# Ever had a stuck pixel in an LCD TV fixed? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [February 15, 2010, 5:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ever-had-a-stuck-pixel-in-an-lcd-tv-fixed/529086 "2010-02-15T17:25:29Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Runs\_With\_Scissors](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/278dde/32.png) [@Runs\_With\_Scissors](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Runs_With_Scissors)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2010, 5:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ever-had-a-stuck-pixel-in-an-lcd-tv-fixed/529086/1 "2010-02-15T17:25:29Z")
I just bought a new 52" Samsung. Gorgeous TV…but it has a stuck red pixel. I called Samsung and they are sending someone out to fix it. I was pretty amazed at that to begin with, because I can’t imagine boxing this up and taking back to the electronics super store. I’m just curious if anyone else here had the same problem and to what level it was corrected…and how. ---
**Author:** ![IAmNotSpartacus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/cc9497/32.png) [@IAmNotSpartacus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/IAmNotSpartacus)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2010, 5:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ever-had-a-stuck-pixel-in-an-lcd-tv-fixed/529086/2 "2010-02-15T17:26:51Z")
Slightly OT, but I’m surprised the manufacturer is lifting a finger over a single pixel! Usually they want 10-20 bad ones before they tell you the display is no good. Good on you for getting them to play ball! ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2010, 5:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ever-had-a-stuck-pixel-in-an-lcd-tv-fixed/529086/3 "2010-02-15T17:52:38Z")
My guess is that that’s because it’s a brand new screen. The alternative to sending someone out is for **Runs With Scissors** to box it up and return it to the store, where it can’t then be sold as new. So either it’s sold at a discount as an open-box item (albeit one with a small defect) or it’s returned to the manufacturer by the retailer, which would probably cost them more than sending someone out. ---
**Author:** ![Nanoda](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ce73a5/32.png) [@Nanoda](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nanoda)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2010, 6:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ever-had-a-stuck-pixel-in-an-lcd-tv-fixed/529086/4 "2010-02-15T18:45:25Z")
I imagine the rules are different for big TVs, where the screen _is_ the product. For laptops and even monitors, I often heard of a specific pixel limit (with extra exceptions for clustered problems, etc.) I’m wondering how they intend to fix it; the only way I know of is to give it a bit of a massage. (A few years back my coworker fixed 1/2 a dozen stuck pixels in a flat panel that way) ---
**Author:** ![Spectralist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Spectralist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spectralist)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2010, 8:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ever-had-a-stuck-pixel-in-an-lcd-tv-fixed/529086/5 "2010-02-15T20:13:27Z")
The computer monitor I use as a TV came with a red-stuck pixel. I was able to fix it by rubbing it hard while turning the monitor off and on repeatedly. At first it would reappear a couple days later and I’d have to do it again but after a while it never came back. It’s been well over a year since then with no problems. ---
**Author:** ![Runs\_With\_Scissors](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/278dde/32.png) [@Runs\_With\_Scissors](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Runs_With_Scissors)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2010, 9:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ever-had-a-stuck-pixel-in-an-lcd-tv-fixed/529086/6 "2010-02-15T21:22:58Z")
> [@IAmNotSpartacus](#): > > Good on you for getting them to play ball! The warranty states that over a certain size, they send someone out; under a certain size you have to take it somewhere yourself. I still have the box now, but I won’t very soon. And it’s HUGE. I don’t think I’d be able to box it up, even with help. I would think transporting it incorrectly could cause more problems than not. It is just \*one \*pixel. I spent all weekend wondering if I could live with it. In general, I think I could, but I wanted to call Samsung just to say I did _something_. But there were no questions asked. I said I had a stuck pixel, and the woman said they would send someone out, just like that. I read about the massage technique as some others posted. There are calibration programs available that run off a DVD that claim they can fix stuck pixels. I’ll ask the technician about it, and, in any event, I’ll report back about what happens. ---
**Author:** ![HorseloverFat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/8e8cbc/32.png) [@HorseloverFat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HorseloverFat)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2010, 9:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ever-had-a-stuck-pixel-in-an-lcd-tv-fixed/529086/7 "2010-02-15T21:36:00Z")
Yep, you can try that program or a DVD that will quickly cycle through the colors. Some people have had luck with that approach. ---
**Author:** ![IAmNotSpartacus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/cc9497/32.png) [@IAmNotSpartacus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/IAmNotSpartacus)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2010, 10:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ever-had-a-stuck-pixel-in-an-lcd-tv-fixed/529086/8 "2010-02-15T22:09:17Z")
> [@Nanoda](#): > > I imagine the rules are different for big TVs, where the screen _is_ the product. Not according to Samsung, which is why I commended OP on getting some action out of them. From Samsung’s website ([Page Not Found - SAMSUNG](http://www.samsung.com/us/function/search/espsearchResult.do?keywords=television+dead+pixel&input_keyword=television+dead+pixel) ) click tab for support: > [@Samsung Policy](#): > > Product :Total:TV, Video & Audio:televisions:LCD TV 12-02-2009 > How to guides > LCD TV : What Is Your Policy On Defective Pixels? > One or two dead pixels out of the approximately 300,000 to 1.3 million pixels on a typical LCD television is normal. Generally, then, if you have only a few dead pixels, service is not an option. > > With that said, what we do about an LCD TV with dead pixels depends on: > > ``` > * The number of dead pixels > * The location of the dead pixels > * The color of the dead pixels > * The size of the LCD TV screen > > ``` > > If you are having a serious problem with dead pixels, gather the information listed above and call Samsung Customer Care at 1-800-Samsung (1-800-726-7864). Have the model number and serial number of your TV on hand when you call.