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What to do about a dead pixel?

K

knowledg333

macrumors member
Original poster
Hey everyone. My new MBP just came in yesterday, and I love it sooo much! Only one little problem (no pun intended), one pixel appears to be dead. It is in an annoying part of the screen and I cannot help but be bothered by it. I tried to get a hold of Apple about it, but they are closed due to the holiday. What should I do?

Cheers,

-Michael-
 
Try again after the holidays. ...Although I doubt it will do any good. Apple usually won't take a screen back unless it has far more than one dead/stuck pixel, but it never hurts to try.

Good Luck.
 
Same thing happened to me when I got my first powerbook. I noticed the pixel and it bothered the hell out of me for about 2 weeks. Then I never noticed it again until I read a post about someone complaining they had a dead pixel and remembered I had one too. 😛
 
I'd be pretty pissed if I paid 2000 dollars for a machine with a dead pixel.

Anyways, rub your screen. It might fix it.
 
knowledg333 said:
Hey everyone. My new MBP just came in yesterday, and I love it sooo much! Only one little problem (no pun intended), one pixel appears to be dead. It is in an annoying part of the screen and I cannot help but be bothered by it. I tried to get a hold of Apple about it, but they are closed due to the holiday. What should I do?

Cheers,

-Michael-
Click to expand...


If you tell them that you're a graphic designer and that the stuck pixel is near the middle of your screen (exaggerate if you need to), and that this actually affects your occupation, you have a better chance of them replacing it. Also tell them that if this is their policy on dead pixels, there's no way you're going to buy the 30" display you were planning on purchasing in March or April. Not all of it has to be true. Once the work order is put through on your machine, who cares whether the stuck pixel is in the middle of the screen, or whether you really are a graphic designer. 😉
 
A friend of mine had the same problem with a new g4 titanium pb - he had to make a good case, but he got a new machine in the end. Perhaps it's easier here in the UK?
 
TheNightPhoenix said:
Heres some ideas for you,

http://www.wikihow.com/Fix-a-Stuck-Pixel-on-an-LCD-Monitor

http://www.apple.com/downloads/dashboard/status/pixelfix.html


I've had both an Apple iMac and a 30inch display, both had 1 stuck pixel. Apple replaced them straight away, but i believe there is some U.K consumer law that forces them too. However i did fix an old dell using the deshboard widget mentioned above.
Click to expand...

Great, useful, links.

I'm pretty sure you're wrong about UK consumer law forcing them to replace it though. I tried to get a stuck pixel dealt with on a Powerbook i bought in 1999 and after they took it back they said that it was only one pixel, and that their threshold to do something about it is four pixels. They also tried to frighten me by saying that if there was additional RAM installed in the machine, I would have invalidated my warrantee. It was at this point that I realised that the bulk of Apple support people are not there to help you when you have a legitimate problem - a matter that has been reinforced at each subsequent time I've had to get things repaired under the one-year guarantee we get on all products in the UK.

The one thing you could try doing in terms of UK consumer law is to claim that an item isn't 'fit for purpose'. That's where the graphic designer white lie (above) might be sensible.
 
DunePilot:
Your probably right about "not fot for the purpose it was sold for" U.K. Law.

knowledg333:
Go witht he Desginer/Video Editor line, a good one is, i bought this as a test model before we got them in at the studio. Infact i got a free logickeyboard from the Apple store this way.
 
So....they will do nothing about the pixel...but after enough emotional distress in my voice, they did authorize a return. So now I'm soured by the whole experience and am hesitant to get another mac. But I no doubt will...but what a crappy policy on LCDs. I believe that a company like Apple should not accept even 1 pixel anomaly.
 
knowledg333 said:
So....they will do nothing about the pixel...but after enough emotional distress in my voice, they did authorize a return. So now I'm soured by the whole experience and am hesitant to get another mac. But I no doubt will...but what a crappy policy on LCDs. I believe that a company like Apple should not accept even 1 pixel anomaly.
Click to expand...

Have fun with those $15,000 MacBook Pros dude...
 
MovieCutter said:
Have fun with those $15,000 MacBook Pros dude...
Click to expand...

$15,000 MacBook Pros? Whatever. I still think something that is called "Pro" should be subject to higher standards than a run-of-the-mill Dell or HP laptop. What professional is going to accept the fact that they paid more than twice someone else did for their laptop, and realize that it is luck of the draw as to who has the better display!? It's nearly 2007 - this stuff should be rudimentary by now.
 
When you find a single company on the market that guarantees zero stuck pixels, then you can criticize Apple... but as it stands, I don't think such a company exists.

I agree, stuck pixels are awful, and I wish that they didn't exist... but with current manufacturing methods, stuck pixels are just a reality we have to deal with.
 
If apple had a 1 pixel policy their computers/monitors would be much much more expensive. Case in point..medical grade lcds. Guaranteed to be perfect quality. An 18" sony medical grade lcd sells for $5,250!!!! Is that the price you want to be paying for Apple's products as well?

So stop complaining about 1 dead pixel that only a neurotic would continue to notice after time. Or the .01 lumen difference you have from 1 side of the lcd to the other. Or the 1 sheet of paper thick gap when you close your mbp. Some people have valid complains or problems (like ACTUAL broken components).

Hopefully this unachievable perfection isn't applied to every other product you buy. I can't imagine your disappointment when you discover the hood-fender gap on one side of your car is 0.1 mm greater on one side than the other.
 
My letter to Apple dated 16 May 2004

Dear Apple,

I ordered a 15" PowerBook from the UK Apple Store and received it on Friday 14th May (Serial Number: W********). I love it, absolutely love it, but (there's always a but) there's a bright red pixel stuck in the middle of the screen. If it were anywhere else I don't think I'd be worried but in the middle it's impossible to ignore.

I rang technical support yesterday (Sunday) – the guy in India was very nice and explained the Apple Pixel Policy and that fewer than 5 pixel abnormalities were considered acceptable. He gave me case number *********.


Whilst I accept your policy, I feel frustrated that a £2,100.00+ product has got an eye-sore right in the middle of the screen. I'm graphic designer and I can hear myself explaining to clients how the red dot is a problem with the screen and not a feature of the artwork!

I realise that this is a technical support issue but I've tried that approach with no success. I love Apple; I'm almost an evangelist and I'm hoping that you may be able to help.​

They replaced my PowerBook 😉
 
knowledg333 said:
$15,000 MacBook Pros? Whatever. I still think something that is called "Pro" should be subject to higher standards than a run-of-the-mill Dell or HP laptop. What professional is going to accept the fact that they paid more than twice someone else did for their laptop, and realize that it is luck of the draw as to who has the better display!? It's nearly 2007 - this stuff should be rudimentary by now.
Click to expand...

And it is subject to higher standards. Much fewer ACTUAL problems. The only reason these complaints exist is Apple does such a good job manufacturing their products that these petty things are all that is left.

Some people always have to have something to complain about..so they will search and search until they find some reason to whine.
 
This sort of reminds me of the customers that used to come into Best Buy when I worked there with their recently purchased DVDs. They would show me the disc and point out a nearly microscopic imperfection.

Me: "Does the movie still play?"

Customer: "Yes."

Me: "Well then what is the problem?"

Customer: "I paid money for this there shouldn't be something wrong with it!!!"

Me: "Well you paid for the movie and you told me that it played fine."

Customer: "I want this replaced!"

Me *thinking* -- Ok you paid for the movie and you got your movie, you didn't pay for a flawless mirrored surface that would be up to spec for use in the hubble telescope.

Then I would just replace it since I knew if I said no they would talk to a manager and the managers ALWAYS cave in to complaints.

Those were the days.. 😎
 
mattster16 said:
This sort of reminds me of the customers that used to come into Best Buy when I worked there with their recently purchased DVDs. They would show me the disc and point out a nearly microscopic imperfection.

Me: "Does the movie still play?"

Customer: "Yes."

Me: "Well then what is the problem?"

Customer: "I paid money for this there shouldn't be something wrong with it!!!"

Me: "Well you paid for the movie and you told me that it played fine."

Customer: "I want this replaced!"

Me *thinking* -- Ok you paid for the movie and you got your movie, you didn't pay for a flawless mirrored surface that would be up to spec for use in the hubble telescope.

Then I would just replace it since I knew if I said no they would talk to a manager and the managers ALWAYS cave in to complaints.

Those were the days.. 😎
Click to expand...

God bless all those managers who still know that the customer is always right. It's not called "caving", it's called customer service. Yes, those were the days...🙄
 
knowledg333 said:
God bless all those managers who still know that the customer is always right. It's not called "caving", it's called customer service. Yes, those were the days...🙄
Click to expand...

SO that means if I buy a Nintendo Wii, I should get Zelda for free. If I'm the customer and I'm always right, then the manager should honor it. That mantra is idiotic. In my experience a LOT of customers are stupid and don't know jack squat about what they're buying.
 
mattster16 said:
If apple had a 1 pixel policy their computers/monitors would be much much more expensive. Case in point..medical grade lcds. Guaranteed to be perfect quality. An 18" sony medical grade lcd sells for $5,250!!!! Is that the price you want to be paying for Apple's products as well?

So stop complaining about 1 dead pixel that only a neurotic would continue to notice after time. Or the .01 lumen difference you have from 1 side of the lcd to the other. Or the 1 sheet of paper thick gap when you close your mbp. Some people have valid complains or problems (like ACTUAL broken components).

Hopefully this unachievable perfection isn't applied to every other product you buy. I can't imagine your disappointment when you discover the hood-fender gap on one side of your car is 0.1 mm greater on one side than the other.
Click to expand...

The OP has a legitimate complaint - and the many thousands of LCD's out there without dead pixels show that a screen with all pixels functioning as intended isn't "unachievable perfection". Either way, the OP has a legitmate complaint. If it's something that you are happy to live with, that's fine too - but I would feel the same as knowledg333, and I would also expect a replacement.
 
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