for extremely visual use. And if 10 of those pixels were dead and you couldn't return your $250 PSP, I think you'd be a less-than-happy customer.
When David contacted a Sony rep, he at first got a vague response offering the "week or two" advice, but with further pushing, Sony said the following:
"Any customer that is dissatisfied with their PSP can contact our customer service and follow the standard warranty procedure. There are no limits (or minimums) to constantly lit or dark pixels that are required for the warranty. It is important to note that as with any LCD product on the market, a very small number of dark pixels or continuously lit pixels is normal for LCD screens, and is not a sign of a malfunction."
That would seem to be the end of the story: just trust the warranty to take care of the problem, if you consider it a serious problem. However, there's still the question of what resellers have been told. Why does GameStop, for example, think Sony's replacement policy is 10 pixels? Wouldn't it just be easier if you could return your duddy PSP to the store where you bought it, instead of having to muddle through Sony's warranty? In any case, if you haven't already bought a PSP, and you can actually find one in the store, try to make sure you know the return or dead-pixel policy before you leave.
By Molly Wood, senior editor, CNET.com
Tuesday, March 29, 2005
My brother bought a Sony PlayStation Portable at lunch yesterday, after becoming smitten with its video quality and screen. The display is so stellar, he says, that movie watching, even more than gaming, is an utter joy. But as he began to use it, he noticed that one or two discolored pixels appeared over time, and one, in the upper left of the screen, is completely and visibly black. It's not a big deal, but since he really started to notice the problem pixels after a bit of use, he's going to be watching it carefully and considering trying to return it to the Sony store where he bought it--if they'll take it.Reports of dead PSP pixels have been, if you'll pardon the pun, lighting up the Web since the portable gaming console's U.S. release on March 24, and there were similar reports of problems in Japan when the PSP came out there. Now, dead, stuck, or discolored pixels are not considered uncommon in LCDs--Sony's own manual mentions that you might see them on the PSP:
Does a dead pixel equal a broken gadget, or should we stop expecting perfection?
Post your comment hereA spotty rash
The problem, though, is that there seem to be a lot of defective PSPs out there. A GameSpot survey of 12 in-house units found that fully half had at least one dead pixel, and Engadget reports that a unit it bought had a big dead spot in the center of its screen. Forum posters are reporting entire rows of blanks, and one user posted a photo of a PSP with a spray of dead pixels all across its screen.
The problems could just be a normal part of a Hardware 1.0 release, but it's been seriously exacerbated because Sony hasn't issued any sort of consistent message about its return policy for PSPs with problem screens. While some buyers have reported easy exchanges at the Sony store, users went crazy when online retailer Video Games Plus told its users that Sony would not warrant any units with dead pixels. Since then, GameSpot has contacted a Sony rep who advised, somewhat paternally, that PSP owners should use the thing for "a week or two" to determine whether the dark spots really bothered them as much as they thought. I should note here that Nintendo suggests waiting to see whether dead pixels are a problem on its Nintendo DS gaming console, but it's made friends with users by promising to fix or replace units with any dead pixels as long as they're returned within the warranty period.
When it comes to LCD monitors, dead pixels are considered a cost of doing business. Dell maintains that between one and five dead or "stuck" pixels is an acceptable number, but notes that it will consider replacing displays with more than six fixed pixels, or several that are clustered in one spot on the screen. Manufacturer policies vary, and while some will fix or replace screens with one or two dark spots, the industry standard ranges from five to eight fixed pixels.
When it comes to PDAs and handhelds, there aren't any hard-and-fast policies yet, but the general feeling on the street is that three dead pixels are considered acceptable on a standard 2.5-inch PDA screen. Most users consider "none" to be an acceptable level, though. From a consumer perspective, if I stood in line for hours to pick up a PSP that I consider broken, the really unacceptable thing is to have Sony tell me that an obvious flaw is really not that big a deal, if I just give it some time.
Sony's story
The story got muddier, though, when CNET Fully Equipped author David Carnoy thought he'd investigate by attempting to return his PSP to brick-and-mortar retailer GameStop. There, he was told that Sony's "official policy" was to replace a unit only if it had 10 or more dead pixels. Now, consider that the PSP's screen is only 4.3 inches, and its resolution is just 480x272 pixels. So, the dead ones add up quickly--especially on a gadget that's made for extremely visual use. And if 10 of those pixels were dead and you couldn't return your $250 PSP, I think you'd be a less-than-happy customer.
When David contacted a Sony rep, he at first got a vague response offering the "week or two" advice, but with further pushing, Sony said the following:
"Any customer that is dissatisfied with their PSP can contact our customer service and follow the standard warranty procedure. There are no limits (or minimums) to constantly lit or dark pixels that are required for the warranty. It is important to note that as with any LCD product on the market, a very small number of dark pixels or continuously lit pixels is normal for LCD screens, and is not a sign of a malfunction."
That would seem to be the end of the story: just trust the warranty to take care of the problem, if you consider it a serious problem. However, there's still the question of what resellers have been told. Why does GameStop, for example, think Sony's replacement policy is 10 pixels? Wouldn't it just be easier if you could return your duddy PSP to the store where you bought it, instead of having to muddle through Sony's warranty? In any case, if you haven't already bought a PSP, and you can actually find one in the store, try to make sure you know the return or dead-pixel policy before you leave.
