Dead Pixel Warranty Rules: ISO 9241-307, Explained

What ISO 9241-307 covers

Together with ISO 9241-302, 303, and 305, ISO 9241-307 replaced the withdrawn ISO 13406-2:2001. Besides test methods, it establishes compliance routes for electronic visual displays. Older class labels and per-million-pixel tables still appear in articles and product literature. When a spec sheet or article quotes a pixel fault class, such as Class I or Class II, check which standard and edition it refers to, and whether your model's policy uses its categories at all.

A 1080p panel contains about 2.07 million pixels. In the red, green, and blue model used here, each pixel has three subpixels, giving over six million individual elements to inspect. The distinction matters when documenting a dot: a whole pixel and an individual channel may fall into different policy categories. The panel's pixel count alone does not tell you how many defects a warranty allows.

Three observations a policy may distinguish

Bright dot. One or more subpixels remain lit when they should be dark. A full pixel with all three channels on appears white; one lit channel can appear red, green, or blue. Use a black field to make a bright dot easier to see.

Dark dot. One or more subpixels remain dark when they should be lit. A whole pixel that stays dark on every field appears black; a missing channel may show up when that primary is requested. Compare white with the individual red, green, and blue fields. On white, a red subpixel that stays dark leaves a cyan dot.

Channel-specific behavior. Cycle through the primaries to check which requested channel is absent or remains visible. Record that observation, then look up how the manufacturer defines a bright dot, dark dot, subpixel fault, cluster, or other category for your model.

The dead pixel test supports these comparisons: it shows six full-screen colors in order (white, black, red, green, blue, and 50% gray). Clean the screen first, then note the field, color, count, and location for each repeatable dot. Use the current model policy's terminology in your claim, while keeping your original observations.

Why online class tables are not your warranty

To use a class table, you need its edition and the applicable product declaration, region, and warranty date. A manufacturer may set thresholds for bright dots, dark dots, total dots, or clusters, offer a zero-bright-pixel policy for selected models, or state a separate exchange rule. Do not infer “Class II” simply because the screen is a consumer monitor.

Resolution affects an allowance only if the policy uses a per-million-pixel or resolution-banded rule. For comparison, 3840 × 2160 contains 8,294,400 pixels, almost exactly four times the 2,073,600 of 1920 × 1080. An allowance expressed as a rate can therefore scale with resolution. The screen resolution test reports the panel's native pixel count when the browser draws straight onto the panel, as on a monitor running at its native resolution. Read the rate and any other conditions from the policy; do not calculate a threshold the warranty does not state.

Dead pixel warranty matrix: 10 brands

Each row is copied from the brand's own pixel policy page, read on the date shown. A number is the most dots of that kind the policy allows; one more is what it treats as a defect. Most brands count each lit or dark subpixel as one dot, and bright and dark dots have separate limits. Zero-bright-dot coverage often applies to some product lines only, and the initial return window can have different terms from the panel warranty. Policies vary by region and change: before filing, find the current policy for your specific model and keep it with your claim records. To compare your own count with a row, use the brand check under the verdict on the dead pixel test.

• Apple. Apple asks you to bring the product in for examination and gives no count.
• Samsung. Samsung's US warranty page gives no pixel count; we found no Samsung page that does.
• Dell. Bright pixels and subpixels count together. A few models differ (AW5520QF and AW3926QW allow 12 dark); check the table for yours.
• LG. Sub-pixels, per native resolution; no total, nothing above 2560x1600. The PDF dates from 2012.
• ASUS. ASUS lists a dot table per model, on each model's support page (Warranty tab), not one brand-wide number.
• Acer. Sub-pixels; half a sub-pixel or less is excluded. Terms may vary by region.
• Lenovo. Sub-pixels; no whole-pixel defect is permitted. Every size in the table has the same limits.
• HP. Sub-pixels; no full-pixel defect is allowed. Displays made before May 2009 allow 3 bright.
• BenQ. Sub-pixels, for models without a Zero Bright Dot (ZBD) guarantee; ZBD limits are not listed.
• MSI. From the business monitor policy: no zero-pixel-defect warranty, a 15 mm bright-dot gap condition, no total.

Document a repeatable fault

Clean the screen and check again so you do not count removable dust as a pixel fault. A dot that shows on both the white and black fields is usually dirt or damage on the glass, because a real pixel fault disappears on at least one of the two. Run the dead pixel test through the full color cycle. Its log keeps your clean and defect marks for each color but does not record where a dot sits. Write down the count, whether each dot is bright, dark, or channel-specific, and its location. For example: “one green subpixel stays on near center; one whole dark pixel in the lower-left quadrant.” Note which fields show each observation and how it fits the policy's categories.

Photograph each repeatable fault on the field that shows it clearly and take one whole-display image plus one close-up. A rigid object of known size can provide scale. Keep the model, purchase date, and serial number in private claim notes; do not place a serial number or other identifier in a publicly shared photograph, and send it only through the manufacturer's or retailer's official private support channel.

Check the retailer's return terms promptly as well as the manufacturer's warranty. A return window may give you a different route from a pixel-policy claim, but its conditions and deadline still apply. Do not wait for a warranty response to check whether a return deadline is approaching.

The test also offers an optional flashing stuck-pixel mode behind an explicit photosensitivity warning and confirmation. Its page labels the technique anecdotal and makes no recovery guarantee. Document the fault before trying it, do not use it if flashing content is unsafe or uncomfortable for you, and stop at any discomfort. For a persistent fault, keep the evidence and contact the retailer or manufacturer about the available options.

Which field supplies which evidence

Different fields reveal different behavior. In your claim, give the field that exposed each dot and what changed on the other fields; that says more than “dead pixel” alone. The table separates those observations from questions the test cannot settle.