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[dlobro1080]

Hi all,

So Santa did indeed bring me a Mario Kart bundle DS. And I've found that my top screen has one dead pixel. Just curious, is this common among new DS systems? I know when it first came out it was an issue, but figured the problem was fixed. Anyone else have any dead pixels?

 

[Tumalu]

I don't think it's too common (mine doesn't have any, and it's from launch), but isn't Nintendo still willing to replace it? Or you could probably even exchange it at the retailer if someone still has the receipt.

 

[J-Roc]

Yeah, I got a micro from santa and found 1 dead pixel. 1 doesnt worry me at all. Sadly it's something we have to get used to with these kind of screens....

 

[Shaheed79]

The one I bought a month ago electric blue had a dead pixel in the top screen but I forget it's there most of the time. If you're really annoyed by it try bugging Nintendo tech support about it and they'll most likely replace the DS for you.

 

[WindyMan]

My DS has a rather large speck of light-colored dust inside the top screen. I really don't notice it anymore unless I'm looking for it. My computer LCD monitor has 3 or 4 stuck pixels, which is something I couldn't do anything about.

It's just a side effect of how the screens are made, which we all need to live with.

 

[FlyinJ]

I had two, bright blue dead pixels on my top screen.

Nintendo has a policy where they will mail you a new one, and you mail the one with bad pixels back to them in the new one's box.

Well, they used to. They basically stopped giving a damn about this issue 3-4 months after launch. Now you can send it in, they'll fix it, and you'll get it sent back to you. Takes a few weeks.

Or, you can tell them *anything* else is wrong with the system, and they'll send you a new one.

This is what I did after I asked them why they discontinued the dead-pixel immediate replacement plan my coworkers used:

I said "Well, what problems do you send people a new one immediately for now that you don't do it for dead pixels?". The guy said "uh... well.. if it doesn't turn on... or um... if the touchscreen doesn't work... and umm". I hung up, called right back, and told them my touchscreen wasn't working. They sent me a new one immediately.

I recieved it two days later, and it had no dead pixels and has worked great ever since.

 

[JRPereira]

Sadly it's something we have to get used to with these kind of screens....

Absolutely not! We must show zero tolerance so manufacturers will get their act straight. Otherwise, I'm sticking to crt.

 

[Dynamite Shikoku]

welcome to the club

 

[RunWhiteBoyRun]

I picked up the Mario Kart bundle a week ago, and just now thought about dead pixels.. didn't see one

 

[dark10x]

Mine has a blue stuck pixel. Despite working with TONS of laptops (and owning two myself) as well as owning two PSPs, I had never witnessed any pixel problems until I bought a DS...

I'm shocked that both of my PSPs are free of problems, though.

 

[Dragona Akehi]

Return it to Nintendo. They'll give you another free of charge (sometimes they'll even pay for shipping it to them, actually most of the time). If you give them a credit card number they can "hold" 200$ for, they'll even send you a new DS first before you have to send yours back. (When they get your defective DS back the hold on the money is removed.)

Call, bitch and reap the benefits of Nintendo customer service.

 

[Mejilan]

Return it to Nintendo. They'll give you another free of charge (sometimes they'll even pay for shipping it to them, actually most of the time). If you give them a credit card number they can "hold" 200$ for, they'll even send you a new DS first before you have to send yours back. (When they get your defective DS back the hold on the money is removed.)

Call, bitch and reap the benefits of Nintendo customer service.

Truth.

My launch DS had a dead pixel. I called NoA, they sent me a prepaid fedex box. I stuck it in, dropped it off at a Fedex center free of charge, and 3 business days later, my brand new DS (+ extra stylus, for the trouble) had arrived.

 

[The Take Out Bandit]

This is God's judgment on pagans!

 

[Version 3.0]

"Live with it." ??

Hell no!

Nintendo will replace it. It's the manufacturers that need to "live with it", not us. I'm not settling for a defective unit. I can't believe the people that are willing to bend over for a giant corporation. I didn't buy a PSP until I found a store that would replace it if it had dead pixels, since Sony won't.

If a pixel dies someday, that's one thing. Dead out of box is a ripoff.

 

[dlobro1080]

Thanks. It doesn't bother me so much, but you know, hardware shouldn't really have any defects once out of the box. Maybe I'll call them.

 

[Beezy]

I get two stuck pixels on my top screen, one red and the other blue. They annoyed me at first because I was looking for them, but now I don't even notice them while I'm playing unless they're on a black background.

 

[Mikazuki]

I got one for X-Mas. It had a dead pixel on the top screen. It doesn't bother me a lot, but if I can get Nintendo to send a new DS without me paying any shipping, I'll probably go for it.

 

[Timo]

i returned mine to wal-mart. twice. mmm. dead pixel-less ds's are the sexy.

 

[Mook1e]

"Live with it." ??

Hell no!

Nintendo will replace it. It's the manufacturers that need to "live with it", not us. I'm not settling for a defective unit. I can't believe the people that are willing to bend over for a giant corporation. I didn't buy a PSP until I found a store that would replace it if it had dead pixels, since Sony won't.

If a pixel dies someday, that's one thing. Dead out of box is a ripoff.

Sony has a 0 dead pixel policy in NA if you contact them.
The problem is, they may send you a replacement PSP with dead pixels in it. :lol

 

[Mejilan]

Sony has a 0 dead pixel policy in NA if you contact them.
The problem is, they may send you a replacement PSP with dead pixels in it. :lol

Are you sure? I remember reading that a PSP had to have 12 or 25 (I forget which) dead pixels before they considered it 'faulty'!

I have 3 or 4 with my current PSP, and had 5 or 6 with my original model...

 

[Yamaha98]

Bunch of little girls in this thread. Dead pixels, Hot pixels & stuck pixels are the byproduct of LCD screens no matter who is the manufacture. I would imagine if I bought a laptop & had to stare at a few red pixels against the white backdrop of an word document- then I would be annoyed & would ask for a replacement. But on a constant changing screen w/ moving images such as a portable game unit is no big deal- get use to it little girls, all LCDs suffer from pixel defects. One dead pixel is nothing to bitch about unless its clustered together to warrant a replacement.

 

[Mejilan]

Bunch of little girls in this thread. Dead pixels, Hot pixels & stuck pixels are the byproduct of LCD screens no matter who is the manufacture. I would imagine if I bought a laptop & had to stare at a few red pixels against the white backdrop of an word document- then I would be annoyed & would ask for a replacement. But on a constant changing screen w/ moving images such as a portable game unit is no big deal- get use to it little girls, all LCDs suffer from pixel defects. One dead pixel is nothing to bitch about unless its clustered together to warrant a replacement.

As a consumer, I'll determine what I will and won't accept. Not you.

 

[Yamaha98]

Good for you princess. Check out the ISO standards that provide acceptable pixel & subpixel defects for consumer electronics. You will find that many manufactures abid by the Class 2 level rating, which gives them usually less than 4 defects before they will accept an replacement. A Class 1 is essentially an "no-defect policy" that few manufactures fall into, if any.
The majority of the bitching in this thread about a single lit/unlit pixel sounds like an excuse to take advantage of Nintendo's genorisity. My 4G, 20G ipod has a dead pixel on the edge of the screen as does my 15" HP laptop from 2yrs ago but the world is not gonna crash here- its technically impossible to NOT have a issue w/ LCDs. Let it be, grow up.

 

[dlobro1080]

Bunch of little girls in this thread. Dead pixels, Hot pixels & stuck pixels are the byproduct of LCD screens no matter who is the manufacture. I would imagine if I bought a laptop & had to stare at a few red pixels against the white backdrop of an word document- then I would be annoyed & would ask for a replacement. But on a constant changing screen w/ moving images such as a portable game unit is no big deal- get use to it little girls, all LCDs suffer from pixel defects. One dead pixel is nothing to bitch about unless its clustered together to warrant a replacement.

Yama, come on. I think we all know it's not a huge deal in the grand scheme of things, but when dropping $150 on something brand new, you're allowed to expect it to be in perfect condition. I'm not saying I'm gonna exchange mine, cause it's not really bothering me, but people are permitted to be pissed about their screens having defects.

 

[Mejilan]

Good for you princess. Check out the ISO standards that provide acceptable pixel & subpixel defects for consumer electronics. You will find that many manufactures abid by the Class 2 level rating, which gives them usually less than 4 defects before they will accept an replacement. A Class 1 is essentially an "no-defect policy" that few manufactures fall into, if any.
The majority of the bitching in this thread about a single lit/unlit pixel sounds like an excuse to take advantage of Nintendo's genorisity. My 4G, 20G ipod has a dead pixel on the edge of the screen as does my 15" HP laptop from 2yrs ago but the world is not gonna crash here- its technically impossible to NOT have a issue w/ LCDs. Let it be, grow up.

So long as Nintendo has a zero-tolerance policy regarding their LCD products, I'll have a zero-tolerance policy on my Nintendo-related purchases. You're telling me to grow up? How's about you try some of that and stop trying to apply your personal standards to everyone else? And while yer exchanging insults... Fool.

 

[Yamaha98]

So long as Nintendo has a zero-tolerance policy regarding their LCD products, I'll have a zero-tolerance policy on my Nintendo-related purchases. You're telling me to grow up? How's about you try some of that and stop trying to apply your personal standards to everyone else? And while yer exchanging insults... Fool.

What zero-tolerance policy? Read up, seems like that was the former genoristity of Nintendo who did not have to do that in the first place. Now it seems like they are adopting a similar rule as others in the LCD business, yet some of you are trying to tack on other false issues to get what you girls want. I am telling you to grow up & face the facts, nothing is perfect w/ current LCDs. How else should I phrase it u idiot?

 

[Mejilan]

The zero-tolerance policy that I cashed in when my launch DS came with a dead pixel, you twit. I had ONE dead pixel. I called Nintendo. They sent me a prepaid fedex box. I packed my DS in it, dropped it off a fedex center, and within 3 business days, had a brand new, flaw-free DS (+ extra stylus), free of charge.

 

[Mook1e]

Are you sure? I remember reading that a PSP had to have 12 or 25 (I forget which) dead pixels before they considered it 'faulty'!

I have 3 or 4 with my current PSP, and had 5 or 6 with my original model...

yes, i'm positive.
i've addressed this before.
even though both sony and nintendo state in their dead/stuck pixel policies that dead/stuck pixels are "normal"
sony tech support has been the only ones to state that there "are no minimums" to the amount of dead/stuck pixels required to get a replacement. if i wasn't on my phone, i would provide you with the links and quotes. as it is, you can search these forums for my post that already has them.

 

[Thaedolus]

Well, thankfully my Blue DS from Christmas was dead pixel free. And if it had a dead pixel I'd be a little annoyed, and would probably look into getting it replaced by Nintendo.

 

[Yamaha98]

Nintendo has no such policy, they just replaced it because you cried like a little girl. I am looking over the DS manual & Warranty pamplet but do not see such policy.

 

[Mook1e]

http://www.ga-forum.com/showthread.php?t=74364&page=1&pp=50&highlight=pixel

i've got a couple of posts in this thread about both nintendo and sony's dead/stuck pixel policies.

 

[Mejilan]

Thanks, Mook1e. I'll read through that.

Nintendo has no such policy, they just replaced it because you cried like a little girl. I am looking over the DS manual & Warranty pamplet but do not see such policy.

What the fuck is your damage? Are you a complete moron?

http://ds.ign.com/articles/568/568084p1.html

Quoting the relevent part:

"With a small number of Nintendo DS screens, one or two dots on the screen may appear to be "stuck" on a particular color, such as white or red. This effect is caused when a particular pixel (the dots that make up the screen) is not working properly, even with the high quality standards set by LCD manufacturers. You will find this situation is common in many LCD devices, (PC monitors, televisions, cell phones, etc.).

It's important to understand that this issue will remain limited to the pixels you have already noticed. The problem will not get any worse and you should not expect to see the problem in any other areas of the screen.

We suggest that you use your system for a few weeks to determine whether this interferes with your enjoyment of game play. If, after using your system for awhile, you feel that this tiny dot is too distracting, the Nintendo DS does carry a one-year warranty. We are happy to inspect and, if necessary, fix your system at no charge within the warranty period."

 

[Yamaha98]

With a small number of Nintendo DS screens, one or two dots on the screen may appear to be "stuck" on a particular color, such as white or red. This effect is caused when a particular pixel (the dots that make up the screen) is not working properly. Even with the high quality standards set by LCD manufacturers, you will find this situation is common in many LCD devices (PC monitors, televisions, cell phones, etc.), and is within LCD manufacturers' specifications.

It's important to understand that this issue will remain limited to the pixels you have already noticed. The problem will not get any worse and you should not expect to see the problem in any other areas of the screen.
We suggest you use your system for a few weeks to determine whether this interferes with your enjoyment of game play. If, after using your system for awhile, you feel that this tiny dot is too distracting, the Nintendo DS does carry a one-year warranty. We are happy to inspect and, if necessary, fix your system at no charge within the warranty period.

Where is this assurance you preach? It is an COMMON issue w/ all LCD manufactures & their SPECIFICATIONS (ISO). They will INSEPCT it, not guarantee to satisfy all bitches like you. Nintendo asked you to play for a FEW WEEKS before calling their replacement-line & bitching like may have. I doubt you did even that.....

 

[cvxfreak]

Yeah, exchange it. If there is one DS out there in production that has no dead pixels, then you have every right to get that kind of a unit. Even Nintendo agrees, since they always replace them anyway.

Personally I'd always buy something like a PSP at Costco because of their liberal return policy. Just return it until you're satisfied. But the DS has the Nintendo guarantee, which is great.

 

[Mook1e]

Where is this assurance you preach? It is an COMMON issue w/ all LCD manufactures & their SPECIFICATIONS (ISO). They will INSEPCT it, not guarantee to satisfy all bitches like you. Nintendo asked you to play for a FEW WEEKS before calling their replacement-line & bitching like may have. I doubt you did even that.....

We suggest that you use your system for a few weeks to determine whether this interferes with your enjoyment of game play. If, after using your system for awhile, you feel that this tiny dot is too distracting, the Nintendo DS does carry a one-year warranty. We are happy to inspect and, if necessary, fix your system at no charge within the warranty period."

They first refer to a single dot. That implies ONE dot is enough to use the one-year warranty for replacement. They then go on to state that they will inspect (for the tiny dot, singular) and if necessary (if they find the [single] dot), fix the system at no charge.
That sounds like an assurance to me.

 

[Docpan]

"Live with it." ??

Hell no!

Nintendo will replace it. It's the manufacturers that need to "live with it", not us. I'm not settling for a defective unit. I can't believe the people that are willing to bend over for a giant corporation. I didn't buy a PSP until I found a store that would replace it if it had dead pixels, since Sony won't.

If a pixel dies someday, that's one thing. Dead out of box is a ripoff.

What store?

 

[Version 3.0]

What store?

It was actually a Game Crazy. That's not their policy, and I knew that since I'd asked at another one. But the manager pitched a PSP to me, and I said no, not without assurance that it'd be free of dead pixels. He promised me an exchange (or refund if the few he had were all bad) to get the sale. It was (and still is) perfect--happiness all 'round.

 

[dlobro1080]

Just got off the phone with Nintendo. Told them the truth - one dead pixel. They're sending me a shipping label today, and I should get a dead pixel-free system about 1-2 weeks after I send it in.

 

[Erwin EHV NL]

i had a dead pixel too... the store where i bought the game gave me a refund... maybe you should do it too

 

[ruffles]

How does dead pixel look like?

 

[biggreenmachine]

I'd rather be a whiny bitch with a tight screen than a bitch that has dead pixels anyday. +1 to Nintendo for keeping their customers satisfied.

translation of Nintnendos' policy for those that can't comprehend:

Dead pixels arent our fault but do sometimes happen in manufacturing , typically it doesn't bother most people. If it bothers you we will replace it.

How anyone can interpret this as requiring "bitching" to excecute is beyond me..

 

[radcliff]

Why not just exchange it at the store you bought it from? I bought mine at TRU and it had one dead pixel. I exchanged it for another one no questions asked.

 

[dlobro1080]

Why not just exchange it at the store you bought it from? I bought mine at TRU and it had one dead pixel. I exchanged it for another one no questions asked.

Well it was a gift, and to have to get the receipt and all that...I don't mind having it fixed. I'll just put it in a box and in the mail. Easier for me.

 

[cvxfreak]

The true virtues of excellent Nintendo customer service.

 

[Kasra]

My new Mario Kart DS has two stuck pixels. One red and one blue.

It doesn't bother me all that much, but I was considering contacting Nintendo to see if maybe I could get another one.

 

[conker]

Absolutely not! We must show zero tolerance so manufacturers will get their act straight. Otherwise, I'm sticking to crt.

FUCK
YES

CRT is still the KING

 

[Version 3.0]

I'd like to chime in once more and ask the people quoting ISO specs--what the fuck? So now all a company has to do is say "our products are 'supposed' to be defective" and you just say "okay!" ??

We must really be entering the age of mega-corporation brainwashing. I can't wait to see this acceptance of defects hit other products. "Oh, your brakes failed? Perfectly normal, sorry you're disabled now, but you'll be happy to know that even though your insurance doesn't cover 'normal' defects, statistically our product is very safe."

 

[SpiffyG]

Mine has like 15, but I don't care.

 

[Joe]

if i order a japanese graphite black DS from lik-sang will it play all US games with no problems? and is the menu in japanese? if so, can you change it to english?

 

[SpiffyG]

if i order a japanese graphite black DS from lik-sang will it play all US games with no problems? and is the menu in japanese? if so, can you change it to english?

Yes, there is no region protection. I assume you can change the language of the menu since my US DS has a language option.