Dead pixel problems on new PSPs?

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.

[Roopesh Sheth @ Dec 19th 2005 2:10AM]

That sucks. Glad I'm poor enough to wait until all the kinks are worked out.

[joekr @ Dec 19th 2005 2:10AM]

no dead pixels here. picked mine up over lunch and it is perfect.

[Bryan @ Dec 19th 2005 2:10AM]

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...

[rocafellaice @ Dec 19th 2005 2:10AM]

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... ;)

[Mark @ Dec 19th 2005 2:10AM]

Ouch. Guess I'm lucky, got two from Target this morning and both are fine. The display is just drop-dead gorgeous!

[spiralbrain @ Dec 19th 2005 2:10AM]

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

[k @ Dec 19th 2005 2:10AM]

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.

[Joey Geraci @ Dec 19th 2005 2:10AM]

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".

[Kyle N. @ Dec 19th 2005 2:10AM]

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!

[Paul Upton @ Dec 19th 2005 2:10AM]

I purchased a Japanese import in the UK and it ha the same problem so its not specific to the US.

[Ben @ Dec 19th 2005 2:10AM]

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

[Jeff @ Dec 19th 2005 2:10AM]

"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.

[Jack @ Dec 19th 2005 2:10AM]

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.)

[010111 @ Dec 19th 2005 2:10AM]

"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...)

[James Scott @ Dec 19th 2005 2:10AM]

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.

[GTi-VR6 @ Dec 19th 2005 2:10AM]

got mine this morning, no dead pixels whatsoever.....yahoo!

[Ben @ Dec 19th 2005 2:10AM]

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?

[b @ Dec 19th 2005 2:10AM]

#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.

[Frankly @ Dec 19th 2005 2:10AM]

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.

[Erik @ Dec 19th 2005 2:10AM]

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.

[Michael Olshansky @ Dec 19th 2005 2:10AM]

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

[Jefferson @ Dec 19th 2005 2:10AM]

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".

[Jefferson @ Dec 19th 2005 2:10AM]

Hey, I just realized, you linked to my thread in the playstation forums... lol.

[Barry @ Dec 19th 2005 2:10AM]

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."

[ipodman @ Dec 19th 2005 2:10AM]

^ 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

[Jefferson @ Dec 19th 2005 2:10AM]

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.

[infinitespecter @ Dec 19th 2005 2:10AM]

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.

[shinyhat @ Dec 19th 2005 2:10AM]

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.

[zachary @ Dec 19th 2005 2:10AM]

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.

[Jefferson @ Dec 19th 2005 2:10AM]

#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?

[tony @ Dec 19th 2005 2:10AM]

i got mine and it has one dead pixel so i'm going to take it back

[Ricky @ Dec 19th 2005 2:10AM]

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?

[shinyhat @ Dec 19th 2005 2:10AM]

#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.

[jackdaniels @ Dec 19th 2005 2:10AM]

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.

[Chris @ Dec 19th 2005 2:10AM]

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. :)

[Ricky @ Dec 19th 2005 2:10AM]

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.

[MasterofDVD @ Dec 19th 2005 2:10AM]

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.

[b @ Dec 19th 2005 2:10AM]

#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.

[Mike Babayan @ Dec 19th 2005 2:10AM]

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

[Kr8tr @ Dec 19th 2005 2:10AM]

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...

[Christopher Kalanderopoulos @ Dec 19th 2005 2:10AM]

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).

[Jeremy @ Dec 19th 2005 2:10AM]

Lousy quality is an epidemic in the electronics industry. Plunk down your $300 bucks and roll the dice. Elliot Spitzer! We need you!

[TA @ Dec 19th 2005 2:10AM]

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.

[shinyhat @ Dec 19th 2005 2:10AM]

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.

[Semih @ Dec 19th 2005 2:10AM]

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..

[Ming @ Dec 19th 2005 2:10AM]

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!

[dru @ Dec 19th 2005 2:10AM]

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.

[J-m0n3y @ Dec 19th 2005 2:10AM]

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.

[Kevin @ Dec 19th 2005 2:10AM]

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!

[Mark @ Dec 19th 2005 2:10AM]

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.