LCD monitors....fail rate? (question for LCD monitor users)

[Funex]

Hi,

Thanks for reading my question. I hope this type of thing is alright.
If not, I am sorry, and won't do it again.


I just got a Samsung 20" LCD 47 days ago from CompUSA, with rebate,
for $299US. Not a bad price, and it's a sweet monitor. However, when I
initially purchased the monitor, the one I got had a dead pixel in
middle. I brought it back to CompUSA, and exchanged it for another.
This one had no dead pixels, and worked great for 42 days. Then, all
of a sudden....that is, I had just finished working with a program,
closed the window, turned my head, and looked back, saw a line of dead
pixels across the top. Oh well. 2 for 2. Not good I think. It is under
warranty, and Samsung is UPSing me a replacement for No Charge.
However, they say it's out of stock for a month, and so I'm sitting
here waiting for it, using the dead pixelly-liney one.

So, I'm thinking.....how often do LCD monitors fail like this? How
many people here have had a bad monitor, and had to have warranty
replacement? Also, anyone here suffering with dead pixels because
you're out of warranty? If so, how long did you have the monitor
before it broke? As a bonus question...is the extended warranty
provided by places like Comp USA (walk in replacement and such) worth
the 60-100 extra dollars? Or is the 3 year, parts and labor warranty
provided by Samsung good enough?

As an aside, my wife has a cheapo no-name 15" LCD I got her a few
years ago from a Fry's, and haven't had any problems with this, so I'm
not really stressing too hard....just wondering about stuff while I
wait.

Again, thanks...

Funex

 

[Johanna]

I own twoLCD monitors from Acer and one which is a TV+Monitor from Sharp.
There are no dead pixels in either. I've had the TV for 2 years and the
monitors for 6 months.
I am a bit of a clumsy girl and actually dropped one of the monitors
when I was trying to put it up. I thought 'Now I killed it for sure!'.
But nothing happened despite it taking quite a fall onto the carpet.
Sounds like you are having bad luck with the Samsungs!

Here in the UK, extended warranties are considered to be a ploy that
companies use to make money. Completely superflous.
This has been covered quite extensively in media.
The original (free/included) warranty should be good enough to cover
obvious malfunction.

Apparently companies even try to get out of honouring these extended
warranties based on technicalities.
And after 2 years..... you're likely to have done something which
forfeits the warranty anyway. Spend that money on a nice accessory to
the system instead, or even better buy a gift for your girlfriend/wife

Jo

 

[WJRutledge]

I'd have to agree with Johanna, the extended warranties are usually a
waste of money. The 3 year warranty that comes from Samsung should be
plenty.

The only time I recommend buying an extra warranty is if you're buying
a computer from Dell/Gateway/etc. Typically they only come with a year
warranty, but I always suggest people go for a 3 year warranty.

With that said, I've had 3 LCD panels so far, one for almost 3 years
now and none of them have failed yet (two are Samsungs) so I believe
you're just having rotten luck.

--Bill

 

[johns]

In this industry, one thing to watch out for is
refurbs and restocks. That really depends on
the individual company and store, and the attitude
of the dept heads who work there. I've seen this
way too much where some jerk thinks it is fine
to simply hand you a known bad product, hoping
you'll not notice it, or not care, or can be bullied
into restocking for a fee of 15%. Whenever I spot
one of these clowns, I report it right out here on
the internet, and I hope it teaches them a lesson.
Those restocks tend to build up at the retailer
until you can't get a decent product from them.
There are even companies out there who charge
extra to guarantee that your product is new out
of the box, and not a refurb. One way to spot
restocking, is to look at the package on the
shelf, or the one they bring you out of the
back, and note if it appears to have been
opened, or even just in-store packaging. Also,
I never bring a new product from the store
without knowing the limited time I have to
check it out, and return it to them for replacement.
That is usually no more than 15 days, and so
I jump right on it with all my apps and games.
The games are a big teller too. They push the
dickens out of the product, and you'll learn
its limitations very quick. Lastly, keep the
packaging, and open it carefully. Reason is
many of the stores require you return it in the
original packaging ( which they use when they
restock it ).

johns

 

[BigJim]

I have a samsung 171v and I been using it for about 3 years and no problems.

 

[Geoff]

Mine is a samsung, no dead pixels, works fine and I have a viewsonic high
def lcd tv, works fine, no dead pixels.

-g

 

[visions of effty]

I also have two LCD monitors right now. One Samsung and one Viewsonic.
Both I bought because they were dirt cheap at the time. Neither have dead
pixels.

In the early days of these things I remember reading a return policy on LCD
monitors from (maybe Best Buy?) that said you couldn't return them unless
they had more than 6 dead pixels. IOW, they have a quality threshold for
dead pixels. A certain number could be anticipated. My feeling is that the
manufacturing process is really improving. As time goes by I've seen less
and less dead pixels in general. You seem to have gotten two from the same
bad batch. I think we're to the point (quality-wise) on these things that
you can have an expectation of all the pixels working. Feel comfortable in
your bitching (to retail outlet and manufacturer) if this is not the case.

~e.

 

[Guest]

Hi,

Thanks for reading my question. I hope this type of thing is alright.
If not, I am sorry, and won't do it again.


I just got a Samsung 20" LCD 47 days ago from CompUSA, with rebate,
for $299US. Not a bad price, and it's a sweet monitor. However, when I
initially purchased the monitor, the one I got had a dead pixel in
middle. I brought it back to CompUSA, and exchanged it for another.
This one had no dead pixels, and worked great for 42 days. Then, all
of a sudden....that is, I had just finished working with a program,
closed the window, turned my head, and looked back, saw a line of dead
pixels across the top. Oh well. 2 for 2. Not good I think. It is under
warranty, and Samsung is UPSing me a replacement for No Charge.
However, they say it's out of stock for a month, and so I'm sitting
here waiting for it, using the dead pixelly-liney one.

So, I'm thinking.....how often do LCD monitors fail like this? How
many people here have had a bad monitor, and had to have warranty
replacement? Also, anyone here suffering with dead pixels because
you're out of warranty? If so, how long did you have the monitor
before it broke? As a bonus question...is the extended warranty
provided by places like Comp USA (walk in replacement and such) worth
the 60-100 extra dollars? Or is the 3 year, parts and labor warranty
provided by Samsung good enough?

As an aside, my wife has a cheapo no-name 15" LCD I got her a few
years ago from a Fry's, and haven't had any problems with this, so I'm
not really stressing too hard....just wondering about stuff while I
wait.

Again, thanks...

Funex

I run two Samsung SyncMaster 213T Black 21.3" TFTs currently off an
ATI X1800XT video card.
I bought the first one November 2003 and added the second August 2005.
No dead pixels.
No issues at all.
They're great.

Happy trailz,

 

[Funex]

It is under
warranty, and Samsung is UPSing me a replacement for No Charge.
However, they say it's out of stock for a month, and so I'm sitting
here waiting for it, using the dead pixelly-liney one.

To update....Well, the replacement arrived today, way early from what
the person on the phone said....anyway, it sure looks like it's
refurbished, not new. Darn it, thought I would get a new one... There
are a few scuff marks, and well, it wiggles....

It's like a 'bobble head'. You know the way it just sort of wobbles?
Well, when I'm typing, the new monitor wobbles because of the desk
vibration. It just doesn't seem as solid as the first one, the one
with the dead pixels. This is sort of a pane, and it makes me feel
sea-sick. :-(

So, the question is...is this something that the warranty should
cover? Can I get a replacement for my replacement? Or, will they say
the warranty says I might get a refurbished model, and say I'm
screwed?

I'm just wondering how hard to push when I call Samsung tomorrow. In
addition to the above, they didn't send the RMA info for the bad unit,
and I don't know where to send the old monitor back to. What, do they
want me to keep it?

Thanks for any responses...

Funex.