Checklists for New LCD Televisions

This article contains checklists when you purchase or received your new set of LCD Televisions from your local shop. Your new set of LCD TV might be the super perfect set from the manufacturers like Sony, Sharp or Samsung (3S, J), but most of the time, we might not that lucky. Additionally, some of these defects are not consider defect for the manufacturer and not qualify for warranty claim, or may come with one to one exchange within 3 or 7 days of purchased. By the way, hope this check lists help you to make full use of your hard earn money.

Defective Pixels (Hot Pixels, Dead Pixels, Stuck Pixels)

LCD Display Pixels With 3 Sub-Pixels

Defective pixels plague almost every brand of LCD televisions manufacturer like top brand Sony, Samsung, Sharp and LG. The LCD monitors in your office desktop, or laptop LCD monitors might have defective pixels problem too. Each pixel consists of three sub-pixels, which are red, green and blue. Each sub-pixel can be controlled independently to yield different combination of color. All the pixels arrange side by side and control the color of each pixel individually, and a whole bunch of well arrange pixels in order yield an image on the LCD television screen panel. Defective pixels can be categorizing to three type, which are hot pixels, dead pixels and stuck pixels. A hot pixel is a pixel which always on, or called glowing pixel. Hot pixels are usually best seen against dark background. Dead pixel, it opposite of hot pixel, always off (or unlit). Dead pixels are usually best seen against a white background, it just looks like a black dot in the white. However, stuck pixel is one or two sub-pixels are always on or always off. This defective behavior make the pixels only limited to display limited colors and it hardly to be notice except you test through your LCD screen panel.

Banding

The backlight has a problem with particular area, or it may be certain area from the LCD panel not well lighted. It can be describe as the backlight of LCD TV panel not equally lighted all area with the CCFL backlight. A band like bar will appear on the LCD panel that look different tint or tone that you can notice.

LCD TV with Banding Problem

LCD TV with Banding Problem

From photos above, there are three banding appeared on the LCD panel screen. No matter the panel screen display of bright color or dark color, you still able to notice the banding clearly. Blog from John-Michaeldelvalle.com (john-michaeldelvalle.com/2008/09/08/lcds-problems-you-should-know-about/) pointed that this is common issue for Sharp brand LCD televisions.

Clouding / Mura

LCD TV with Clouding Problem

Clouding is complete uneven backlighting that result in an image contain lots of black cloud on the screen. This is extremely difficult to assume that it is a common problem without evaluating multiple consignments of the same product. A search on the internet found that clouding problem affecting Sony XBR series (example: 46XBR3, 40XBR2), and a lot of Sony Bravia KDL-46V2500 46-inch LCD TV model.

Clouding Problem (From Sharp LCD TV)

Pillaring

Pillaring is another uneven backlighting problem that similar to clouding but not exactly the same. Pillaring is when you have the complete left and right side of the LCD screen being lit up a lot more than the center of the screen. The word “pillaring” because it is as if there is a pillar of light on each side of the LCD screen.

LCD TV with Pillaring Problem