IBM X31 LCD Screen Luminosity Un-Uniformity

[barras]

Hey all,

My LCD Screen on my IBM ThinkPad x31 has a dark shadow patch at the bottom right hand corner of the screen, as previously detailed in this discussion:http://episteme.arstechnica.com/eve/ubb ... =9360#9360

I've booked it into servicing, and they claim that the shadow is a design characteristic. They also claim that the defect is well within their spec levels for LCD Luminous Un-Uniformity. From what they say, they can't do much about it, as it seems to be a design fault.

I have seen some laptops suffering from this defect, and some which do not. Which laptop screens are less susceptible to this "design feature"?

Thanks in advance for all your responses.

[csv96]

Can you post a picture of the shadow patch? I've seen one T40 with a ~5mm bright white spot, but nothing like you describe in the dozens of Thinkpads I've owned or seen.

[barras]

Can you post a picture of the shadow patch? I've seen one T40 with a ~5mm bright white spot, but nothing like you describe in the dozens of Thinkpads I've owned or seen.

Unfortunately, I do not have a digital camera at the moment. I guess we'll have to use our imaginations till I can get my hands on one.

The anomaly in question is a small shadow down on the bottom right corner of my screen. It is no bigger than the fingernail on your little finger. I have, through some arm twisting, managed to get IBM to refund my purchase. I certainly hope that this fault is not common through out IBM's product range.

Unfortunately, since receiving the machine, I have fallen hopelessly in love with the X series, I can see no other substitute except another X31.... Darn.

Thanks for all the responses.

[csv96]

It's definitely not common. I can almost guarantee that your next X31 won't have the same defect, though I can't say the same about stuck or dead pixels.

[barras]

It's definitely not common. I can almost guarantee that your next X31 won't have the same defect, though I can't say the same about stuck or dead pixels.

I certainly hope so. I hope I will be able to find that most elusive "perfect" screen.

Though I must admit, the X31 I got didn't come with any dead or stuck pixels. Kudos to IBM on that.

Thanks.

[barras]

Hey all,

I've done a little homework of my own. I've gone down to a variety of shops to look at the X31s on display. It seems that some of these IBMs don't suffer from this uneven backlight. In fact, there are even some IBMs with perfect screens.

This phenomenon isn't limited to the X series either, all other IBM ThinkPads seem to suffer from inconsistent LCD quality.

It seems that getting a perfect screen is like playing the lottery. You have a possibility of winning and losing, though you are more likely to lose.

I think I'll need to hesitate on my next ThinkPad purchase a little bit.

Dang! It isn't a cut and shut case.

[JHEM]

I've gone down to a variety of shops to look at the X31s on display. It seems that some of these IBMs don't suffer from this uneven backlight. In fact, there are even some IBMs with perfect screens.

One has to ask just where you're located that you can readily find "a variety of shops" with Thinkpads on display?

This phenomenon isn't limited to the X series either, all other IBM ThinkPads seem to suffer from inconsistent LCD quality.

This is, simply put, completely untrue. I handle HUNDREDS of Thinkpads annually and the number I've seen with less than perfect displays is exceedingly small. I've recently had four brand new X31s and eight T40s and they ALL have perfect displays.

It seems that getting a perfect screen is like playing the lottery. You have a possibility of winning and losing, though you are more likely to lose.

Again, this is simply untrue with a Thinkpad. Besides, even if one were to find a real (or imagined) fault with their new machine, it can be returned to IBM for a full refund within 30 days of purchase, no questions asked!

Regards,

James

[BillMorrow]

Hey all,

**SNIP**

It seems that getting a perfect screen is like playing the lottery. You have a possibility of winning and losing, though you are more likely to lose.

I think I'll need to hesitate on my next ThinkPad purchase a little bit.

Dang! It isn't a cut and shut case.

i disagree.. i have seen a LOT of IBM displays..
and MOST are perfect..
i.e. no stuck on pixels, dead pixels and no dark spots, though i must admit to never having actually LOOKED for a dark spot, though if one were there i'm sure i would have noticed it..
i HAVE seen severaaal imperfections beside the pixel thing..
on aa 770X i took in trade, when viewing the display in a dark environment, it had thousands of tiny white specs on a black background..
sort of like the milkyway on a dark night..
display was replaced with no further complaint by ibm under warranty..

and there is the backlight wash from around the edge when looking at a black display..
usually (98% of displays) this phenomon is negligable but occasionally there is a slightly larger leak of backlight on a black display..
it does not bother my since most of the time i can't see it at all when using the display..

[csv96]

From my own personal experience having seen many dozens of Thinkpads over the years, it seems that dead or stuck pixels are very rare. No more than one out of 20 units will have a dead pixel. However, dead or stuck sub-pixels are a different matter. They are very common especially on the SXGA+ and UXGA screens. Recently I saw 4 out of 4 brand new sealed T41p's ALL have stuck sub-pixels. Of course, stuck sub-pixels are often not noticeable even with pixel testing software. My theory is that nearly all Thinkpads with SXGA+ and UXGA screens has at least one stuck sub-pixel but 99% of people wouldn't even see it and of the 1% that do see it, most won't be bothered enough to try to replace the screen. With a dead or stuck pixel, it's very annoying because you always fix your eyes on it. It stares at you. It's the red dot you always see in the middle of the screen when you watch movies. But with a dead or stuck sub-pixel you simply can't fix your eyes on it from a normal viewing distance. I have a 20.1" Planar UXGA IPS screen. When I first turned it on, I looked and looked for dead or stuck pixels and found none so I was very happy. Watched many movies. Ran pixel testing software. The screen was perfect. But one day, for whatever reason, I brought my eye within 2 inches of the screen. Surprise, there was an always-on stuck sub-pixel. I looked over the rest of the screen. Surprise, there were a total of 7 always-on white stuck sub-pixels! So the screen is perfect for use, but not technically perfect. And this is on a 20.1" screen. On a Thinkpad 15" UXGA screen, you would need a magnifying glass to see the stuck sub-pixels. I think the majority of high resolution screens are NOT technically perfect. But they will pass even the enthusiast's standards for pixel problems.

Now, regarding other screen issues, I have seen one T40 SXGA+ with a white hotspot (approximately 5mm in diameter). The one R50p I have seen had uneven lighting along the sides when displaying dark images (which I guess is the backlight wash phenomena). I have never seen any other examples of uneven lighting. I have never seen any dark spots. I have seen the white speck phenomena on a 240 and my personal 570E. I have never seen it with newer Thinkpads.

[barras]

One has to ask just where you're located that you can readily find "a variety of shops" with Thinkpads on display?

No need to be so confrontational. I do not think this hostility is called for... I was only stating my observations. I'm located in Singapore, btw.

I was at a mall populated with many computer shops. While my sample size may indeed be small, the LCD lumionous Un-Uniformity seemed to deviate quite a bit from laptop to laptop.

That may not be IBM's fault. It may well be a limitation of the technology. But the other laptops do not seem to be affected by it as badly as IBM. I also looked at a few Fujitsus, and their screens, while of lower resolution, didn't suffer from shadows at the corners of their screens. That IBM should be suffering from it still comes as quite a surprise to me. That said, there are perfect screens out there, but most of them had the uneven backlight at varying degrees of severity.

Again, this is simply untrue with a Thinkpad. Besides, even if one were to find a real (or imagined) fault with their new machine, it can be returned to IBM for a full refund within 30 days of purchase, no questions asked!

The only problem is that where I live, IBM charges the earth for everything, and only offers certain configurations, furthermore, a comparable machine can sometimes be $500 or so above the price in America. Thus, the customers expect no less than perfection. Would you blame them? I wouldn't.

The trouble is that I cannot afford to wait, I'm leaving in a few months and IBM service here isn't particularly keen on consumer rights. They delayed my refund for a month. My laptop's been sitting around for 2 months, and they've only just approved a refund. The laws are different here. That said, IBM finally decided to give me a refund, eventually, which was quite laudable of them.

Do not expect that all experiences corellate to your own. I think that that is a most unwise proposition. Things are different elsewhere.

Sure I could live with it, but would you do the same had you paid such a premium and had high expectations? I think not.

[snappy]

I got an X30 last Sep-Oct and have been pretty happy with it. Its screen is perfect as well. Only "flaw" I found recently is that there is this chip off the surface of the display. Its not a dead pixel as the images below is ok. It seems the protective layer of the LCD screen kinda chipped off or something. Either was like that when I got it or somehow it came off recently.

As the LCD is not damaged, I reckoned it should not be due to an accident. If it is due to an accident, the pixel below should be dead or broken right, since even the surface has chipped.

In any case, its small enough so I'm still using it. Unless IBM is willing to repair it. Anyone know of their policy for such defects?

btw, I also got a Planar 17" LCD from way back in 2000. It still displays in 1280X1024 with perfect clarity. No dead pixels whatsoever. Only thing about this monitor is that it has a *HUGE* bezel.

No need to be so confrontational. I do not think this hostility is called for... I was only stating my observations. I'm located in Singapore, btw.

barras, I know what you mean. I am from Singapore too, though residing in US for the time being. SIM LIM Square is like a Mega-Mega mall with hundreds of stores selling notebooks, computer parts, accessories etc. The other place would be Funan Centre, though their price is usually on the higher end.

The only other place that beats SIM LIM Square is Akihabara in Japan. (Did I remember the place correctly?) Its like a whole region somewhere in Tokyo with buildings after buildings of SIM LIM Square. Think of it like SIM LIM city!

I guess for US, the good thing is the Net. You have access to an equally staggering amount of online stores without leaving the comfort of your home. And they ship it right to your door step! And they have 30day return policy (plus some small prints). And then some.

[Txiasaeia]

The anomaly in question is a small shadow down on the bottom right corner of my screen. It is no bigger than the fingernail on your little finger. I have, through some arm twisting, managed to get IBM to refund my purchase. I certainly hope that this fault is not common through out IBM's product range.

Sorry to drag this old thread up, but my new X31 has this defect as *exactly* described above. The model is 2672-PBU which is an October 2003 machine. It's not a huge problem as I got the machine for a song, but is it going to get worse? Does this denote a flaw in the LCD or is it really, as another poster postulates, just a "known issue"? Should I be worried about it? No stuck pixels on my machine either.

[jordi32]

I have received two IBM Thinkpads T42 and both have this shadow in the bottom right corner. How common is it? How many of you have gotten a perfect screen without this corner shadow?


I appreciate your input.


Thank you.

Jordi

[jordi32]

Any input?

Thank you.

Jordi

[K. Eng]

I notice that when I turn on my T40's LCD, there are shadows in the bottom right and left hand corners. However, these shadows seem to go away after about 30 seconds.

I'm not sure what causes this, although it might be that the backlight needs some time to warm up.

I have received two IBM Thinkpads T42 and both have this shadow in the bottom right corner. How common is it? How many of you have gotten a perfect screen without this corner shadow?


I appreciate your input.


Thank you.

Jordi