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Dead Pixel on TV

Dots called pixels form the image on the TV screen. These dots are different colors that depend on the transmitted video. Thus, they can create any picture on the screen.

How a Screen Pixel Works

A pixel consists of three areas that can take any color. These three areas are called sub-pixels. Some companies may add a fourth white sub-pixel to brighten the image.

It is these sub-pixels that TV electronics control to form the picture.

It’s a common TV practice to use three colors to form a color image: red, blue, and green. Therefore, each pixel consists of three sub-pixels of different colors (red, green, blue).

If you have a very close look at the screen, you can see these three colored areas.

Scientists proved that just three colors, supported by unique formulas, can create an image on the screen.

Dead Pixel

What Does a “Dead Pixel” Mean?

What is a dead pixel? It is a pixel that glows with a single color regardless of the image on the screen. It’s out of the TV processor’s control.

Dead pixels look like a monochrome dot on the screen, which doesn’t change when the picture changes. The color depends on the position of the liquid crystal stuck in the cell. If it’s open, it’s white; if it’s closed, it’s black.

If one of the sub-pixels fails, the cell will maintain a constant color instead of just black or white.

There are defective pixels that fail when the matrix is heated. You can detect them after the TV has been working for a while.

What is the warranty from the manufacturer for dead pixels on Samsung TVs?

Non-working sub-pixel on the screen
Non-working sub-pixel on the screen

What’s the Reason for Dead Pixels?

LCD screens consist of several layers, each performing its function. Two layers cause the dead pixel problem: the liquid crystal layer and the thin-film transistor (TFT) layer.

These transistors control the crystals in the cells of which the pixels consist. When such a transistor fails, a dead pixel appears since it becomes impossible to control the liquid crystals.

If the liquid crystal layer in a TV doesn’t work right, it can make the liquid crystal cell stay off. As a result, you’ll end up with a dead pixel on the screen, even if the transistor is functioning correctly.

Dead pixel on a black screen
Dead pixel on a black screen

How to Check a TV Screen

Manufacturers or quality control teams typically spot issues like dead pixels on a TV before it reaches stores.

The best way to check a TV for dead pixels is to show a single-color field on the screen.

If you are looking for black dots, demonstrate a white field on the screen. If you are looking for white dots, then choose a black field, respectively. To find a dead pixel, display a solid color on your screen and carefully inspect it. The dead pixel will stand out as a colored dot.

To check a TV for dead pixels, download test images of Full HD or 4K resolution from the internet. Save them on a USB flash drive and connect it to the TV receiver. Let’s plug in the flash drive and pull up the photos on the screen. We’ll go through each one together and check for any dead pixels. Just take it one image at a time, so we don’t miss anything!

The most unpleasant defect is a failed sub-pixel that makes the entire cell take on a particular color. This cell attracts significantly more attention than just a dark, inactive pixel.

Some pixels malfunction depending on how the neighboring sub-pixels work. You can detect such defects by screening a checkerboard filling, colored stripes, gradations, or grids. Malfunctioning pixels will stand out from the picture’s general structure.

How to Fix a Screen Cell Malfunction

Some users attempt to “massage” a dead screen pixel, often trying to fix it at home.

They press it with a soft object, hoping the stuck liquid crystal will function properly again. But this procedure only endangers a few more neighboring pixels.

There are also software methods of dealing with dead pixels.

Some methods of reviving such pixels carry risks, and it’s essential to acknowledge them.

The pixels can be rejuvenated as adjacent dots swiftly transition between colors. The sub-pixels are exposed to increased energy throughout the procedure, enabling their restoration and revitalization.

Such technology may help restore at least half of the dead dots and sometimes even as many as 90%.

However, the recovery process takes varying amounts of time. The restored pixel is expected to reencounter problems.

It may happen that restoring a dead pixel is impossible.

  • The Undead Pixel program employs this approach. It proposes identifying deformed pixels by fully illuminating the screen. Diverse backgrounds expose underlying flaws. After checking, you can proceed to the treatment.

First, you are to set the number of squares, select the square size in pixels, and set their refresh rate according to the example. Once the event begins, organizers place the designated squares in the areas marked as faulty.

A blinking pixel signifies success. You only need to wait for the “stuck” pixel to disappear.

However, if you stay over 10 hours, this pixel is unlikely to recover.

JScreenFix
  • JScreenFix. This website is not a program, but it’s free and convenient. It restores pixels almost the same way the previous tool did. You cannot change parameters or use the computer while restoring pixels on a PC screen. The service highlights a zone with digital noise, and you can move it to the required area of the TV screen.
  • PixelFixel: This is a 12-hour video on YouTube that you must demonstrate overnight. The colors change so fast that they can make you dizzy. Don’t look at the screen during the recovery video to avoid this.
PixelFixel
PixelFixel

Fixing the screen yourself could damage it further and void the manufacturer’s warranty.

Contact the service center after checking for broken pixels and confirming any issues.

F.A.Q.

If you constantly notice a dead pixel when watching videos, you should try to return the TV if it falls under warranty. If there is no warranty, you may just be wasting your time.

During the LCD manufacturing process, it is not uncommon for one or more subpixels to get into an unchanging state, causing a bright or dead pixel. A display with 1 to 5 fixed subpixels is considered normal and within industry standards.

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