dead pixel on my DS (fixed!)
 

:(

I am going to give it a few weeks and see if it still bothers me. I understand that Nintendo will exchange the DS for free during the warranty period (one year) if it has a dead pixel. Has anyone done that? I read some articles about it (did a Google search) but they're all from last winter. I'm wondering if they really send you a new system, or if it's refurbished or something. Dunno, something about sending in merchandise just makes me nervous. I sent in my Dell monitor once and got a refurbished one in exchange (which was fine, it works perfectly, but it rubbed me the wrong way).

So... anyone returned a DS due to a dead pixel? Did it work out okay for you?

Nintendo in the UK will fix it for you if you bought it in the UK, same as in the country you bought it. Mine's Japanese and has two STUCK pixels (when they're a certain colour) - because it's a lovely red DS I've kept with it and it doesn't bother me any more.

My friend had three dead pixels and brought it back to the shop. He got a new one immediately. Nintendo appear to be extremely friendly with this: where the PSP only gets replaced if you get a bunch of dead pixels next to each other; Nintendo wants everyone to have a flawless DS.

Really, don't put up with a dead pixel; send it back and you'll most likely have no problems at all.

I don't want to drive back to the store where I bought it because I went way out of my way (was hunting down Phoenix Wright!) But I might check and see if a closer EB would be willing to exchange it.

Another question - I know you're supposed to charge the battery for 4 hours before use. Is it okay to run it off the adapter without charging the battery? If I can exchange it in the store, I'm wondering if I could test it there to make sure the one I'm trading it for doesn't have any dead pixels either. (This may be a silly question but a friend got an iPod for Christmas and didn't charge up the battery before using it and now her battery won't hold a charge...)

I run my DS from the mains all the time when im just sitting in the house with it, you shouldnt have any problems. ;)

Be thankfull you didn't get a PSP.

All right, another dumb question (I'm full of them today!)

Is game data saved on the DS or on the game cartridge? I am midway through Trace Memory and started playing Sims 2... if I trade in the DS with the dead pixel for a new one, will the saves still be there when I pop the cartridges into the new DS, or will I lose them?

Unless they've changed things entirely since the GBA, data is saved on the cartridge.

As with any lithium ion battery, it's better to fully charge it before the first use, because doing so conditions the battery for future charges. If you draw power off of it before one full charge, as you'll do in some small amount even when running off AC, the battery might not charge as well as it should, and in future charging your maximum power may be less than it could have been. Somewhere I have a link to a really exhaustive FAQ put together by a company that replaces such batteries, who through thorough testing of numerous batteries sorted out the myths and truths of charging and made some good recommendations for taking care of these batteries. If you're up for a long read, I'll dig it up - I think it's on my favorites on IE, which I seldom use anymore. Otherwise, to sum it all up I'd say just be patient for a few hours when get your new DS, as you'll be glad you did later on.

Cheers,
doroposo

Yeah, that's what I thought. :( The only reason I'd want to run it off the adapter before the battery was fully charged would be to make sure there aren't any dead pixels, but I suppose if there are I can just take it back to the store a second time. (And what are the chances that I'll get two with the same problem.... :shifty: )

It appears game data is saved on the cartridges, because I loaded up a preowned game and the previous owner's saves were on there.

This is an interesting thread. Even though I don't have a DS.

A friend of mine came up with the name for the inevitable upcoming Nintendo 10-Screen portable -- the XS!

Pretty sure the save data is stored on the game cartridge. When I bought my DS earlier this year, I had a green dead pixel, luckly the shop allowed to give me a replacement. Altough I'm pretty sure they were going to sell it to another person...:shifty:

were you successful? i still haven't been...

Game data is definitely stored on the game carts themselves, not the system.

Turning on the system once for a few seconds to see if it has any dead pixels isn't going to make your battery never work again or anything, just don't turn it on and immediately play Phoenix Wright for 2 hours until the battery dies without ever plugging it in like Chris's friend did with Advance Wars the day he bought his DS. I mean, surely the systems are turned on once at the end of the assembly line to make sure they are worth putting in a box, etc etc. You should be fine.

I brought it in to EB today and they swapped it for me. I brought Trace Memory along with me because the pixel was not obvious on the initial DS screen but very obvious on Trace Memory's black splash screen. I loaded that up and the sales girl exchanged it right away. I didn't want to chance messing up the battery so I didn't turn it on at the store. It'll probably be fine, and if not, I can always go back. ;) So, the new one is charging now.

Does anyone use those screen protector sheets? Is there any particular brand that's better than another? I didn't see any at EB so I'm thinking of buying some online. (I'm really paranoid about scratching the touch screen.)

EDIT: Footawn, yes, I was able to get two copies of Phoenix Wright (sent one on to a friend). The EB I went to first didn't have any and the guy checked the computer for me... one location was supposed to have two but he called up and was told they sold them that morning. :( Another store about 15 miles south supposedly had two in stock. I called before I went and was told they didn't have it. I asked the guy on the phone to check the computer for other stores in the area and he was like "Oh, this says we have some." He got off his ass and checked, and lo and behold, they did. :shifty: So I drove down there and got them. If they'd had more I would have bought them and offered them to people here, but unfortunately they only had the two. It occurred to me later that some of the non gaming stores (like Sears, Best Buy, or Target) might still have them in stock. So if you're striking out with EB and Gamestop, you could try that type of store.

That's right. She sent one on to a friend, which forced said friend to finally break down and buy a DS to play it on. :(

She is an evil, evil woman. :devil:

*looks innocent*

Moi?

4 hours later...

Woo! No more dead pixel! :D

How did that happen?

I exchanged the one with the dead pixel for a new one. ;)