Problems with dead pixels on Wii

Discussion in 'Video Games and Technology' started by Bumble Prime, Feb 17, 2008.

  1. Bumble Prime

    Bumble Prime all the time

    Joined:
    Jul 20, 2006
    Posts:
    2,863
    Trophy Points:
    201
    Likes:
    +1
    So im shipping my Wii off for repairs, it started showing lines of dead pixels in light areas on the tv. Called Nintendo and its still under warranty so no big deal they foot the bill, but anyone know why this happened and how to prevent it?
     
  2. Primus

    Primus Beware, the modelers. Veteran

    Joined:
    Jun 17, 2002
    Posts:
    4,145
    News Credits:
    12
    Trophy Points:
    267
    Likes:
    +15
    Sounds really weird. Usually dead pixels is a display problem, not a console problem.

    Did you try it with different connectors? ie, Component, composite?
     
  3. Bumble Prime

    Bumble Prime all the time

    Joined:
    Jul 20, 2006
    Posts:
    2,863
    Trophy Points:
    201
    Likes:
    +1
    yeah and the only system or anything hooke dup to the tv with problems was the wii. When i called tech support they knew exactly what i was talking about.

    There are threads on the nintendo site that discuss the problem, but amazingly there are no replies from actual nintendo employees........so you got a bunch of people diagnosing the problem but no real answers....

    The consensus was it was an issue with the video card, some people said it was due to overheating....

    heres a nice little blog post on the problem

    http://kylepoint.com/wiidisplayissue/

    thats exactly what happened to mine
     
  4. My03Tundra

    My03Tundra LOVES TO EDIT POSTS!!

    Joined:
    Nov 24, 2005
    Posts:
    3,580
    Trophy Points:
    257
    Likes:
    +3
    Ebay:
    Wow, that really sucks. My Wii so far has been really good, and I've only have very intermittent and rare game lockups. I've had the problem with my PS2 as well, so I never thought much of it.
     
  5. NGW

    NGW Rawr

    Joined:
    Sep 4, 2006
    Posts:
    8,409
    News Credits:
    3
    Trophy Points:
    337
    Likes:
    +1,378
    That's weird. I've been into tech and what not for a while now, and I have never heard of something like this. Since stuck or dead pixels tend to have nothing to do with other hardware outside of the screen.
     
  6. Frognal

    Frognal Prodigal Son Returned

    Joined:
    Aug 2, 2003
    Posts:
    4,503
    Trophy Points:
    186
    Likes:
    +1
    Overheating of the video processor/RAM can cause all sorts of weird shit with the graphics.
     
  7. Primus

    Primus Beware, the modelers. Veteran

    Joined:
    Jun 17, 2002
    Posts:
    4,145
    News Credits:
    12
    Trophy Points:
    267
    Likes:
    +15
    Yeah, this actually sounds like what happened with one of my PCs when the video card fan seized up.
     
  8. Bumble Prime

    Bumble Prime all the time

    Joined:
    Jul 20, 2006
    Posts:
    2,863
    Trophy Points:
    201
    Likes:
    +1
    i really hope this a defective graphics card issue and not a persistent Wii design flaw issue....... cuz eventually im gonna run out of warranty
     
  9. BetaSword

    BetaSword Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Aug 20, 2006
    Posts:
    272
    Trophy Points:
    111
    Likes:
    +0
    That's true, currently, my GeForce7600GT with 256MB is having that issue due to a near-dead fan.
    I recently cleaned it, and tried to open the fan itself.
    Unluckily, the fan isn't openable without destruction, so I have to maintain it's motion manually sometimes.
    Until i gotr a new fan, i moved a PC-Slot-Fan, that I got myself before i went from a 1GHzAthlon to a Athlon64 3500+, in order to maintain a good heat-flow out of my PC.

    Issues with overheating are most times dead pixels, but also displaced Polygon-parts LordArphaun(HellgateLondon) looked like having a snot coming out, spikes on the players Armor/Body(HellgateLondon,OverlordRaisingHell) and other ingame glitches.
    Also it can cause the running Program to kill itself, leaving you an Error-Message.

    btw: mine also has the glitches, even tough, i got it from a Shop on January 3rd. maybe it's a Design-problem, just because of that really compact design, but I wouldn't exclude a mistake of the Quality Checkers on this issue, 'cause it could come from some really crappy fans inside the Wii.
    However this is my first Nintendo-Console having so much gliches, like in MP3, where the game just hung up with loading the next areas, leaving me able to run around the current room without any hope to get out -> had to hit Reset for the first time then.
     
  10. Liege Prime

    Liege Prime Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Oct 13, 2006
    Posts:
    11,706
    News Credits:
    12
    Trophy Points:
    362
    Likes:
    +6,304
    The only problem I have expereinced with the Wii is an odd freeze up that tells me to shut the power off... but you can't! I can press the power on and off but the screen with the message remains. I have to actually unplug it to get it out of that. It's only happened twice though. Kinda wierd, but Nintendo is great about systems and repairs.
     
  11. Frognal

    Frognal Prodigal Son Returned

    Joined:
    Aug 2, 2003
    Posts:
    4,503
    Trophy Points:
    186
    Likes:
    +1
    That's nothing, I once had my computer screw up and not want to turn off/reset. I push the switch to turn off the PSU and it stayed on. Freaked the shit out of me. I mean how is that even possible?
     
  12. jourdo

    jourdo TFW2005 Supporter

    Joined:
    Aug 12, 2004
    Posts:
    4,325
    Trophy Points:
    287
    Likes:
    +21
    Ebay:
    I just noticed this yesterday when my daughter was playing on the Wii. I freaked out that the TV was crapping out. When I switched through all of my inputs, the Wii was the only one doing this. I guess I should give Nintendo a call on this.
     
  13. Mega-Prime

    Mega-Prime Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Oct 12, 2002
    Posts:
    559
    News Credits:
    2
    Trophy Points:
    207
    Likes:
    +16
    Ebay:
    The exact same thing started happening to my Wii about 3 months after I got it, but I procrastinated before calling Nintendo.

    I had about 2 weeks left on my warranty when I sent it off 2 weeks ago, but when I got a "brand new" replacement console last week, they said I had another full year warranty on it.

    Not bad... I mean, if it's gonna fail, chances are it'll happen within the first year.
     
  14. Bumble Prime

    Bumble Prime all the time

    Joined:
    Jul 20, 2006
    Posts:
    2,863
    Trophy Points:
    201
    Likes:
    +1
    yeah i had three weeks left on my warranty lol

    thank god for the registratioin extension
     
  15. CripNite

    CripNite That Whack Canuck Dude

    Joined:
    Aug 31, 2003
    Posts:
    4,412
    News Credits:
    1
    Trophy Points:
    292
    Likes:
    +154
    First time I've heard of this, but I will definitely keep an eye on my Wii for this kind of thing happening.
     
  16. MegaMoonMan

    MegaMoonMan OFFICIAL MMM REP

    Joined:
    Jul 13, 2004
    Posts:
    21,074
    News Credits:
    3
    Trophy Points:
    452
    Likes:
    +7,909
    Ebay:
    YouTube (Legacy):
    Kinda scary, especially since I got mine at launch. No problems, but my warranty must be up by now.

    Are there any fixes people have come up with for those with no warranty left?
     
  17. BetaSword

    BetaSword Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Aug 20, 2006
    Posts:
    272
    Trophy Points:
    111
    Likes:
    +0
    Well, you should get a new Fan into the Wii, as this problem is most probably heat-based.(read my first post for description)
     
  18. Bumble Prime

    Bumble Prime all the time

    Joined:
    Jul 20, 2006
    Posts:
    2,863
    Trophy Points:
    201
    Likes:
    +1
    people also were saying the overheating is caused by wii connect 24 keeping the system "on" all the time
     
  19. BetaSword

    BetaSword Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Aug 20, 2006
    Posts:
    272
    Trophy Points:
    111
    Likes:
    +0
    As far as i'm informed, one of the last Updates made the Wii keeping the Fan on in WiiConnect24-Mode. But, well switching it off during when you're not playing saves you about 10W.
    But even with the latest Update, the Wii keeps getting quite warm when it's not switched off.
     
  20. My03Tundra

    My03Tundra LOVES TO EDIT POSTS!!

    Joined:
    Nov 24, 2005
    Posts:
    3,580
    Trophy Points:
    257
    Likes:
    +3
    Ebay:
    I noticed that too, when I was working around it near my DVD display. My Wii though doesn't use the WiFi and is connected to the network using the LAN Adapter. It always seems to be "warm" even when in standby. I'm thinking of completely shutting it down when not in use.