Display Defects - Real or Not?

I have a refurbished 64 GB Playbook, that on boot, prior to the Blackberry logo, shows about a dozen or more bright pixels over the black background. Once the colorful background completes its animation, those pixels are perfectly fine. When I run Display Test, all the pixels are fine. When I shut down the Playbook, the black screen prior to total shutdown is fine, no bright pixels.

I've seen many messages of people returning/replacing their newly purchased Playbooks due to dead/stuck pixels and I'm wondering if these people are seeing the initial bright pixels and automatically assuming that these pixels are dead/stuck. I understand that this does give the impression that there's a defect, but maybe it's just the way these displays come up from cold boot. (eInk displays, for example, sometimes inverse flash prior to making a page transition. It's just the way they work, not a defect.)

I also have a 16 GB Playbook that only has 2 bright pixels on boot, which definitely makes the 64 GB one seems more "defective", but really, are these bright pixels, seen only during cold boot, that terrible that it demands a replacement?

I've wondered the same thing, on a couple of my playbooks I had the same thing on boot but on testing them once it is running all is good. I haven't worried about, and am not sure if is still there today. Always assumed it was a normal startup thing, since it was never a problem after boot.

What you probably see during boot are indeed dead/stuck pixels. You are not seeing them during normal use because your brightness is set low. When the Playbook turns on, the screen brightness is on max. So turn the brightness all the way up and inspect your screen again (cycle through all background colors).

I just don't see how the dots can be part of the boot animation. I don't see any when mine boots up.

With all this said, even if those are dead/stuck pixels, why would you return your Playbook, if you don't see them during everyday use?

Originally Posted by kennyliu

What you probably see during boot are indeed dead/stuck pixels. You are not seeing them during normal use because your brightness is set low. When the Playbook turns on, the screen brightness is on max. So turn the brightness all the way up and inspect your screen again.

I just don't see how the dots can be part of the boot animation. I don't see any when mine boots up.

With all this said, even if those are dead/stuck pixels, why would you return your Playbook, if you don't see them during everyday use?

That's the thing I've turned brightness right up and did the pixel test running through all the colours on both pb, no problem once booted.

Originally Posted by blue-b

That's the thing I've turned brightness right up and did the pixel test running through all the colours on both pb, no problem once booted.

Congratulations then on having a special boot animation :). Then, let's wait for you to update to OS 2.0 and see if anything changes about your startup.

couple of my PBs have a pixel viewable at certain times but once i start doing stuff i kind of forget about it.

i have been wondering if i should send it in but it doesnt bug me that much as i rarely see it.

PB all the way ---

Originally Posted by kennyliu

What you probably see during boot are indeed dead/stuck pixels. You are not seeing them during normal use because your brightness is set low. When the Playbook turns on, the screen brightness is on max. So turn the brightness all the way up and inspect your screen again (cycle through all background colors).

I just don't see how the dots can be part of the boot animation. I don't see any when mine boots up.

I did as you suggested and still can't see these dead/stuck pixels after boot. The colorful boot animation seems almost on purpose, to "boot" the pixels.

Originally Posted by kennyliu

With all this said, even if those are dead/stuck pixels, why would you return your Playbook, if you don't see them during everyday use?

That's the question I'm posing. Some posters have gone through a few to dozens of Playbooks, searching for a "defect" free one. I just can't see these people testing beyond the initial black screen before the logo. These posters declare all these "defects" and bring the whole reputation of the product down. (Yes, there are legitimate dead/stuck pixel issues, but the reports seem so excessive and my experience says that perhaps these displays just cold boot in a weird fashion.)

I don't buy any of it. It seems when one thread is started, there is a rash of me too posts and threads, which makes me cast an even more jaundiced eye to then I normally would with many of our daily troll threads/posts.

This display "defect" is nothing I'm aware of, nor that I can find as an issue that has gone viral on the web. Everything negatve that one can think of about the PB can readily be found doing a simple web search; not so with this so-called "dead pixel, sand in my screen, dust particles gone awry on my digitizer" nonsense.

Originally Posted by cbvinh

That's the question I'm posing. Some posters have gone through a few to dozens of Playbooks, searching for a "defect" free one. I just can't see these people testing beyond the initial black screen before the logo. These posters declare all these "defects" and bring the whole reputation of the product down. (Yes, there are legitimate dead/stuck pixel issues, but the reports seem so excessive and my experience says that perhaps these displays just cold boot in a weird fashion.)

I respectfully disagree. I haven't seen many posts that would declare having a dead/stuck pixel problem solely based on the startup splash screen. Most of the people who report here do so after using the Playbook. There is actually a poll thread in which people discuss the problem and most of them describe that dead/stuck pixels are there when they use the Playbook.

Besides, I doubt people would conclude that a Playbook is defective only based on what the startup screen looks like.

In my case, my first two PBs had multiple dead and stuck pixels. I didn't even notice them during startup until I gave it a close look. Then, I saw the white dots (stuck pixels). Dead pixels were not noticeable during startup.

weird. it happened to me only once -two lines of white pixels on the boot screen. I didn't see them ever since.

Edit: actually i checked it again I have two stuck pixels now :-) Not really visible during normal usage but this is beginning to annoy me slightly (I also have dust under glass). Is it worth calling RIM?

You could test a screen for dead or stuck pixels by downloading the free app SketchBook and setting the background to black or white.

...stuck pixels on the black screen and dead pixels on the white screen :p

Originally Posted by anthogag

You could test a screen for dead or stuck pixels by downloading the free app SketchBook and setting the background to black or white.

...stuck pixels on the black screen and dead pixels on the white screen :p

Screen Helper and Display Test (both free) will give you more colors. Sometimes stuck SUBpixels may only be seen on a color background.

Originally Posted by kennyliu

I respectfully disagree. I haven't seen many posts that would declare having a dead/stuck pixel problem solely based on the startup splash screen. Most of the people who report here do so after using the Playbook. There is actually a poll thread in which people discuss the problem and most of them describe that dead/stuck pixels are there when they use the Playbook.

Yes, I've seen the thread and have contributed to it. Now I'm uncertain as to whether my reporting was correct. For me, the dead/stuck pixels only appear on boot, which leads me to believe that some other people have the same issue and conclude the dead/suck pixels are permanent.

Originally Posted by kennyliu

Besides, I doubt people would conclude that a Playbook is defective only based on what the startup screen looks like.

There was one poster that went through seemly a dozen Playbooks at a store since he had a store contact that would let him check that many. How can you feasibly go through a dozen Playbooks at a store and really check? In order to get to the homepage, you would need to install the updated OS and register first - an hour task. The only screen you'll see is the boot sequence and the first install page, which you've already said, you can't detect dead/stuck pixels conclusively.

Originally Posted by kennyliu

In my case, my first two PBs had multiple dead and stuck pixels. I didn't even notice them during startup until I gave it a close look. Then, I saw the white dots (stuck pixels). Dead pixels were not noticeable during startup.

I wanted to see if other people experienced dead/stuck pixels only on the black screen prior to the logo. I want to get the word out that if you see dead/stuck pixels on that screen, it doesn't necessarily mean that there are permanent dead/suck pixels on your Playbook. To really conclude that you have dead/suck pixels, run a screen test after you have everything up and running.

I agree. Some of this stuck-dead pixel reporting is starting to sound like troll baloney :confused:

Originally Posted by anthogag

I agree. Some of this stuck-dead pixel reporting is starting to sound like troll baloney :confused:

And your assumption is based on ... ? Couple of users reporting that they see dead/stuck pixels only on startup ... ? :confused:

I am just inclined to think that those are real people with real problems. Regardless of how hard some of us want to believe in the opposite?

Originally Posted by kennyliu

And your assumption is based on ... ? Couple of users reporting that they see dead/stuck pixels only on startup ... ? :confused:

I am just inclined to think that those are real people with real problems. Regardless of how hard some of us want to believe in the opposite?

No, more than just a couple users...some are reporting they're getting 3 or 4 playbooks in a row with this problem.

And what is your assumption based on? Forums are easy targets for trolls.

Originally Posted by anthogag

No, more than just a couple users...some are reporting they're getting 3 or 4 playbooks in a row with this problem.

And what is your assumption based on? Forums are easy targets for trolls.

Agree, forums are an easy target for trolls. But that doesn't mean everyone who reports a problem is a troll. Besides, instead of labeling people trolls, I'd suggest using the troll button. Which, in my opinion, is less insulting to people who you wrongfully call trolls and won't let all theis non-sense "troll not troll" debate start over again.

none on my or my friends pb.

Originally Posted by cbvinh

I have a refurbished 64 GB Playbook, that on boot, prior to the Blackberry logo, shows about a dozen or more bright pixels over the black background. Once the colorful background completes its animation, those pixels are perfectly fine. When I run Display Test, all the pixels are fine. When I shut down the Playbook, the black screen prior to total shutdown is fine, no bright pixels.


I also have a 16 GB Playbook that only has 2 bright pixels on boot, which definitely makes the 64 GB one seems more "defective", but really, are these bright pixels, seen only during cold boot, that terrible that it demands a replacement?

Have bought and returned 3 16gb play books for almost the same thing. All three were newer stock from Staples. All 3 had same flaw. On boot up which when the black screen is cranked to highest light output, it is as is there are long strips of stuck pixels in an array for 3 top rows and then a few random ones elsewhere. On doing display testing (in a dark room with auto dim off an flight maxed out) I can notice the same flaws on a black background. If I bring brightness below 50% and turn on auto dim which would be my standard use settings indoors at night, or if have set it brighter for daytime use, I cannot notice the defect.

Before people start calling me OCD etc. I had bought 2 play books a 64 and a 16 for my wife. The 64 had none of the flaws of the 16. This is what prompted me exchange the 16 and now will be returning the 3rd one. I was fortunate to snag 2 32gb from the telus sale at 149 each. Neither of those screens have the defect in the 16 though both have somewhat warmer (yellower) screens and the more recessed power button.

Now my biggest decision is whether to keep the 2 32 gb for my wife and myself and return the 64 also or keep the 32gb too and give it to my son who is in 8th grade given the great price I got it for. (He has been Jonesing for an android tablet but loves youtube and gaming and with the 2.0 update I think he will love this tablet even more).

Originally Posted by blue-b

That's the thing I've turned brightness right up and did the pixel test running through all the colours on both pb, no problem once booted.

I am sure they are there and are faint. YOu will need to also turn off auto dim as well as maxing out brightness on them. You will also need to look in a dark environment. That said if they are only visible in those conditions, which are not your typical viewing conditions, then don't fret it....

Here is a pic took with my camera on my phone in my bedroom with brightness maxed. Ignore the flashlight effect on the screen which is not really viable to the naked eye. Pay attention tough to the grid like row of pixels.

Of note compare to the other play books I own which don't have this, this one overall is a bit brighter at max brightness. Makes me wonder if the pixels can't handle the higher output....

Originally Posted by Canadoc

Here is a pic took with my camera on my phone in my bedroom with brightness maxed. Ignore the flashlight effect on the screen which is not really viable to the naked eye. Pay attention tough to the grid like row of pixels.

I have EXACTLY the same issue with my 16GB PlayBook. I just picked one up two nights ago and noticed the pixels as soon as I got home, so I promptly went back to the store and exchanged it for another. When I started the other one in the store it looked fine, but when I returned home, sure enough, the same problem is there as well! Unfortunately, the brightest of the pixels was right under the 'hand' graphic at the top of the protective film, so it wasn't noticeable in the bright store. They can't be seen during normal use, and if I use the screen test software, they are barely noticeable with the screen at medium to low brightness, but if I crank it up, you can see there are a LOT of lit sub-pixels along the top in various colours, mostly green, and even a couple along the left side of the screen. The ones along the top seem to be arranged in horizontal lines (or an array, as you described). I am trying to decide whether or not to return PlayBook #2. If they don't ever get worse, I would be (fairly) content. However, I'm worried that something beneath the screen has caused the problem (pressure on another component, perhaps?), and more could appear over time.

It is a little comforting that others have noticed this issue; I figured with two units in a row having this problem there must be others. I may decide to keep it; I'm dying to install screen protector I bought and just enjoy it without worrying. Apart from the pixels, everytbing else is fine - no significant bulge, all buttons work, no 'dead' pixels, and no dust.