PSP Screen Issues Rampant
Sony says dead pixels aren't a sign of malfunction.
by Patrick Klepek
03/25/2005
When Jeff McDaniel picked up a PSP from Target yesterday, he didn't anticipate it would take three exchanges to find a unit without a glaring problem. McDaniels' first PSP had a cluster of five dead pixels that "looked like the North Star," and his second contained irremovable dust under the screen and a stuck pixel on the left-hand side. Third time was not the charm, though; McDaniel inspected his next PSP, only to discover an enormous dent that looked "like a mechanical pencil had punctured the screen."
Wondering if Target's shipment was simply a bad batch, McDaniel picked up his fourth machine at Wal-Mart -- but discovered a single dead pixel on the bottom left hand of the screen. Though only noticeable during dark scenes of games or movies, it marks one person's fourth unsuccessful attempt to pick up a PSP in mint condition. "I find it completely unacceptable to even have one dead pixel on a system that costs over $250," says McDaniel.
Technical issues during a hardware launch are nothing new, but with a machine as delicate as PSP, reports of problems are more rampant. The most common complaint is a "dead pixel," which appears on a screen in a variety of forms (red, blue, green, white spots, dark spots). Jump on any message board and you'll find posts littered with personal accounts of anywhere from one to 25 or more dead pixels appearing on brand-new PSPs.
SCEA doesn't deny PSP machines may encounter these issues, but doesn't see it as a problem. "As with any LCD product on the market, a very small number of dark pixels or continuously lit pixels is normal for LCD screens, and is not a sign of a malfunction." says Patrick Seybold, a Sony Computer Entertainment America (SCEA) representative. A similar description also appears in the PSP's user manual. What defines a small number, however, isn't known, and SCEA had not responded to our requests for clarification as of press time.
Consumers don't have the option of talking to PR reps, however, so 1UP called SCEA's customer service to learn more. The Customer Service Representative (CSR) we talked to said the pixel situation has been "blown up" and reiterated SCEA's original statement that dead pixels are not a sign of a malfunctioning PSP. When it came to clarifying what defined a malfunctioning PSP, however, the CSR became vague, and said to call back if the situation "interfered" with game or video playback.
When you purchase a PSP, SCEA provides a free one year warranty, and contrary to rumors, pixel-related issues are covered by the warranty -- but the pixels must be "interfering" with video or game playback. Both SCEA and the CSR used the word "interference" without much explanation. As it stands, a PSP might need one, 10 or 100 pixel problems before qualifying for the warranty, but without proper clarification, an answer remains unclear.
Retailers are random about how to handle the situation. Of six EB Games and GameStop stores we contacted, only one said it would be no problem for someone to bring in the machine and have it swapped. Several EB Games claimed an exchange would be possible with their extended warranty program, while GameStops said to "talk to Sony." Gamers worried about exchanges should stick to larger retailers like Wal-Mart and Target, where as long as you have a receipt, most will exchange without question.
When talking to Sony, however, expect a few recommendations before they agree to repair. SCEA and our CSR recommended continued use of the PSP for one to two weeks after a pixel problem appears, stating there was a chance the issue could disappear on its own. While possible, reports of "fixed" pixels amongst Japanese units mostly non existent, and the advice appears as a quiet admission of the problem, rather than a formal solution.
Unrest about the situation even extends to the official PSP message board on SCEA's website. The board is overrun with topics, pictures and stories about screen problems. One currently locked thread featured nothing but a screen shot of a dead pixel-ridden PSP running Spider-Man 2. Moderators closed the topic, claiming the user was "trolling." Other users protest over moderators' refusal to "sticky" any of the popular pixel discussion topics, one of which runs over 30 pages in length.
PSP's main competition stands in stark contrast to SCEA's policies. Nintendo appears to have unofficially adopted a zero-tolerance policy regarding dead pixels, and many users have had their machines serviced with no issues. Though the Nintendo DS' launch encountered far fewer technical snafus as a whole, it appears DS users are far more likely to complain about a lack of software than any issues with their warranty.
In an impromptu survey of 1UP's own PSP units, four out of six machines had pixel-related problems, though none as severe as some users are reporting.
As it stands, the pixel issues have done nothing to stop the PSP from flying off shelves, but for the affected users, the lack of available PSPs makes the situation even harder. We should be hearing more from SCEA and retailers as more PSPs land in consumer's hands. Stay tuned 1UP for continued updates.
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I'm having a hard time beliving this whole dead pixel issue, not about the pixels themselve, but how sony just shipped out all these units 'seemingly not knowing' about them. me and a friend were conversing about the DS and the PSP and we assume the DS was based on gimmics in order to take back some of the market share. The psp had so much going for it, they didn't have to rush it!
