Just before Xmas, I handed over the best part of £7500 (which I consider to be A LOT OF MONEY ) for a Pioneer 503PDP 50" Plasma screen.

I ordered the screen over the phone, and didn't get to see it prior to delivery. However, as soon as I got it up and running, I noticed a broken pixel, slap bang in the centre of the screen.. damn.. very irritating, and easily noticeable.

Now, Pioneer say that a single pixel is "within manufacturers tolerances" and will only consider a screen to be faulty if there are more than 10 broken pixels in a 12" radius (or something like that).

I agree that pixels do die after a while, and I expected to see them die as time progressed, but NOT out of the box. To me, if I'm spending that kind of £££ on a TV, I want it absolutely perfect..

Now, while businesses might not mind a broken pixel on their presentation screens, the home user who is going to spend hours and hours staring at it should expect a 100% working device I'd have thought.

Am I wrong ?

As it happens, my credit card company is siding with me on this and is facilitating a refund, but it's a shame neither the vendor nor Pioneer are particularly bothered, or even prepared to agree that it's not ideal.

[NeilS]

I'm with you on this, it my plasma had arrived with dead pixels then I'd want something done.

Neil

[dbloor]

Interesting one, I cannot help you with a duff plasma but I do have experience of dead pixels with my digital camera.

I had my Nikon 950 for a just under year when a pixel died.
No probs I thought I'll just take it back and Nikon can fix it, actually I did just take it back and Nikon fixed it.

However, the guy at the dealer (respectable semi-pro shop) said Nikon will fix anything rather than have unhappy customers, hence publicity, but Panasonic and Olympus have a policy of only honouring warranty claims if a certain number of pixels die. He himself did not know what this magic number was but he said he was cheesed with them on account of returning cameras with no repair leaving him to sort out the unhappy punter.

So for cameras, and plasmas now too it would appear, it seems prudent to find out in advance what your manufacturer considers acceptable when your pixels start to die.

Cheers

D

[Nic Rhodes]

Duff pixels on plasmas, LCDs and DLPs are a real pain. I fully understandand that there are manufactururing tolerances but it isn't the number that should worry you but where they are. I have seen some Sony LCD projectors with loads of dead pixels and it was okay (subjuct to the ususl Sony limitations). I have also see a Sony with just four dead pixels in one block dead cemtre. Terrible, unwatchable. As you have a duff pixel in the centre I think you have a good case, if it was on the edge I think you would have been struggling. Talk about ruining enjoyment, distracting, getting in the way etc and see how you get on but I would be surprized if you succeed. Good luck. We a routing for you.

Well, the credit card company have already agreed to refund me (so long as I return the screen to the dealer).. so in a way it's a success.. All I need to do is ask them if they want to sell me another screen, or I'll go elsewhere.

I'm happy to accept broken pixels as time goes on, but not from new.

[Nic Rhodes]

The Tag web site has some excellent info re plasmas, some coming from the technical dept of the BBC. Might be useful if you are buying Plasma again. Good practical advice.