Blimey, I'm risking this turning into a Sony-bashing day, but two stories that crop up together, well, it's just bad luck.
This time, we're having a look at the PSP and the dead-pixel issue.
I've very fortunately got my hands on one for review, and it has four lit pixels on the screen, all in the lower 1/4 of the screen.
In normal play, they aren't noticeable, to be honest, but it is disconcerting to see them there when the screen is black.
The whole 'dead pixel' issue is a bugbear for any manufacturer, with most putting a limit on what they deem as being acceptable. I've read of manufacturers stating that 8 dead or permanently lit pixels is accpetable, I've even read of others discounting anything that is not 'in the main viewing area of the screen', whatever that means.
Sony has this to say from the PSP manual...
Of course, any gamer who has been waiting months for their PSP is going to be anything but happy with a screen that isn't perfect. After all, this is top dollar they're paying for the latest kit.Red, blue, or green spots (bright spots) or black spots (dark spots) may appear in certain locations on the LCD screen. The appearance of such spots is a normal occurrence associated with LCD screens and not a sign of malfunction. LCD screens are made using highly precise technology. However, a very small number of dark pixels or continuously lit pixels exist on each screen.
Sony have said that they "will work with you" if you feel you have a problem, which is a little too wooly for my liking, but at least it's a start..
Check out the full story over on CNET .