Apple's Internal Policy on Bad Pixels Revealed

[idunn]

Not at all necessarily

It seems that in time LCD pixel(s) can become 'stuck' if the underlying transistors fail. However the incidence of 'dead pixels,' meaning forever 'off' (dark,) or 'on' (bright), or one of the sub-primary colors (red, green, blue, or a combination of two of those colors), is more usually a result of the manufacturing process. In other words, if you discover a dead pixel on an LCD display, most likely it was manufactured and delivered to you that way. Bear in mind that I am not an expert on this, but this discovered in looking into it.

Manufacturers use different criteria:

• Some adhere to a zero-tolerance policy, rejecting displays with any pixel defects. These would be Class 1 displays.

• Others will accept displays with a certain low number of pixel defects, often with criteria in regard placement or grouping.

• While some make no great distinction and ship most anything out to the customer, with the expectation of replacing displays complained of.

One might draw several conclusions from this. One, that it is technically possible to deliver an LCD display to you with zero pixel defects. That due cost considerations it may be your providers policy to let their customers sort this out on their own. With different return policies and warranties in effect, some will eventually stand behind their products, with others expecting their customers to live with some dead pixels if unlucky.

One moral possibly drawn: that any LCD display should be inspected by the customer very closely, either prior to, or just after the purchase.

Another, that if insistent enough, or yelling loudly enough, one might well get satisfaction. It will be those willing to accept a certain number of dead pixels as a matter of course who will end up with them.

If paying a premium for a premium product . . .

 

[cheradenine]

Pfft

0 is the only numnber, or it gets RTMed.

In the uk, I can return it without giving any reason whatsoever. Yay for distance selling regulations.

 

[kalsta]

Even more reason why Apple should take back displays with dead pixels. There are people like you who are not bothered by them. I on the other hand, do get bothered and anoyed by one bright dead pixel.

You mention 'bright' dead pixel. That raises a point that isn't addressed by that support document. The dead pixel on my 30" display is completely dead — it's just black. And it's fairly close to the edge of the screen, so you can really only see it when you have a light coloured window positioned there. In practice I never even think about it. BUT, having, for example, a bright green pixel constantly shining in the middle of your screen would be a completely different thing altogether. That would annoy me.

Edit: Okay, well it's sort of addressed with a different number for 'bright' and 'dark' pixels. But really, it takes a human eye to measure the severity of the problem methinks.

 

[kalsta]

The minute I see 1 bad pixel my purchase is ruined and back to the store it goes. To avoid any problems I simply return it and buy from another store.

So you take advantage of one store's good customer service and then buy from another store? Sorry, but you sound like part of the 'Me' generation. Store owners are people too.

 

[Osirison]

Apple makes great products, they stand for their design but they totally don't trust their own stuff.
Their products only comes with one year waranty which is not much for products this expencive.

I always use EIZO monitors and have experience with their monitors for some years.
Why can EIZO give 5 years ONSITE waranty on their products even on one death pixel and Apple can't?

Apple is a bit like a television show set, it all looks great but at the back its cheap

Have to mention i had several Macbooks (pro/air) ipods/phones and never had bad experience with them, but i have read some worst story's about their waranty support.

 

[Aaargh!]

One might draw several conclusions from this. One, that it is technically possible to deliver an LCD display to you with zero pixel defects. That due cost considerations it may be your providers policy to let their customers sort this out on their own.
(...)
If paying a premium for a premium product . . .

Exactly. If I buy an Apple product, I expect zero defects precisely because it's a premium product and they are priced accordingly. If the current price point doesn't allow for perfect displays, then by all means raise the price instead of lowering quality. I would gladly pay extra for a guaranteed perfect display.

My current iMac has the left-to-right backlight brightness issue and AppleCare refuses to replace the screen telling me it's within tolerances and it's quite annoying. If it's going to be more expensive to have a perfect screen then at least give me the option, it's not like I can choose to buy a screen from another manufacturer for my iMac.

 

[kalsta]

On a different note, has anyone else seen faulty pixels rectify themselves? A month or two ago I noticed a stuck pixel on my iPhone 3G, and within a few days there were 2 or 3 of them, and quite noticeable ones. Not good.

But now they've come good! (I just turned on myLite app to have a full white screen, and there is actually one slightly faulty pixel. I had to really polish the screen to be sure it wasn't a fleck of dust or something. Really hard to see in normal use.)

SO… It seems my iPhone has self-healing properties. It truly is magical as Steve would say!

 

[kalsta]

Exactly. If I buy an Apple product, I expect zero defects precisely because it's a premium product and they are priced accordingly. If the current price point doesn't allow for perfect displays, then by all means raise the price instead of lowering quality. I would gladly pay extra for a guaranteed perfect display.

My current iMac has the left-to-right backlight brightness issue and AppleCare refuses to replace the screen telling me it's within tolerances and it's quite annoying. If it's going to be more expensive to have a perfect screen then at least give me the option, it's not like I can choose to buy a screen from another manufacturer for my iMac.

I don't think there's any such thing as 'zero defects' or 'perfect displays'. If you fill any screen with an even light-grey tone, I'm sure you could detect slight variations. In a way Apple shoots itself in the foot by giving the user just that every time he or she starts up their Mac — an even light-grey screen that shows up any deviation in brightness really nicely!

The question is how close to perfect is good enough, and that's subjective. If it's noticeable in day to day use (and it sounds like your iMac situation is) then IMO it's a problem Apple should be happy to rectify. Sorry to hear that you're not getting much love from them.

 

[layte]

The Dell policy on bad pixels for my 3008WFP is basically, anything wrong at all from the total of 4,096,000 means a next day swap out. My old HP L2335 had a very similar policy.

Pixel Policy for UltraSharp Premium Series monitors purchased as of February 14, 2008 (Zero Bright Pixel Premium Panel Guarantee)
If your UltraSharp Premium Series monitor has any permanently lit Hot pixel/Bright dot or Dead pixel/Dark dot, then this warrants a replacement monitor. Tell the technician to look up DSN Document ID: 339667.
* Hot pixel/Bright dot = always on bright
* Dead pixel/Dark dot = always off dark, very rare

From the Dell website regarding my very monitor: http://accessories.euro.dell.com/sna/productdetail.aspx?c=ie&l=en&s=bsd&cs=iebsdt1&sku=142652

The Premium Panel Guarantee

Dell monitors are designed and built to our highest standards, providing the quality and reliability you expect when you see the Dell logo. Each has been exhaustively tested and comes backed by a Dell Limited Warranty3. Unyielding commitment to quality and the satisfaction of our customers has driven Dell to offer a Premium Panel Guarantee ensuring replacement of UltraSharp series monitors with zero bright pixels. Even if only one bright pixel is found, a free panel exchange is guaranteed during the limited warranty period, so you can rest assured your investment is protected.

I guess you get what you pay for. Wait a minute...

 

[AppleMacFinder]

If I buy a computer and get one bad pixel, they better replace it or I'll put some more pixels in the display.

I will do the same. I know how to make the extra bad pixels. So that's a not an issue for me.

 

[old-school]

I agree with many of the comments on here - it is unacceptable to have any dead pixels on the screen in my opinion, no matter what size the screen is.

A dead pixel is a screen defect.

I remember many moons ago buying an Alienware laptop, and was surprised that despite it being a 'higher-end' brand, they would allow up to 6 before you could send your laptop back. Lo and behold I got one on the screen and simply sent it back under their no-quibble return policy and simply ordered again. I told the salesperson that I would continue to do this again and again, until I got a good display. She decided it was in the company's interest to make sure it was a good one.

I think the whole dead pixel thing is unacceptable.

 

[NATO]

I hate to buck the trend but the nature of LCD manufacture means that the occasional dead pixel is inevitable and acceptable.

There is an ISO standard 13406-2 which categorises LCD panels into 4 classes (Class 1 to Class 4). Class 1 is for very demanding applications where no dead pixels are acceptable. These are therefore very expensive. Consumer electronics usually use Class 2 panels which tolerate around 1-5 dead pixels (depending on the exact nature of the fault).

This document by Hyundai is an interesting read - LINK (PDF)

My point is, if you want perfect displays, Apple would have to use Class 1 displays and your already expensive MacBook Pro gets a lot more expensive.

I know how you all feel though, but these strictly aren't faults - they're within tolerance given the class of the display. The fact people are getting them replaced by Apple is more a courtesy rather than a right. Apple are using Class 2 displays just like every other computer company which means the occasional dead pixel is inevitable.

 

[dusk007]

I am surprised that the bright pixel number isn't lower. One or a few black pixels on the edges one can live with (although I wouldn't with any product that I don't consider budget), but I ones had a Notebook in my hands with a single green pixel. That is annoying. Absolutely unacceptable. How they can say 6 bright pixels is okay I don't understand. I can not imagine there is a single person that would keep a 1000+ € item with 3 constantly lit sub pixels. If you only browse you might miss a with pixel but subpixels are the most annoying, while red is still way better than a green one.

 

[DavidReeves]

Bad pixels

Yes, it is an actual problem. I bought a 27" iMac a few weeks ago. When I got it home and setup, I noticed 4 dead pixels. I boxed it back up and promptly returned it to the store. They didn't give me a hard time in exchanging it. BUT... I made them boot up the new one in the store before I left. Luckily I did. The new one had some dead pixels, too. Finally, the third iMac they brought out was defect-free.

I'm happy with my purchase now. But if Apple had given me any trouble in returning the iMac, I would have left it on the showroom floor and called my credit card company to contest the charge.

If you're paying in excess of 3k for a product, it should be defect free. There are NO acceptable defects for purchases - unless, of course, Apple is willing to discount the product and the customer is willing to accept the defect for a discounted price.

These are simply their suppliers specs. They can't guarantee something that their supply will not guarantee.

Has anyone actually seen a dead pixel in the last few years. I don't think this is an actual problem. The only thing I recall seeing is some issues with uneven backlight and "rainbow" colored black areas. Nothing is mentioned about these conditions.

 

[Aaargh!]

(...)
The question is how close to perfect is good enough, and that's subjective.

Not really subjective, as long as it's visible with the naked eye, it's not good enough. Before switching to an iMac I used to have a Mini with an Iiyama CRT screen, that was as close to perfect as you could get. IMHO the switch to LCD was premature because it's not nearly as good as the CRT technology it replaced. Apparently people care more about having a 'flat' screen than about the picture quality.

If it's noticeable in day to day use (and it sounds like your iMac situation is) then IMO it's a problem Apple should be happy to rectify.

It's not really noticeable in day to day use like webbrowsing, unless you specifically look for it (but once you've seen it you can't really stop noticing it) but I would never recommend anyone to use one of these for e.g. Photoshop work.

 

[MacSKY]

I had this issue two years ago when I purchased an iMac. It had dead pixels smack dab in the middle of the screen. I went right back to the Apple store and spoke with the Genius. At first he was hesitant, then after speaking with the manager they agreed to swap it out. The manager came out and changed the screen to solid white and actually found six more pixels that I didn't see originally. They also told me that if you can actually see them without turning the screen white, that they're usually a small cluster of pixels out, not just one. So it's usually two or three that are out.

Those that know me will all tell you if asked that I'm not even close to being the anal type. However, nothing crawls under my skin more than dead pixels. And once you see one, no matter where on the screen it is, you always notice it. I have one on the lower right corner of my iPad and it always seems to jump out at me even though it's location is probably the most convenient one for a dead pixel.

 

[TCK]

+1 None of these people obviously returned anything to Apple since Apple goes above and beyond. I had a monitor I needed to return once (four bad pixels) and not only did they return it, they freaking credited me $170 for my inconvenience! Thats customer service! Oh, and being nice usually helps too but most people forget that too.

You're lucky indeed.

I'm very happy with Apple products but not with their customer service policy.
I had a very hard time with my first macbook pro. I had to change something like 5 lcd panel (they kept having strange yellowish spots after 1 month of use, that was before led-backlight monitors), 3 cases, 2 cams, etc.

I needed to wait 1 year and 4 months (and once I have to leave my macbook pro 1 month at the repair shop because apple wasn't able to send the panels) before they decided I could be eligible for a brand new machine.

They refunded the AppleCare protection plan I did.
But you know how does this thing work? The AppleCare covers the year already covered by the normal warranty! This means one thing: when they refund it they subtract from the refund even the time already covered by the standard warranty. You pay 3 years of warranty even though you're really buying two.

So, in the end, I lost quite some money in the refunds (even though I have to admit I have a slightly better machine) and a lot of time. And hours of phone calls.

 

[AppleMacFinder]

To those guys who think that's normal:
Look at the title of this document.
"Acceptable numbers of pixel anomalies"
anomalies = things that are NOT normal

I've bought a Samsung LCD display with 1 bad pixel,
and they refused to give me a refund for this display.
Then I've carefully applied strong pressure to the several areas,
and about 10 bad pixels appeared.
And after that I've got a full refund!

You can do the same thing very carefully!
If there will be any noticeable mechanical damages,
you will not get anything (except the broken display)

 

[Ries]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ISO_13406-2

As of 2007[update], most manufacturers specify their products as Pixel Fault Class II.

Which means:
2 pixel broken per million.

Class I = no dead pixel.

If a screen has the ISO 13406-2 certification, but the manufacturer doesn’t indicate the screen class, it’s possible to consider it a Class I screen. Therefore your screen shouldn’t have any dead pixels.

The ISO 13406-2:2001 says that a flat screen should be considered a Class I screen unless another is specified by the manufacturer.

 

[D'Illusion]

If they are going to be like that then just return it full refund and buy another. Keep doing so until you are satisfied. They have 55 billion dollars cash because we pay for quality so we should get what we pay for.

Yeah that.

I have a 4 year old iMac with a perfect screen so if I spend £2k on a new one (which I've wanted to do for over a year but haven't due to too many issues) I'd want another perfect screen. I wouldn't think twice about sending it back for a replacement even for one pixel.

 

[Boston007]

As a graphic designer, I've never had the quality of my work compromised by a single pixel anomaly, no matter how annoying it may be.

because you're not an -fanboy like these wannabe graphic designers.

OH NOES! I HAVE 1 BAD PIXEL!

 

[todash]

I want the same quality as the Apple Store Models

How many dead pixels are acceptable for display models in my local Apple store?

How many dead pixels on the monitor that Jobs sits down in front of?

That is how many I am willing to accept for the model I pay for. I am only asking for the same quality that Apple is willing to accept for themselves, and the quality that the display model leads me to believe I will receive.

 

[aimbdd]

Happens everywhere... tell that to my 1200 dollar camera... it has dead pixels... and it Does definitely make a difference..

 

[chezhoy]

I am contacting Apple today. I have had a dead pixel since I took my 13 in MacBook (aluminum...right before the 13 in MBP release) out of the box in 2009. I don't care if it's one pixel, it's in the middle and drives me nuts.

*Update: I have an appointment for tomorrow...maybe a new MacBook Pro for me? We'll see....

 

[Chrispy]

I had received Powerbook G4s and MacBook Pros in the past with dead pixel issues and Apple was always accommodating to exchange them for me. I remember one time I had to go through three 15" Powerbooks in the store before I got one without a dead/stuck pixel.

Dell has a pretty good policy on their premium panels. If I recall, in the past they used to let you return for any bad pixels but now up to 5 dark pixels are acceptable according to their policy. In my experience they, too, let you return for even one.