• Hey Guest. Check out your NeoGAF Wrapped 2025 results here!

Sony sasy dead pixels are not defect. no warranty valid.

Benedict

Member
Don't know if this has already been up, but I thought it's an important issue to bring up.
This is taken from videogameplus newsletter:
We have just been infomned by Sony that they will not be warranting any dead pixel units. They are only warranting hardware defects ie broken buttons, malfuction with drive and so on. Dead Pixels are not considered a defect by Sony of America and will not be warrantied. With this new developement, Video games Plus will no longer be testing PSP units for dead pixels before shipping.


This is really low of SONY, not offering their best service to their customers. I would be really depressed if i came home with a faulty PSP who SONY refuses to repair/trade in.

And aren't dead pixels a hardware fault?
What is it otherwise?
 
20030425007100510.jpg


"Dead pixels are not defects! They enhance your gaming experience!"
 
Amir0x said:
Nintendo was fixing DS with even 1 dead pixel IIRC.

That's Nintendo. You're comparing the king of customer service with the company that makes you replace PS2s just to ramp up the "userbase" numbers! :lol
 
the Sony PSP japanese website states that you should expect a 0.01% pixel failure rate on total pixels.

doing the maths , this works out at 13.?? dead pixels.
 
What kind of effect will this have for the retail chains like ebgames for instance? Will they allow me to switch out for a new PSP if mine has a dead pixel?
 
Full e-mail update (with typos intact) from videogamesplus:

To all customers that have preordered a PSP unit,

There have been significant issues regarding the PSP unit and software
which have arisen in the past 24hrs that we must update you on. We
have already started to receive inventory and begun processing and getting
orders ready to ship. The issues are as follow.

DEAD PIXEL WARRANTY AND TESTING...

We have just been infomned by Sony that they will not be warranting any
dead pixel units. They are only warranting hardware defects ie broken
buttons, malfuction with drive and so on. Dead Pixels are not considered
a defect by Sony of America and will not be warrantied. With this new
developement, Video games Plus will no longer be testing PSP units for
dead pixels before shipping.

PSP Hardware Bundle Canada

We have begun to receive PSP units and we have only received a limited
amount of units not bundled with Gretzky Hockey. Here in Canada Sony
has decided to sell the PSP'S bundled with Gretzky and no other way. We
beleived all our systems were non Gretzky bundles but upon receiving
orders and talking to our suppliers we have been infornmed at this moment
all remaining incoming PSP systems now and in the future will be
Gretzky Bundles. This will only change if Sony decides to stop selling the
bundle in Canada which we don't see happening anytime soon. All PSP order
numbers above order number 13916 will be filled with PSP Gretzky
bundles and charged accordingly. Regular units were $299.99 Gretzky Bundles
are 349.99 as they include the Gretzky game.

Software

Games have already been coming in and have begun shipping. We will
attempt to add as many games to your PSP order as possible. Where it is
impossible due to shortages or delays we will ship your games asap when
available. Some software may be shipped seperately from your PSP as there
are just way to many orders to ensure all can be connected to software
at the moment. All other customer preordering just software will be
filled as soon as games arrive and all orders for software and units will
be treated as first come first serve so the earlier you preordered the
better your chances of being filled at launch or relatively soon there
after.

Easter Weekend in Canada

PSP orders will start shipping out today and will continue shipping out
daily until all orders are filled. Friday DHL is closed due to a
holiday here , so orders not shipped by Thursday night will begin shipping
out on Monday again. We will not be in a position to answer all customer
service enquiries as quickly as usual over the next few days as we have
pulled all staff to help in the shipping of PSP software and hardware
orders.

Videogamesplus.ca sincerely apologizes for any inconveince this has
caused any of our customers. Unfortunately with the late Sony
announcements and decisions we have been left in a position to do our best to serve
you under these unforseen circumstances. As always we appreciate your
business and look forward to continuing to serve you in the outmost
professional and courteous way.

Sincerely,
Steve Fiocco
President
www.videogamesplus.ca
 
DCharlie said:
the Sony PSP japanese website states that you should expect a 0.01% pixel failure rate on total pixels.

doing the maths , this works out at 13.?? dead pixels.

I expect this forum to unsurprisingly have a higher # of dead pixel issues.
 
This is why I'm buying my PSP from Best Buy. You get like 15 days where you can straight up just return the system for whatever reason.

And on top of that you can also get an extended warranty.
 
Soundwave 2k4 said:
What kind of effect will this have for the retail chains like ebgames for instance? Will they allow me to switch out for a new PSP if mine has a dead pixel?
Probably not. If they can't return it to Sony as defective for a refund, they won't take the loss on themselves.
 
Soundwave 2k4 said:
What kind of effect will this have for the retail chains like ebgames for instance? Will they allow me to switch out for a new PSP if mine has a dead pixel?

This limits what Gamestop can return and be remunerated for through Sony. If Gamestop is not going to see any money for the return, it is unlikely we will accept the return. The extended warranty agreement through us is different, though. The downside is you have to wait three months to use it.
 
Oh man. I really hope my unit doesn't have dead pixels. If so, I'll try resealing the box and return it as if I never opened it. It's worked before. :lol
 
Join the $250 dead-pixel lottery!

In all seriousness though, a lot of people won't notice and/or be quite apathetic about it. If you get one, you can always sell yours to someone like them.
 
Damn, I thought about possibly getting one of these but, to hell with that. I can see it now me put down $250 bones power on dead pixel, Sir to the retail rep can I get another? No, Sony doesn't think dead pixels mean anything. Sony laughs to the bank. Sorry Sony my bank will instead laugh at you.
 
CygnusXI said:
If I get dead pixels.. my buttons will soon be defective too.
;)

Exactly. What are you guys getting all worried about. Don't even mention dead pixels if you do a return, use the button, UMD, etc excuse. Do be afraid to lie. If Sony doesn't want to take the responsibility they should, there's nothing wrong with that approach.
 
Enigma has a point. Most stores won't even check, so just lie and make sure the battery is DRAINED so they can't even check if they wanted to ^_^
 
Just be glad Sony isn't charging you extra for dead pixels and lower-than-advertised clockspeeds.
 
cybamerc said:
Just be glad Sony isn't charging you extra for dead pixels and lower-than-advertised clockspeeds.

Oh, you mean the lower-than-advertised clockspeed that is simply locked and will be unlocked in later games down the line?

It was confirmed in last week's Edge magazine, with Ridge Racers' associate producer Hideo Teramoto, that Ridge Racers was running underclocked and that future Namco titles will be using the maximum 333 MHz speed.

Oh. cybamerc you should try a new line of work. One that, you know, is more suited to reality.
 
AZYUMA86 said:
Does anybody know Wal-Marts dead pixel/return policy?
I had to return 2 SPs for dead pixels, no problems (aside from the usual problems in wal-mart).

Still, if this is true then Sony can suck a fat one.
 
cybamerc said:
Just be glad Sony isn't charging you extra for dead pixels and lower-than-advertised clockspeeds.

The clock speed is locked in the firmware. When the new more powerful batteries arrive they will unlock the 333MHz clock speed by a firmware update.
 
soundwave05 said:
This is why I'm buying my PSP from Best Buy. You get like 15 days where you can straight up just return the system for whatever reason.

And on top of that you can also get an extended warranty.
Don't they charge a restocking fee if there's nothing wrong with it? i don't anticipate any problems. If the store by me doesn't take by a unit with dead pixels, i'll either go to another store, or just wait for another clerk to work. And there's far too many ways to make a device defective without breaking it.
 
Well, I guess I'm one of the first U.S. PSP owners to have a dead pixel. I'll take a picture of it later today - it's soooo distracting.

And I thought the screen was the biggest selling point of this thing - who gives a shit about the rest of the machine.
 
Doom_Bringer said:
The clock speed is locked in the firmware. When the new more powerful batteries arrive they will unlock the 333MHz clock speed by a firmware update.

So they underclocked at launch to save battery power?

That's actually pretty clever...
 
In all seriousness though, a lot of people won't notice and/or be quite apathetic about it. If you get one, you can always sell yours to someone like them.

Who the hell would buy a used PSP for retail price though? I'd imagine used PSP's would go for at least $200, meaning you lose a chunk of change that way.

I'd just buy the PSP from a retail store, open it up in store, check for the dead pixels, if there are any, then I'd get it exchanged on the spot.
 
I highly encourage you to check for dead pixels before purchasing - but you will need to rip the battery out of the plastic bag, put it in the PSP and turn it on in order to check for dead pixels.
 
The amount of whining in this thread is funny.

Seriously, anyone buying a LCD based product and who isn't anticipating the possibility of dead pixels is dumb. This is the nature of the technology. If you don't agree with this, don't buy a PSP. I bought a LCD TV for more than 3000$ CAD, and it has dead pixels, that was a given. If you're whining about your fucking 249$ PSP having dead pixels, just don't buy one.
 
I returned two SPs to Best Buy due to dust under the screen (the third still had a bit, but i just gave up). I didn't have an extended warranty, there was no re-stocking fee, and they gave me no problems. I just said I wasn't happy with the condition.
 
WULFER said:
Damn, I thought about possibly getting one of these but, to hell with that. I can see it now me put down $250 bones power on dead pixel, Sir to the retail rep can I get another? No, Sony doesn't think dead pixels mean anything. Sony laughs to the bank. Sorry Sony my bank will instead laugh at you.

You are so full of shit it isn't even funny.
 
Hellraizah said:
The amount of whining in this thread is funny.

Seriously, anyone buying a LCD based product and who isn't anticipating the possibility of dead pixels is dumb. This is the nature of the technology. If you don't agree with this, don't buy a PSP. I bought a LCD TV for more than 3000$ CAD, and it has dead pixels, that was a given. If you're whining about your fucking 249$ PSP having dead pixels, just don't buy one.


You have a point there, but a dead pixel on a PSP is super super ugly. It stands out like a sore thumb on that screen. Trust me it blows.
 
Dead pixels are pretty common with LCD technology unfortunately.

But at the same time Sony's stance on dead pixels is exactly the reason I'm buying my PSP from Wal-Mart!
 
<Kutaragi> This isn't a defect, the PSP was DESIGNED THAT way. Look at it, it's beautiful. Any dead pixels are like a beauty mark on the cheek of a supermodel. It enhances the splendour of the rest of the screen!
 
Benedict said:
Don't know if this has already been up, but I thought it's an important issue to bring up.
This is taken from videogameplus newsletter:
We have just been infomned by Sony that they will not be warranting any dead pixel units. They are only warranting hardware defects ie broken buttons, malfuction with drive and so on. Dead Pixels are not considered a defect by Sony of America and will not be warrantied. With this new developement, Video games Plus will no longer be testing PSP units for dead pixels before shipping.

This is really low of SONY, not offering their best service to their customers. I would be really depressed if i came home with a faulty PSP who SONY refuses to repair/trade in.

And aren't dead pixels a hardware fault?
What is it otherwise?


That's unusual because most LCD manu's typically will set a threshhold for dead pixels after which their warranty will kick in. Maybe it has something to do with the size of the panel and of course- the cost. ;0
 
Hellraizah said:
The amount of whining in this thread is funny.

Seriously, anyone buying a LCD based product and who isn't anticipating the possibility of dead pixels is dumb. This is the nature of the technology. If you don't agree with this, don't buy a PSP. I bought a LCD TV for more than 3000$ CAD, and it has dead pixels, that was a given. If you're whining about your fucking 249$ PSP having dead pixels, just don't buy one.
When people put up with less than fully-functional products, it tells the companies that manufacture them that they can get away with putting them on the shelves to begin with. Dead pixels aren't necessarily the fault of the manufacturer, and like you said, come with the technology. Companies should expect returns on the small percentage of devices that have dead pixels, just as they expect a small percentage of screens to have defects. If i'm not mistaken, there's processes in production that would virtually eliminate dead pixels, but it's really an issue of dimishing returns for manufacturers.

i'm glad you're happy with your tv. i would've asked to see the tv in operation or at least test it at the store before driving home with it. i'm not going to pay for something only to know and see that it's flawed.
 
Top Bottom