Nintendo fixes DS with one bad pixel
By Dan Wu 
posted Dec 7th 2004 10:21AM
posted Dec 7th 2004 10:21AM
Setting an example for any manufacturer that
sells anything with an LCD screen on it, Nintendo is actually following through on its promises, and is repairing or
replacing any new DS portable game console with even a single dead pixel (most manufacturers won't offer a replacement
or repair unless there is a minimum of three or four dead pixels). Even more amazing, some people are reporting that it
only took a warranty fulfillment center four days to repair and return their DS to them.
It used to be Apple's policy that 3 was the minimum dead pixel count. A friend of mine bought a new 12 Ibook this fall and had a single flakey pixel that occasionally went red. She called and Apple hotswapped it in 24 hours. No questions asked.
A reasonable dead pixel policy is one bad part per million. Since each LCD pixel is actually 3 colored pixels, you multiply your vertical and horizontal resolutions by 3 to get the total number of elements on the screen. Therefore the DS screen with a 256x192 resolution has 147,456 elements, and one dead pixel should be unacceptable. Your standard 15" LCD panel has 1024x768 resolution for 2.36 million elements and therefore the 2 to 3 dead pixel policies. Many manufacturers have larger dead pixel policies as the screens have higher resolutions. This is a reasonable thing to do as there are more parts to fail. Of course, I would rather see the standard be closer to 1 part per 3 million or so, but really one bad part per million isn't that bad. We should have all been shocked if Nintendo didn't replace panels with dead pixels since the resolution is so low, not praising them because they did.
I read somewhere that applecare only covers 8 or more dead pixels. Can't verify that right now tho.
It was always my understanding that Apple wouldn't even discuss the screen if it did not have a minimum of three. I told the friend to not even bother. It was very slight problem and unobtrusive. But, after one call, she had a new ibook. I was a bit shocked.
HP will only replace with 7 or more and that's confirmed.
Seems to me that Nintendo has the same policy as any other manufacturer - if considered in terms of % of broken pixels.
A single broken pixel on a DS has a much greater impact then a single pixel on a 19" LCD.
How many pixels does the DS's screens have? I would assume a laptop would have millions more.
Excellent because I have one dead pixel on my DS. I figured that it wouldn't be worth the bother because they'd say "ya gotta have X number of dead pixels".
I like Nintendo even more now.
I just had mine replaced. I called Friday, received my replacement Monday. AMAZING!
Way to go Nintendo!
i guess you guys don't remember that the very first Game Boy had screen display issues (what was that, 1990?). Nintendo made a big deal of announcing that they would repair/replace all affected units and made good on it- I remember dangling my feet in an orange chair at Sears or somewhere while my mother & I waited for the 'while you wait' part swap.
This happened to me too, ON THE FIRST DAY I GOT IT! I was flipping out whn i saw it. I didn't think that Nintendo would cover it, but now I am filled with joy now that I know that I can get it fixed free of charge.
I have purchased a 17" LCD (Cicero) and 10 days after I noted a bead pixel. I have read the comments above saying they wont replace the screen if not more then 3 pixel is bad which make sense from there prospective. I read my warranty word to word and it dose not state pixel limitations on the card. So legally they have to except the fact that there quality control socks. If you made a clam and they refused it, I would live the mater to the court system.
I was reading a comment earlier about how Nintendo should not be praised because of the size of the screen for their zero tolerance on the dead pixel issue. May I point out that returning a product on this issue is not considered necessary as every companies are dealing with a new technology and that it is the consumer's lack of information on what they are purchasing that becomes the issue. We want crisper images and yet we cannot accept that LCD technology we so crave for still has flaws. Nintendo's offer to replace the screen for one pixel what I call great service, I really don't see why some people can just say it's average. I suppose that on 2.8 million units, a few pixels go astray, but we are very far from the ACME age here folks... Really far.
As much as people may bash on Nintendo, they have some great customer service. I had problems with my NP account when I was a kid and was really glad I called because they were hilarious and helpful. While I rant, I must add that DELL has quite possibly the worst gadget related customer support in history.
Nice to see Nintendo caring about its customers.
I bought a dell Inspiron 6000 Notebook a few weeks ago, and it had no dead pixels, they confirmed with me TWICE, and to make sure, they even double checked when they sent it out, because i recived a call and a email, Dell's custormer service kicks ass, and its heads and shoulders above anything Alienware/Hypersonic/VoodooPC/
I wish Sony would replace people people's PSPs who had 1 dead pixel. That way there would be all these people complaining about their PSPs...
Feross
[spam deleted]
Nintendo customer service is fast on response time.
I wanted a blue DS and I went and bought one. Got it home, found a dead (bright white) pixel on the right of the touh screen. Took it back... exchanged it, got another blue one and found another dead (bright white pixel) on the bottom this time. Took it back exchanged it today. Turned it on, found another dead pixel (bright red) on the left hand side of the screen. This is my third blue DS and my third dead pixel. I am getting tired of taking it back. The girl at the exchange counter knows me now. Is this a blue DS thing? Friend got a silver one the same day and his is perfect of course.
I just bought a Blue DS today and I have 3 dead pixels on the top, and a few on the bottom screen too, DOH! Considering returning it to Nintendo instead of Circuit City, so I don't have to play the return game that poster #19 had to do. Nintendo has really kick ass customer service, a few years ago my first generation gamecube was having trouble reading discs, so I called up the support center and they had a record on me from the early 90s when I subscribed to Nintendo Power. The guy then extended my non-existant warenty (I guess the online retailer I bought it from didn't do the product registration they were suposed to), and then pre-paid for FedEX shipping. Not even a week later I had my cube returned to me where they not only replaced the dvd lense unit but repair/replaced a few of my controllers that had gone bad. All this for $0.00, didn't have to pay shipping either way. Good luck finding that kind of customer service from just about any other company, game industry related or not.
I bought a DS a couple of days ago in Singapore (I live in Australia). So anyway, back home now, there's a stuck pixel in the center of the screen. Called Nintendo Australia's support today, they said that the other Nintendo companies around the world have nothing to do with them. That's right, nothing. I asked them if Nintendo Australia sells the "Nintendo DS Portable Video Game System" to which she paused and finally answered "Yes but only if it was purchased here". She wouldn't even give me the contact details for Nintendo Japan's support because aparently they know nothing. It's like a secret establishment not unlike that of Cobra Commander's I imagine. So I'm stuck with this bastard DS with a warranty that I can't seem to get acknowledged. Help me engadget, you're my only hope. Also let this be a lesson to all of you. When you consider buying electronic equipment from overseas for an attractive discount, don't expect to get any help when it inevitably encounters the most basic of problems.
my daughetrs ds screen upper is cracked does anyone know of a place i can order a screen for it?