Is there a magic way to check for dead pixels?

Hardware and technical stuff
1

Hi folks, pardon the really stupid question, but whenever I see reviews of LCD monitors at sites like NewEgg, etc., nearly all of them always say something like:

“I just received it in the mail and set it up. It’s wonderful. Zero dead pixels. It looks great”.

I’ve seen that so often, I started wondering maybe there’s something people do to check for dead pixels besides just visual inspection. Because I’d think that visual inspection would take time and effort over a long period, and you’d never be really sure that there was not a single dead pixel among over 2 million. Right?

So I just got a new monitor today, and it looks great, and I was wondering if there was a magical way of telling if it had any dead pixels.

2

I think most people are just eye-balling it but there are tools available that will help highlight dead-pixels.

Taking a look at CNet’s review process it looks like they use DisplayMate

3

I hear power tools are an effective method of moving dead pixels, but I believe detection is handled by teams of professional raptors.

4

This works really well on the Mac:

from here

5

This thread just reminded me that I have a dead pixel on my monitor in the top right area (it always showed red) but I can’t find it now. Do dead pixels randomly go back to working properly sometimes or am I insane?

6

A web-based version here:
http://www.gdargaud.net/Hack/DeadPixels.html

7

“Dead” pixels can be anywhere in a range of mildly stuck (and subject to either mechanical or use-based coercion), permanently stuck, or just dead.

8

Awesome! That’s a nice series of tests. Thanks.

9

I’ve had a stuck pixel become unstuck on its own on one of the crummy monitors at the office. Though I’d have to double-check if it’s actually working properly now or just went from stuck to dead…

10

I use Dead Pixel Buddy. You can stick it onto a usb/flash stick and just take it with you anywhere and run it on any Windows PC. It’s basic, but seems to be good enough for me!

11

“Dead pixel” is actually a misnomer. The pixel isn’t actually dead; it’s actually alive but can’t expire. The main reason for dead pixels in LCD monitors is that the light gets stuck in the pixel, and can’t escape. You can resolve this by drilling a small hole in the pixel, thus letting the light out. You can trust me, because I always search past threads before posting nonsense to bulletin boards.

12

Dead pixels (err, sorry, stuck pixels) always seemed to be pretty obvious to me. The pixel is locked in red, green, or blue configuration, so it tends to stand out.

Of course, the only time I’ve ever seen a monitor with a dead pixel, it was a 1280x1024 monitor. All these new-fangled monitors with their ridiculous resolutions might make it harder to spot, I suppose.

If you want to find a dead pixel, take Paint or something and maximize a blank white image, I suppose.

13

Those are stuck pixels not dead pixels. A dead pixel is permanent black and will not light a stuck pixel is frozen on one color and can in theory be fixed.

That being said I just got a new Dell monitor and have a stuck pixel :(
I’m going through the various routines to try and get in unstuck but no luck so far. It’s not an Ultrasharp so it looks like there policy is 6 stuck pixels for standard monitors. I have to debate now how much I want to fight with them to get a replacement. It’s mostly out of view on the far side of the screen.

14

All that did was remind me how dirty my screen is.

15

I know I previously posted that Dead Pixel Buddy is a good place to start, but I just recently found this one, and I think it may be a bit better. Give it a look/see, it’s called “Dead Pixel Tester”.

16

I can’t believe that, given the word “magic” in the thread title, no smart-ass has yet suggested a HarryPotteresque “pixelus mortus revelatur” or something. First place my mind went. But then, I’m kind of a smart-ass.

17

Has anyone mentioned the idea of fullscreening a white bitmap and finding the funny spots?

18

Basically you need more than that. A dead red pixel on a white background isn’t easy to find.
The test as pointed out should be:
red only
green only,
blue only.
This catches the dead pixel (i.e. no light emission), the black pixel is easy to locate/
Then you need to test for bright pixels (i.e. the pixel always emits light) which you can do with a black screen, or for a more detailed look try cyan, yellow and magenta.
There are tons of small applets web based or downloadable that will do this.

Either you see the dead pixel this way, or you might as well buy cheaper monitors with dead pixels as you’re blind enough anyhow.