[Kikaida]

I just received a 20" Apple Cinema Display for Father's Day (I know, I know. Lucky me!). Upon plugging it in, I've noticed that I have 1 stuck pixel (red). It's only mildly annoying.

Does anyone know if Apple will replace a display with only one bad pixel? I thought I read somewhere that an LCD has to have a certain number of stuck or dead pixels before Apple will consider supplying a replacement. Has anyone been in a similar situation?

[gorickey]

Originally posted by Kikaida:
Does anyone know if Apple will replace a display with only one bad pixel?

Nope...but give it a try anyway...

[Kikaida]

Update:
I just talked to the Apple Store (Short Hills, NJ) and they said that the display has to have at least 3 bad pixels before they will exchange it (in their words, "an industry standard exchange policy").

To my surprise, they also mentioned that pixels within an LCD panel may take a few weeks to fully function properly - insinuating that my stuck pixel may unstick itself on its own.

Is this guy full of crap? Is it worth throwing a fit for one bad pixel, or should I be happy it's not 3?

[iREZ]

Try getting a lint free cloth and gently massaging it, some people have reported this technique gets rid of some stuck pixels, but for the most part stuck pixels are stuck pixels. I think you could get it replaced but their probably going to charge a 15% restocking fee, I dunno, all I hope is that this helped you out a bit.

[osxisfun]

Originally posted by Kikaida:
Update:
I just talked to the Apple Store (Short Hills, NJ) and they said that the display has to have at least 3 bad pixels before they will exchange it (in their words, "an industry standard exchange policy").

To my surprise, they also mentioned that pixels within an LCD panel may take a few weeks to fully function properly - insinuating that my stuck pixel may unstick itself on its own.

Is this guy full of crap? Is it worth throwing a fit for one bad pixel, or should I be happy it's not 3?

nope. that is correct. i would not throw a fit you will get used to it. the current state of lcd production is not 100% but its close.

[gorickey]

Originally posted by iREZ:
Try getting a lint free cloth and gently massaging it...

NOTE: Apple does NOT recommend this as the problem can actually multiply if the pixel issue is due to trapped air...by massaging the monitor, you can actually push that air to other pixels and cause the same issue.

[Hypatia]

My university computer store took the 23" Cinema Display out of the box and set it up in the store so I could check it out before I took it home. It had one stuck pixel in the upper right corner. The thing was otherwise so stunning, I figured I'd never notice one stuck pixel and I took it anyway. I realized that if I wanted to keep manufacturing costs reasonable, and I do, an occasional bad pixel was acceptable.

I never really noticed the pixel after the first day.

And sometime within the last six months it just went away. Go figure.

One thing I would do with a new monitor is download and run PiXel Check just to make sure that that one stuck pixel doesn't have any cousins.

[osxisfun]

Originally posted by Hypatia:
My university computer store took the 23" Cinema Display out of the box and set it up in the store so I could check it out before I took it home. It had one stuck pixel in the upper right corner. The thing was otherwise so stunning, I figured I'd never notice one stuck pixel and I took it anyway. I realized that if I wanted to keep manufacturing costs reasonable, and I do, an occasional bad pixel was acceptable.

I never really noticed the pixel after the first day.

And sometime within the last six months it just went away. Go figure.

One thing I would do with a new monitor is download and run PiXel Check just to make sure that that one stuck pixel doesn't have any cousins.

I just noticed that the bad pixel i had in the lower left went away too. cool.

[The Placid Casual]

In the UK, in most stores it is 8+ dead pixels before they will exchange the item.

With Apple it is 6 pixels, or a 'cluster' that is near the centre of the screen.

The whole LCD manufacturing process is not perfect by a long way, and if they only solf=d perfect screens they would cost about 4 times the price!

I would just go with the red pixel, you will hardly notice it given a week or two! The replacement, even if you got one, may have even more...

[Dimitri]

My 20" Cinema has 2 dead subpixels toward the bottom, but I never notice them unless I'm looking for them at the bootup screen. They are both dead blue so you can only tell on blue backgrounds. On other backgrounds they work fine. I consider myself anal about my display but I have to say I don't really care or notice (or try to notice) anymore. Hell, if I can get used to 2 damper wires, I can get used to this.

Stuck pixels might bug me more, however. Or dead pixels, too. Glad I don't have either of those.

[Talk2Angus]

As far as i think if its new and there is a dead\stuck pixel on the display they have to replace it!!!!!!!!!! They have no choice!!
Well that is what i would say how can somebody sell something that does not work 100% and think there clients must be happy??
come on apple wake up!
Ur Clients are ur company!!!!!!!

[memory-minus]

Originally posted by gorickey:
NOTE: Apple does NOT recommend this as the problem can actually multiply if the pixel issue is due to trapped air...by massaging the monitor, you can actually push that air to other pixels and cause the same issue.

OK, I have done the massage trick and personally brought 2 different pixels back from the dead. It didn't work on 3 others. This was on multiple laptops over the past few years.

If what you say is true, and trapped air is pushed into adjacent pixels, wouldn't it then be covered under warranty since you'd most likely take out more than a couple pixels in the process? They'd have no way of knowing you massaged the pixels and caused adjacent ones to go out.

Sounds like a pretty good bet to me, if you can't massage the pixel back to life, you may cause more pixels to go out and get it replaced under warranty. Worst case scenario is no pixels gained or lost.

[osxisfun]

Originally posted by Talk2Angus:
As far as i think if its new and there is a dead\stuck pixel on the display they have to replace it!!!!!!!!!! They have no choice!!
Well that is what i would say how can somebody sell something that does not work 100% and think there clients must be happy??
come on apple wake up!
Ur Clients are ur company!!!!!!!

the reasons have been discussed at length before.

[Luca Rescigno]

Where is the location of the stuck red pixel? The original post doesn't really say. I would hate to have a dead/stuck pixel in the middle of the screen, but if it was near the edge I wouldn't care that much.

My monitor (a 17" CRT) appears to have a dead pixel. I know, CRTs don't get dead pixels... well, this one has a spot on the screen that stays a dark color regardless of what I do to what the computer is displaying. It's really near the bottom and I rarely notice it. As long as it's not near the middle, you should be able to tune it out easily.

[Dr.Michael]

Originally posted by Kikaida:
I just received a 20" Apple Cinema Display for Father's Day (I know, I know. Lucky me!). Upon plugging it in, I've noticed that I have 1 stuck pixel (red). It's only mildly annoying.

Does anyone know if Apple will replace a display with only one bad pixel? I thought I read somewhere that an LCD has to have a certain number of stuck or dead pixels before Apple will consider supplying a replacement. Has anyone been in a similar situation?

I once ordered a 20 inch cinema display that did not work well together with my 12 inch powerbook. The powerbook simply got too hot and I did not like the constant fan noise.

So I returned the display and was 100% refunded.
But thats the law in germany. You have 10 days to make up your mind after you have signed a contract. Worst case would have been that my dealer (it has not been the apple store) could have charged me for the additional fedex fees. He did not (he did not want to lose a customer and of course he is insured).

So it depends on the return policy of the apple store and on the law in your country. In general a stuck pixel in 2million is more than acceptable. No display is perfect and there a industry standard rates that are known as acceptable. They depend on the number of bad pixels and their density (don't ask the precise numbers).

In general apple replaces lcds easily. But only one pixel is not much.

[Kikaida]

Originally posted by Luca Rescigno:
Where is the location of the stuck red pixel? The original post doesn't really say. I would hate to have a dead/stuck pixel in the middle of the screen, but if it was near the edge I wouldn't care that much.

My monitor (a 17" CRT) appears to have a dead pixel. I know, CRTs don't get dead pixels... well, this one has a spot on the screen that stays a dark color regardless of what I do to what the computer is displaying. It's really near the bottom and I rarely notice it. As long as it's not near the middle, you should be able to tune it out easily.

The pixel is about a third of the way in from the right, and a quarter of the way down from the top. The only time I ever see it is if the screen is darkened for some reason (DVD, etc.).

Dead pixel or not, these displays are worth their weight in gold. I'm really shocked at hom much the clarity, brightness and size enhances user experience. Knowing what I know now, I'd have a hard time chosing a new CPU over one of these displays if I didn't already own one.

[Link]

Geez you had incredibly good luck. 1 stuck sub? is it only viewable on dark colors -- or bright too?

BTW happy fathers day to ya

[MOTHERWELL]

Originally posted by Kikaida:
Is this guy full of crap? Is it worth throwing a fit for one bad pixel, or should I be happy it's not 3?

I would throw a fit if I just paid $2000 for something new and it wasn't perfect. That's like getting a new car with a chip in the windshield.

[Brian McHale]

I would throw a fit if I just paid $2000 for something new and it wasn't perfect. That's like getting a new car with a chip in the windshield.

I guarantee that you could find some imperfection on any new car on any car lot in the world. Perfection is not something that can be achieved in the manufacturing world. The question is whether or not the imperfection is important enough to keep you from buying it. What is acceptable is going to change from person to person, and from product to product.

In the world of LCD monitors, it is not presently feasible to expect zero bad pixels, and no manufacturer will warrant their displays in such a manner. They might be able to achieve this technically, but it would drive the cost up drastically. Would you be willing to spend $5,000-$10,000 to get a "perfect" (read "no bad pixels") 20" LCD monitor? Because that's what it would probably cost. Most people will accept the tradeoff. If you feel you that you can't accept any bad pixels. than you probably shouldn't buy an LCD monitor.

[MOTHERWELL]

Originally posted by Brian McHale:
In the world of LCD monitors, it is not presently feasible to expect zero bad pixels, and no manufacturer will warrant their displays in such a manner. They might be able to achieve this technically, but it would drive the cost up drastically. Would you be willing to spend $5,000-$10,000 to get a "perfect" (read "no bad pixels") 20" LCD monitor? Because that's what it would probably cost. Most people will accept the tradeoff. If you feel you that you can't accept any bad pixels. than you probably shouldn't buy an LCD monitor.

I own an original 22" Cinema Display that I paid $4000 for. I also own a powerbook. There are no bad pixels on either, and if they had any I would have gotten my money back.

[osxisfun]

i am sooooo glad i am out of retail...

[Link]

Originally posted by MOTHERWELL:
I own an original 22" Cinema Display that I paid $4000 for. I also own a powerbook. There are no bad pixels on either, and if they had any I would have gotten my money back.

Ooooh did you ever post a setup pict? It must be cool to have a green power light

[Kyosho88]

Originally posted by Kikaida:
I just received a 20" Apple Cinema Display for Father's Day (I know, I know. Lucky me!). Upon plugging it in, I've noticed that I have 1 stuck pixel (red). It's only mildly annoying.

Does anyone know if Apple will replace a display with only one bad pixel? I thought I read somewhere that an LCD has to have a certain number of stuck or dead pixels before Apple will consider supplying a replacement. Has anyone been in a similar situation?

Why don't you just return the display and get your money back and then buy another one from somewhere else?

[SouthPaW1227]

I'd DEFINITELY try for my cash back now that new displays are out...

[thirsty]

As far as Im concered when you buy a new product it should be free of faults. If it's straight out of the box you should be entitled to an exchange as a minimum. If you had had it for a few weeks then the pixel fault developed then you would just have to accept it as i have. But new they should exchange!

[Wiskedjak]

Originally posted by Talk2Angus:
As far as i think if its new and there is a dead\stuck pixel on the display they have to replace it!!!!!!!!!! They have no choice!!
Well that is what i would say how can somebody sell something that does not work 100% and think there clients must be happy??
come on apple wake up!
Ur Clients are ur company!!!!!!!

If you expect "100%" in lcds, expect to pay 100% more

[SplijinX]

As a consumer I would agree that having even one stuck pixel would be quite aggravating. Can you imagine purchasing Apple’s new 30” display, firing it up and having a dead pixel right smack in the middle?

I understand that companies can’t just take back each monitor with bad a pixel, which would drive up the costs drastically. But still, there must be plenty of others out there with “perfect” screens that paid the SAME price.

I really think the exchange policies need to be tweaked a bit. In my opinion exchange for screens with at least 3 maybe even up to 5 pixels should be kept in place. However, if you do receive a screen that is less than the minimum for exchange you should be able to apply for a rebate to get a percentage of the profit they are making on you, or maybe even get the screen at-cost if its really bad.

I’m sure they don’t do this so you don’t know what their bottom line is, or perhaps it would cost too much to staff people for a program such as this. Just some food for thought.