Dead pixel problems on new PSPs?
By Joshua Fruhlinger 
posted Mar 24th 2005 1:08PM
posted Mar 24th 2005 1:08PM
The cries have been heard, and there are
many. It seems Sony pushed those 1 million PSP out to the US a little too quickly, with reports are swarming in
regarding units with dead pixels. Some PSPs seem to have it worse than others: some have large groups of dead
dots and even entire rows or columns. The unit we bought last night had a big dead one right smack in the middle
of the screen. The folks at the Sony store were kind enough to replace our unit quickly and quietly, but reports
from some online vendors are less promising. We'll keep you updated as this unfolds.
That sucks. Glad I'm poor enough to wait until all the kinks are worked out.
no dead pixels here. picked mine up over lunch and it is perfect.
What's this world coming to when if sony can't geit their products out first, they then proceed to rush it and ship faulty products. I mean, c'mon... this is a portable entertainment center, THE SCREEN IS THE BASIS OF THE WHOLE THING, it's what makes it portable. Luckily my experience with a Sony store here in Canada was similar to Engadget's and they took my PSP in return for one without a whole row of dead pixels (although not without fiddling around and talking to the manager for 20 minutes and then a phone call that lasted for 10 minutes). all's well that ends well I guess...
I think some people might be complaining about small imperfections in the plastic over the screen. I have two, which pick up the light when the screen is on, but you can clearly see them when its off too, so they aren't real "dead pixels". Also note, there is a big paragraph on this in the instruction manual, which I'm sure everyone read... ;)
Ouch. Guess I'm lucky, got two from Target this morning and both are fine. The display is just drop-dead gorgeous!
this is a major drawback with LCD's, 2-3 dead pixels i belive is in the permissible limits for TFT screens.a group or a row of dead pixels sure entitles u for a replacement.the PSP is awesome :d
No dead pixels here, and I bought 2.
I do have 3 'dents' in the plastic outer cover, each the size of a pixel in the top left of the screen. It doesn't bother me though.
The screen is amazing, and Sony did a great job engineering this unit.
There are flaws in all products, and some of those products with flaws can be life threatening.
Its just a portable game machine. And the UMD video of Spiderman is awesome. I dont buy DVDs, but I am going to buy at least one more UMD movie.
Yea, the psp manual is crap, in that it says that dead pixels are completely normal and are a "property of lcd screens", or some crap like that. All I know is that I would not accept even the slightest imperfection on my $250 piece of shiny. Oh, but they can't be imperfections right, considering that the psp is such a "perfect masterpiece".
Looks like I got lucky, no dead pixels. I was worried about it, so I bought the warranty at EB Games when I got my system, but it looks like I dodged the bullet. Phew!
I purchased a Japanese import in the UK and it ha the same problem so its not specific to the US.
Just got done tinkering with my PSP (at work hehe) and while I didn't pull out a magnifying glass or turn out the lights, I didn't notice any dead/stuck pixels. There are a LOT of units out there and to be honest, I've only seen what I would call a very vocal (justifiably, in my opinion) minority.
This is everything and more than I had hoped for. Now to experience the infamous battery life. Yay. :)
Peace
"I have two, which pick up the light when the screen is on, but you can clearly see them when its off too, so they aren't real "dead pixels"."
From what I've read (I don't own one) the PSP is in "sleep" mode when off (similar to an iPod) so it's probably technically still powered. If this is the case, any "stuck" pixels will still probably be stuck even when the system is "off". This doesn't make these pixels any less "dead" - dead doesn't just mean "black", it means the pixel does not shift states as it is designed to do. It's stuck in whatever state it's in.
Personally, I would not accept a single stuck pixel in any display I buy. Certainly not a $250 handheld. It boggles my mind how any manufacturer can call this anything other than what it is - a defect. The fact is the transistors behind these particular pixels are not working.
It is definitely a QC issue as well because many display manufacturers will simply throw out panels that have stuck pixels (Samsung, for example, which has a zero-tolerance for stuck pixels... at least in Korea). Some manufacturers are a bit more lenient, accepting a certain number of stuck pixels, some more than others. Apparently, Sony is *quite* lenient in their policy, most likely in order to save on costs and to get enough units out the door at launch.
This just makes me glad I waited, as I'm sure the QC will be tightened up as things go along. If I were buying right now, though, I would make sure to buy from somewhere with a 30 day no-questions-asked return policy. Any device you buy should both look perfect and work properly, 100%, on the day you buy it, and anything less is worthy of a return.
I have 3-dead pixels out of the box on my unit. I will probably try to sawp it for another one later tonight (if they still have them in stock by the end of the day.)
"this is a major drawback with LCD's, 2-3 dead pixels i belive is in the permissible limits for TFT screens."
maybe on a screen that has about 10 times the pixel count as a PSP.
if 2-3 dead pixels is in the "permissable limits" (permissable by who? not the consumer it would seem) on a screen with 10 times the pixel count as a PSP like a 1280x1024 screen... then the PSP should have a "permissable limit" of 1/3rd a dead pixel. right? or are the permissable limits you speak of completely arbitrary and without regard to pixel count / density / resolution?
seems like the Nintendo DS (with *2* screens no less!) somehow avoided these problems... not because they utilize some sort of magical LCD making processes... but because instead of refusing to replace defective units... or telling you that you have to have some random number of defects before replacement... or making the entire process generally a total hassle for the people *giving you money and supporting your company* ... they just quietly and quickly replace the unit.
this is more a management issue compounding a technical issue than a straight technical issue. (though a whole row of dead pixels seems a bit extreme...)
It's not really dead pixels, the problem is the case is completely clear, the black parts are painted black on the back side of the case. whats happening is some of that paint is making its way onto the lcd area and looking like a dead pixel. Its poor manufacturing of the case.
got mine this morning, no dead pixels whatsoever.....yahoo!
Mine works great, looks great and sounds great. I'm just afraid to touch it too much right now because I'm putting finger prints all over it and want to keep it pristine just a little while longer.
Oh, and I got mine from CompUSA (sold out now, prepaid on Monday) and they even called me this morning to let me know they had it saved for me in their lockup. Ain't they sweet?
#4 and #14 - That may be the case in some cases, but I certainly have 9 pixels stuck at white localized to the lower left hand region of the screen. They don't exist when the unit is off, and when you have a black background (ie. starting the Spiderman II UMD) they're very visible. Just to make sure you can tilt the unit at a sharp angle and clearly see what is the plastic casing and what is the TFT. No doubt about it, it's coming from the screen. I reported the problem to Sony and they are going to exchange it. 3 to 5 day turnaround from the time we receive the unit.
Looks like Sony isn't replacing units with dead pixels.
http://www.joystiq.com/entry/1234000037037383/#comments
And that just bites. I wonder what the return rate is on these compared to the DS.
Out of the 8 of us that stayed at EBGames to play wipeout, all of us had problems. Most of us had small 'chips' in the plastic, several had severe scratches on the face. We all took the $25 warranty and they will all be replaced when 'stock' comes in. Until then, I don't have to baby my new PSP, I know I will be getting another new one in a few weeks.
My screen looks like it has smudges all UNDERNEATH the screen. On dark (especially black) backgrounds, it's painfully obvious. It's as if a ton of the pixels are partially stuck on so they can't become completely black.
Check it out at: http://michaelolshansky.com/temp/pspscreen.jpg
And trust me, there are no smudges ON the screen. I'm not a total moron. ;P
I have 12 real dead pixels... I am really bumped... that would be a lot for a 30" LCD, let alone one slightly larger than 4".
Hey, I just realized, you linked to my thread in the playstation forums... lol.
Sony? Selling junk? Frankly, I'm shocked. This is inconceivable! /sarcasm
Seriously, Sony selling faulty/defective junk is a non-story. I'd be more surprised to hear there were no problems with it. You might as well post, "And in other news, bears were reported to be shitting in the woods."
^ x2. At least I got a DS and it has no problems what so ever. Nintendo has been in this business a while and think know what they're doing! The PSP box sucks anyways. lol
I may not like the DS, but at least it's built with quality and quality control.
Nintendo is really good to their customers, they are turning into the Apple of computers. The small minority that keeps their customers happy. I always knew it was going to be bad when the big corporations moved into the videogame industry and only cared about their bottom dollar.
I guess I got lucky. I was worried about the problem (I read some boards before I went to get it), but I am glad to say that mine is perfect. Couldn't be happier.
I bought my PSP from Metreon Playstation store at midnight and was bummed that I had 16 frozen white pixels on my screen. Many were concentrated in the lower right corner, bottom, and left side of the screen. It was most noticable when there was a black or dark background on the display. I also had an issue where the R button would stick everytime i pressed it, which was practically useless for playing games on the thing.
I took the unit back to the store this morning and they swithced it out without any hassle! I was relieved they did it so quickly, but apparently they had been doing it all morning and the manager quickly came over and told them to stop taking return, as it was eating into their supply. They said if the new unit had problems that it would have to be sent back to Sony, no more replacing from the store. From what i saw, i would say this is a fairly widespread problem.
Both the original and the new unit have the same UMD door misalignment, but it doesn't bother gameplay so I don't care. I must say the overall quality of this thing is many steps below that of the Nintendo DS. By comparison the DS feels like a tank (er, a slightly lighter weight tank).
I'm really looking forward to using both platforms! They both rock in different ways. The DS for new, cool, touch screen games (Like Yoshi Touch and Go) and the PSP for amazing screen and graphics! I'm really hoping the DS goes online and gets PDA functions. Text input on the PSP buhlows.
This is exactly why i'm in no hurry to get one. My DS will hold me over just fine until all the bugs are worked out/better selection of software.
#26
I agree with you the DS feels like a tank. I could throw one in my backpack and not worry.
The PSP looks and feels expensive, but incredibly fragile at the same time.
So was your new PSP okay?
i got mine and it has one dead pixel so i'm going to take it back
I got seven or so pixels on mine that are stuck on white. And our EB doesn't have any more units left. Sigh...
Maybe I could color over it with a black magic marker?
#28
I tested the 2nd PSP in the store before leaving. No stuck pixels and the buttons worked fine too. Surely Sony will get their production issues settled later in the year. I'm also hoping they put a little hard drive in the psp for media playback. The memory stick thing is not practical at all, and that will make an interesting challenge to iPod. Untill then it's all hype that these things are even in the same universe.
The PSP is exactly what I've been waiting for. With as big a launch that Sony did you can expect problems. You did't here anything about the DS because it wasn't selling on the same scale as the PSP.
I haven't noticed any lag between audio and video. Memory card wasn't an issue with me because I have the Sony DSC-T1 and a card reader built into my desktop. Just insert the card into the PSP and format it. It creates different folders on the card. Put your jpegs in the PHOTO folder and put your MP3's in the MUSIC folder, easy. Wireless is seemlessly integrated, it was almost too easy to connect to my wireless network. No dead pixels. I was actually expecting to be dissapointed because of all the hype surrounding this machine, but 16hrs later there is still a smile on my face.
I had the same problem. One missing pixel. For $250.00 it should be PERFECT. I went to Best Buy and switched it out and looked at 5, YES 5, PSP's. They all either had a pixel out or an imperfection with the screen. I think Sony is a good company but for that price they should invest in a little better screen. I to bought a service plan (Best Buy's PRP which is great considering what happened to the first PS2's. You all remember don't you?). I love the system but I would like for Sony to release a media manager for FREE considering how much some of us shelled out for the system to convert movies over from say DVD or other formats. Pretty please Sony? Enjoy your systems. :)
Jackdaniels (#31):
I do agree that the PSP has some killer potential, but I can't agree that the DS didn't have as large a launch. Nintendo's DS launch was huge, with the sales to back it up.
I was at my local Wal-Mart at midnight to pick up a PSP. I ended up trying 3...all of which had dead pixels. I finally just got my money back.
It was a cool little system to hold but I said screw it. I won't pay 250.00 for a system that I can't even purchase in perfect working order.
#31 We did hear about dead pixel issues with the DS. And the fact Nintendo responded with a policy of replacing all units with dead pixels has been well publicized.
All you people with a significant # of dead pixels, call them up. As I mentioned above Sony is replacing my unit. Disregard their 'universal' policy, the same was initially said in the Japan, the same working is in the manual. Sony Japan now officially swaps units with 4+ dead pixels within a square centimeter.
please help me im begging you. My dad wont let me get one so please help me get one from here.
http://www.FreePSPs.com/?r=15819764
Please i beg you?????
http://www.FreePSPs.com/?r=15819764
http://www.FreePSPs.com/?r=15819764
I walked into the local Circuit City, followed the "PSP Line HERE" signs to the gaming dept (where there were ZERO people in line, a dedicated cash register, and a very bored clerk) and bought my PSP an hour after the store opened. The MGR came and congratulated me forbuying thr "first one". The screen is perfect - pausing on both black screns and white screens show zero defects. Don't know if this is a case of me being lucky, or the "vocal minority" making a lot of noise...
I bought my PSP today and it has a line of about three dead pixels near the top, and another not to far away from those. The problem is, there seems to be some dust under the screen. The dust is only visible with the backlight on but the screen is dark, but the dead pixels at the top stay white / bright all the time. I am not overly complaining, but when I see a black screen, it really bugs me to be looking at dust and specs. Ugh. I am still not sure what to do because I have been waiting for this thing for so long, I am not sure if I want to return it because I won't get a unit until May, and when that comes out, even if it is cheaper (which it probably won't be) I won't get Spiderman2, which, as small as it is, is a pretty good selling point because I do a lot of traveling and would get use out of it. (wow that was a really long sentence).
Lousy quality is an epidemic in the electronics industry. Plunk down your $300 bucks and roll the dice. Elliot Spitzer! We need you!
I have 7 dead pixels. fortunately only 1 was bright enough to be clearly visible on a dark screen. the rest had some faint shade of red and green and I had to really look hard to notice them. none are visible while playing.
#12, you mentioned about samsung having a zero dead pixel tolerance, you should know that the us PSP screens are manufactured by samsung. the japanese ones are done by sharp.
Update on my 2nd PSP.. It does indeed have one stuck white pixel in the lower left corner. But it's barely noticable compared to the 16+ i had before. You really have to look hard to find it, as i missed it in the store!
#31, I recall Nintendo shipping and selling more units than Sony has announced it can intially ship. Therfore it's launch was bigger. Now if you mean amount of purchased hype and media coverage.. that's another story.
I also did not think the wireless set up was 'too easy' as the text input on the darn thing is a royal pain in the *ss. The file and folder management is neither elegant or intuitive. I expect Sony can tackle these a bit better down the road with software updates.
I also bought from Circuit City. One of the guys said that I am the first one to buy, but no manager came to canguratulate.. What a shame..
Screen looks clean, no dead pixels, maybe one.. But there are two tiny but clearly visible craters (like someone pricked it with a pin) and that pisses me off. Obviously they rushed packaging these things, I heard that some shipments are missing Spider Man 2 UMD and/or Demo UMD..
if we all return it, Sony will sure fix this problem!!!! Anyway, just use it, as I bought mine with two years warranty, and exchange for another one before two years end!
i was watching the spider-man 2 umd and i swore i found one. at least at the place i get it at, if its a problem, i have about 45 days and they'll exchange for another one.
Wow, that sucks for you guys, my PSP doesn't have any dead pixels, and i know of two other people that got one too, and their's are perfect too. I feel for you guys, cause I know if mine had a dead pixel, I would be very dissapointed. Hope it works out for the best.
I have (at least) 16 pixels stuck-on :-(
Will EB games replace it you think? Or will Sony? Or am i screwed? How long will I have to wait for a replacement?
Im flippin' pissed!
Both myself and a friend have dead pixels on ours... not to mention scratches and chips in the plastic.
This sucks..
Also, there was a line at my local EB just for returns, lots of unhappy PSP owners.
mine only had 1 dead pixel but i took it back right away and got another one that doesnt suffer the same problem
...for the record I have 4 dead pixels...mine all seem to be blue...(so them maybe I have more?) I don't what to do since I understand that LCD screens have this problem, when playing the games I didn't notice, my hands and eyes are too busy doing other things...one clerk said that 3 is enough for a replacement but since demand is so high right now it's not going to be a quick exchange, you'll most likely have to wait...(one of the joys of living in a metro area with 8 million other people I guess)
ONLINE PLAY?
Has anyone played any games online yet? I bought Lumines with my PSP and I haven't found anyone to play online all evening. Is this just me or is the wireless play just for playing against someone next to you and I just didn't realize this? I thought the wi-fi enables actual over the internet play.
No dead pixels on my little guy. I picked up mine at the local wal-mart around 6pm. They still had a crap load of every game and looks like they maybe sold 5 systems. Anyway, I asked the guy working there if I could bring it back and exchange it if there were any dead pixels and I was told that I could replace it with no problems within the 90 day warranty. No dead pixels, though and I love this little thing.
Has anyone played any games online yet? I bought Lumines with my PSP and I haven't found anyone to play online all evening.
yeah...forgot to delete that end bit in my last comment. I really don't have ADD.
Holy dead pixels Batman!
unlucky me: I got 4 pixel problems but they are only really noticable when the screen is black. Got it from EB games and if someone doesnt pickup their pre-order within 48 hours I can trade in my system for one of those.. Otherwise I have to wait for the next shipment. I am not too worried though because I know I will get a new unit and I bought 1 year warrenty also, so when PSP v1.01 comes out I am sure I will get that as well. Where is the QA sony?
I bought two units
5 dead pixels on unit one 1 dead pixel on unit 2
I have 1 dead pixel on my screen. I only notice when it is black. The pixel is green and its on the top right corner.
I have about 12 dead pixels. I'm exchanging it at Best Buy tomorrow.
Please tell me this is a joke. The ratio is like 10:1 with dead/stuck pixels to not. I was like two clicks away from ordering one but screw this.
KB
Please tell me this is a joke. The ratio is like 10:1 with dead/stuck pixels to not. I was like two clicks away from ordering one but screw this.
KB
This happened to mine and its real annoying!
Glad I paid 250 bucks for a piece of crap... How dare Sony scam us with defective products and not stand by their quality (or lack therof). I have 19, yes 19 dead pixels in a cluster in the lower left corner that is f-ing distracting while I play Lumines (the best launch title). Glad I own a Nintendo DS, which proves what I always knew. There is no way Sony will win the handheld market. The PSP may have the best graphics, but at the end of the day, I will take reliable and innovative gameplay over the hyped and faulty product put out by Sony. Too bad really, cause Sony could have WASTED Nintendo... Shame on Sony. I will be returning mine tomorrow.
It maybe not be as worse as it seems, for the units getting out of the factory. I don't think it's all because of the shipping either.
I think what is happening is that Sony and retailers now start to accumulate lots of defective units, and that they try to sell them back at new customers! For example, if a unit only has 3 bad pixels, they have the choice of having the thing shipped back and having the whole screen replaced, a costly solution.
Or they can try to sell it back until the unit is not returned back. I'm sure Sony knows that units with 3-4 bad pixels get only returned about 60% of the time (It's a wild guess). They know people that had 16 bad pixels are even more likely to keep an exchanged 3 bad pixel unit. Perhaps that's why some people had series of bad units. The PSP is overhyped, and Sony feels it has the luxury of bothering a lot of customers, to save alot of cash.
I also have a feeling that the weird disc drive will fail in a number of machines, and in a few years a good bunch of them will stop working, just like Playstations ,ps2s etc. that simply have the same life expectancy of your average cd/dvd player.
Though the original NES had some cartridge connector problems, the great majority of SNESes, n64s, gameboys that didn't had the screen broke and most other cart based machines of the 90's still work today without about any chances of freezing in the middle of a game. All the Playstations, and many of my friends ps2's had failling drives (I've seen it on Gamecubes and X-Boxes too though it's still rarer since they are more recent machines).
Anyway if you are afraid of fun and innovative games, and the only way you can feel more masculine is to buy a PSP, go ahead! Sony has tons of "refurbished" PSP to sell. (ok that was a cheap shot... :) )
I bought my PSP at 12:00 am on wednesday night from wal-mart and took it home and realized that I had got a unit with a couple of dead pixels. I then took it back to wal-mart and they exchanged it right away. Glad I bought it locally.
I have went through 3 PSPs so far. 1st one had dust and dead pixels, second had even more dead pixels and dust, and the third one has a bunch of dust right in the middle of the screen along with dead pixels.
Thank god Best Buy has a decent return policy when it comes to stuff like this. Now I have to go back again tomorrow and hopefully they have some left.
Damn, I'm mad about this. 17 dead pixels, mostly in a cluster in the lower left. Still trying to get ahold of a replacement but no luck so far. It sucks that you basically have to buy the extra warranty to have any peace of mind with this thing.
Sony, you could have destroyed Nintendo with this. Why did you have to fuck up such a beautiful screen?
It took me 4 exchanges before I got one that had no dead pixels on it. Was getting really frustrated. 3 of the 4 were really bad with 5-10 on em.
Sorry this is totally off topic, but could someone send me a Gmail invite? Been wanting too get an account for a while.
Plz Send too willj420@hotmail.com
Thanks! :)
Have 2 on the lower right side, 3 on the lower left side and 1 in the top left corner... Besides the dead pixles the PSP is a beautiful thing. Now I just have to hope that there are some units still available so I can get an exchange... prob have to wait a month though.
I tried to exchange mine and I was told "read page 13"...
I will gladly join any class actions... I should have been told it could have bad pixels before I bought it. I have two bad pixels... very annoying!
At first, I thought mine had no dead pixels,
after reading this thread, I looked REALLY closely and found that mine had 3. As much as I hate Sony for their lack of quality control, I still can't complain this time, due to the fact that I can't even see them unless I really try to. As soon as I hold the PSP more than a few inches away from my face, I can't see them anymore. I'm happy with the one I have. If this is what Sony is talking about, I can understand how a few dead pixels wouldn't matter.
I picked up my unit at a local EB Games (with the insurance policy) and got it charged late last night. Popped in Spiderman 2 and counted eight bad pixels of various colors spread out through the screen. Like others, I am disappointed in the quality control when it comes to the screen. One or two pixels you expect (and buy the extra warranty to replace if you want), but EIGHT bad pixels??? Sorry, that's just unacceptable.
No point in trying to return it for the next few days since it's not readily available for replacement at EB Games. I'll wait until they have regular stock on hand.
Very disappointing indeed.
Can someone define how a dead pixel looks or how to identify it.
What I see (when system is turned off) are things that look like perfect round nicks or scratches when the screen is off. Like if you poked it with a palm stylus. Again this is only with the screen off. When i'm playing in the dark I don't see anything.
Take it easy guys..this is a great product that just came out..there are bound to be some small probs. I don't have a single dead pixel, just 3 o 4 super tiny craters in the glass that look like dead pixels, but are not. I think a lot of people are mistaking these slight imperfections on the exterior glass for dead pixels.
Nintendo is really good to their customers, they are turning into the Apple of computers. The small minority that keeps their customers happy. I always knew it was going to be bad when the big corporations moved into the videogame industry and only cared about their bottom dollar.
---
Nintendo is totally stinking rich, is #2 with the GC worldwide, the number one game publisher on earth, owns the portable market, and specifically, has a shitload of marketshare with the DS (which is soon coming out with free global online gaming.. very cool)
hardly a minority.
The Apple of video gaming, i guess you meant to say.. yes the two have a lot in common.. idealistic to a fault, very innovative, despite the awful trends in gaming (good graphics, no gameplay)...
When the DS starts releasing some of these online games (Metroid for online multiplayer killilng, zelda, mario kart.. more final fantasy games than ever before.. and on and on)
I'm waiting for cool games before i pick up either system... I couldnt care less about the PSP's multimedia functions.. sony doesn't know squat about software so, the PC->PSP linking is a nightmare..
haha suckas
thats why you wait until AFTER the launch date, when there's a good game library (and the older games are cheaper) and the system has gone throgh a few price drops and even (in nintendo's case usually) tthere's a new model of the console
From sounds of it sony has some major QC problems that they need to fix...... I agree one to two pixels is no big deal on 15 in screen but on 4 inch screen common.... Glad I am waiting to buy it.
From sounds of it sony has some major QC problems that they need to fix...... I agree one to two pixels is no big deal on 15 in screen but on 4 inch screen common.... Glad I am waiting to buy it.
I think if you paid $250 for something it should be in perfect condition. I returned my PSP because of the pixels and got my money back. I am going to wait 6 months for the quality to improve and maybe buy another one. Sony should take back any units that have dead pixels because that is not what the consumer paid for. I see the lawyers having a field day with this one. I am not surprised if lawsuits slowly begin to appear in the next couple of weeks.
I bought and returned 2 PSP's yesterday.
The first had what appears to be either a scratch to the actual display (like under the outter protective screen), or some debris stuck inside.
The second had like 3 dead pixels. Maybe thats not a big deal to some people, but if there is a dead pixel, I can't stop looking at it :(
Some people say dead pixels are acceptable, but I have had a 21 Inch LCD monitor for over and year now, and there is not one dead pixel... and if there were, I'd be bitching about it!
I got mine at compusa, Mine had four dead pixels in it. Called them about it and they will replace it no problem.
Here's the thing. No one should pay $500 for a substandard product. That's how much most people are paying with games and accessories. Also remember that if you do get a bad PSP and decide to return it all, you're probably stuck with the games as most retailers don't allow returns on open media. Many people are screwed.
I work for a major electronics retailer and already we've seen a bunch come back, and already we've had issues about the games being opened for those that are abandoning the PSP. My advice is test your system without a game.
Also the idiots in the Sony forums need to wake up. When you're not spending your parents money it isn't so easy to just "live with it". Clearly this product was rushed out and is severely flawed.
I'm returning everything tomorrow and this was my fifth one. Get a DS later after some games come out, or wait till summer or fall for Sony to correct the problems.
Luckily I decided to test my PSP before opening the games etc...
But very good point!
Won't Sony be losing a ton of money, if these 'dead pixel' and 'dust' problems are happening with PSP's all over the U.A? I'm sure these arent cheap to make and if many of them are being returned, this could be pretty bad for them. Especially when some single customers are returning multiple ones. ouch!
It took me 4 exchanges to get a clean PSP. Best Buy was great about it, but it makes me wonder if they'll tighten up when supplies run thin.
I've been playing THUG2 since Wednesday dead pixel free. I find it hard to believe I'm one of the only lucky ones. I never win anything. It would be interesting to see what the percentage of defected units are and compare that percentage with other gadgets, I'm willing to bet it's about the same as any other product with an LCD. I own all three console systems and a GBASP, so I'm not biased toward any particular manufacturer. The PSP is a great gaming handheld. Nintendo FANBOYS continue with the bashing.
I know exactly what a stuck pixel is and on my unit, I have eight of them. As I said before, one expects one or two, but not eight.
I've already called my EB Games and the gentleman I spoke to was surprised at eight stuck pixels. Now I just have to wait until they have stock come in in order to do my exchange.
I agree that the unit is great and I look forward to having one without stuck pixels. I was just surprised and disappointed at having so many stuck pixels on such a small screen.
I just got back from best buy again, after 4 units with dead pixels and dust...I finally got one that's perfect.
It pays that I used to work there, so they didn't give me any problems returning them. The store mananger was on line behind me returning his too. Apparently they have had a lot of returns, including missing demo and spider man 2 discs. Even though they had the sticker on the box.
I am pissed off because I have a line of about 3 dead pixels at the top left of my screen. Honestly, I don't mind that in the least. What bugs me is the dust that i have at the bottom left and right of the screen. I am going to BestBuy as early as possible tomorrow. The manager said he put aside a few units because of returns that would come in with defects. I am just going to keep opening them up until I find one without a dead pixel. That is fully within my rights as a customer, I don't care if I look like an idiot: I am the smarter one to get what I pay for and argue until I get it.
I had 4 dead pixels on my PSP screen. When I took it back to the store. I had to go through three PSP's in the store, before I found one with no dead pixels. Other than that it is a awesome system. I will think twice before getting a PS3 when they first come out. Get a warranty or you might be sorry.
After going through 3 PSPs I'm never buying another Sony product again. One of them, straight from the box, had a huge gash on the screen. Dead pixels on the other two. I waited months for this and now I'm returning the message that Sony is sending all of us, a big "SCREW YOU!" Maybe I'll look at the DS, but right now I'm too upset.
And jackdaniels, you shouldn't have to be considered "lucky" or "winning" when you PAY for a product.
I got my PSP via ebgames.com. I'm happy to say that I have zero visible defects. I'm posting this simply because I'd be complaining loudly if mine was defective...
Just wanted to say my local Gamestop has agreed to take it back for a full refund. Had to talk to the manager, but he was agreeable and understanding of my situation.
I'll sit this out for a month or two to see if things improve as they come off the line - but will they with the impending European launch? I wonder if it might be 6 months or more before production slows appreciably to where QC can factor.
I spent maybe 5-6 hours playing THUG and Wipeout. Great, impressive games, I'll miss the
Also will deal with a Best Buy as many people suggest here so I can swap units until I get a good one. I can accept 1-2 dead ones on the edges, 9 is excessive.
With all these defective units, there are probably going to be alot of Sony refurbs available in short order. I guess I will wait for those to come out. At least a technician will have looked at the unit.
Jack Daniels,
You're being easily dismissive of what is a very real issue. I'm sick of all these comments of dust - sure there are dust issues, but without a doubt in my mind there are dead pixels galore in these reports. I'm a lead developer for a Pocket PC app, I've seen upwards of 50 Pocket PC devices, I've owned four laptops since the early 90s, etc. I know what a freakin dead pixel is. Mine had 9, my friend's has 3. These are the only two PSPs I've ever laid eyes on. Otherwise to this point I had only seen _2_ stuck pixels before in total out of perhaps tens of millions on all the displays I've looked at. Now on two consumer devices with a total of slightly over 200k I've seen an additional 12. TFT displays are going on 15 years+ in consumer products, this is not new tech, this is not acceptable in this day and age. As was mentioned previously Samsumg themselves have a zero dead pixel policy on their monitors and they produce the US PSP displays. Something does not factor.
This is a quality control issue, pure and simple. They've relaxed admissable margins to a great degree to meet production quota. The bean counters will tell you the typical consumer will not care about this issue, jockeying for market control is far more important at this stage than a little bad PR from the 'vocal minority'.
Got mine yesterday, its awesome. 7 of my friends have reported no problems with their PSPs either.
just found one dead pixel on mine.....bestbuy said they will be gladly to exchange one....on my way there....yea....
going to make sure i get a perfect one!
What really sucks is that the alternative console does not have alot of games.
Someone needs to get this postable console launch thing right.