Perhaps not the miracle cure you were hoping for from the description, but it could help. This post is intended to suggest some courses of action you could take in the unfortunate event of your new display having dead pixels. Please note this mainly applies to LCD / TFT screens. If your CRT has a dead / stuck pixel then it's likely to stay that way.

If your not sure if you have a dead pixel, or just feel like testing for one then try this program.

Pixel cycling - Run any application / video that changes the colours of the display relatively quickly. Say fire up a game for an hour or so and really try to make it intense.

Edit: another easier way of cycling the pixels that doesn't require you to be sat there is this program. -Thanks Lokie / PhLaKz'R

Pixel massage - Sometimes a pixel can be revived if you gently rub it with a lint free cloth (failing that your thumb will do). Just do it a bit and remember to be gentle. If you don't have results after a few seconds it's pretty safe to assume it's not going to work.

Pixel flicking - Same as above. Give the pixel a few light flicks. Some people have had success this way.

Return it - Now this applies to CRT's too. You have around 7 days under the distance selling act to return any item you purchase on the net. You don't have to moan about it being faulty, they should take it back. You'll probably get stuck with the delivery costs though.

Warranty - The usual deal is that you can only get your display replaced under the warranty if it had three or more dead pixels and / or they are in the middle of the screen. Some manufactures are even tighter than this though.

Do your research, some manufacturers have a 0 dead pixel policy (Viewsonic for example).

Philips has it on some models... you do pay a "premium", though... best thing, imho... is
to buy it in a regular store & agree with the manager that you want to see it in "working order"
before you buy it... might be more expensive then the cheapest "online" buy... but.. well...
needless to say it can save you quite some trouble!

TDR

ps... I wanted to buy a Philips LCD... actually went to the store.... but I did not buy it... I bought a 19"
"shortneck" LG CRT instead... it was like 1/3rd of the price of the Philips..lol...

Good helpful post Z0mbi3, not that I have ddead pixels.

I swear though I thought I saw a thread similar to this and someone posted a link to a little program that would analize your LCD screen and repair dead pixels. I dunno, maybe I'm making it up...

My old Olympus 3mp digital camera uses a trick to mask dead sensor pixels in the end result... it has a "test
routine" built in to detect them... if found it just uses a photoshop-like filter called "nearest color"...
And... "tadaa"... no dead pixels show up in the pictures!

Quite Nifty, imho...

TDR

Quote: Originally Posted by Jobistober Good helpful post Z0mbi3, not that I have ddead pixels. I swear though I thought I saw a thread similar to this and someone posted a link to a little program that would analize your LCD screen and repair dead pixels. I dunno, maybe I'm making it up...

yeah, its called Pixel Buddy.

There is program you can download that changes the colour on screen super fast, you leave it running for hours on end and its meant to make stuck pixels work, can't for the life of me remember what its called though.

Quote: Originally Posted by Jobistober Good helpful post Z0mbi3, not that I have ddead pixels. I swear though I thought I saw a thread similar to this and someone posted a link to a little program that would analize your LCD screen and repair dead pixels. I dunno, maybe I'm making it up...

Yeah you did see one, its righ there...
http://forums.pcapex.com/other_hardw..._try_this.html

Quote: Originally Posted by PhLaKz'R Yeah you did see one, its righ there... http://forums.pcapex.com/other_hardw..._try_this.html

That's the one. I knew I wasn't just blowin' smoke! lol.

Quote: Originally Posted by PhLaKz'R Yeah you did see one, its righ there... http://forums.pcapex.com/other_hardw..._try_this.html

I guess I should read the thread properly before posting

Quote: Originally Posted by z0mbi3 Pixel massage - Sometimes a pixel can be revived if you gently rub it with a lint free cloth (failing that your thumb will do). Just do it a bit and remember to be gentle. If you don't have results after a few seconds it's pretty safe to assume it's not going to work. Pixel flicking - Same as above. Give the pixel a few light flicks. Some people have had success this way.

Kinky, might dirty talk work too?

Seriously though, i've got a diff problem. No dead pixels, but theres dust in my monitor, behind the LCD. I know its dust and not dim pixels because when i tap it itll move some. Its not really much of a problem, but does anybody know what i should do? Its completly sealed, so air is out. And i have no idea how i'd get it apart either if i wanted to risk it. Think if i took it to the Apple store they could clean it? (oh, its an Apple 20" Cinema)

They should deal with it under the warranty. It can't be sealed correctly if dust has gotten back there.

Either that or you remove the bezel. Doing it that way I presume more dust would stick on than you could get rid of .

Well I'm happy to say I found no problems with my lappy screen (except for the ocassional beer splatter)
Nice little program!