Moisture under screen?


G

Gein07

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Aug 13, 2009
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I awoke this morning to a sad site. This is my third day with my Pandora and on the screen I saw what I thought was finger grease and/or residue from the protective plastic sheet that it came packaged with. See the attached picture to see what I'm talking about.


When I tried to wipe it off, the discoloration moved around meaning it was actually under the screen. Has anybody else had an issue with moisture somehow getting under the screen? Is it possible for me to correct this myself without having to RMA my unit. It would kill me to RMA so soon after getting my machine, but the discoloration is pretty distracting when the unit is switched on.

IMG_0097.JPG
 
Last edited by a moderator:
SONY said:
Could you please elaborate a little on the discoloration?
Click to expand...

I'm not really sure how else to describe it. Its a spot in the center of the screen. It looks wavy and resembles oil when its on the surface of water. When light finger pressure is applied to the screen the spot changes shape and spreads out as if it is fluid beneath the screen. When pressure is released it goes back to this original shape. I can't really imagine how moisture got in there. My pandora has the screen bezel issue that pretty much all other Pandoras do, yet I don't see alot of posts about this specific issue. I'm posting another pic that is a little clearer.

IMG_0098.jpg
 
I've got the same problem since day 1, it bothers me a lot, but since it doesn't actually affect gamplay or block anything I'm trying to just live with it though I am planning to RMA sometime in the future since beside this issue I've also got a broken mini usb port
 
Well, let me add a global update to this topic. Apparently my issue is now resolved! Here is the complete story:


I noticed this issue today when I took my Pandora in to work to show it to some friends. After posting this thread and having a mild stroke, I decided to go home for lunch and try a trick that I had used with success with a damp cel-phone: i.e. put the Pandora in a Ziplock bag with some dry rice to pull out the offending moisture. On the way home I opened my Pandora up and noticed the moisture appeared to be gone! Once I was home and could really scrutinize it I confirmed that none of what I was seeing at work was going on at home... my screen was fixed!


Either my screen fixed itself after leaving work with the change of venue (doubtful), or something much more plausible is going on: The lighting conditions at work are very industrial and fluorescent and I suspect they were highlighting some natural moisture creep that isn't evident under natural light. I've seen this same sort of effect with polarizing sunglasses on electronics and I suspect the same thing is going on here. In fact the entire issue as I described it before is exactly how I would describe the polarization I've seen on other devices while wearing sunglasses.


Anyway, just to be safe, I am using the rice trick at home anyway. I've also just bought some silica gel packs to keep in the Pandora case I bought to help keep this issue at bay. I think there is some moisture under my screen, and perhaps some under all screens, its just not visible unless you look through a polarized lens or view the screen under some craptastic fluorescent lighting in the first place. If you are experiencing this issue yourself I would suggest looking at the Pandora under natural light to see if the issue is still there.


Anyway, YAY I don't have to RMA my pandora!
 
Not sure that it's moisture but I have the same condition and it only is visible under fluorescent lighting that's directly reflecting on the screen.. so certain angles. Doesn't affect my view ability under normal lighting at all and it's unplayable if fluorescent light is directly reflecting off the screen like all devices.


screen_reflection.JPG
 
jabz said:
Not sure that it's moisture but I have the same condition and it only is visible under fluorescent lighting that's directly reflecting on the screen.. so certain angles. Doesn't affect my view ability under normal lighting at all and it's unplayable if fluorescent light is directly reflecting off the screen like all devices.


View attachment 562
Click to expand...


Oh wow yeah that is the exact same thing that is going on with mine. I'm not sure it's moisture either but I thought it could be that from the way the discoloration moves around when you press on the screen. It doesn't make the Pandora unplayable but it is definitely distracting under fluorescent lights. Of course the perfectionist in me would like to have it fixed but I'm not even sure if I did RMA the unit if the next screen put in it would be any different.


Does anyone more familiar with the hardware know why there is this screen distortion and discoloration under fluorescent lights? I'd just like to know to put my brain at rest, the rest of my Pandora is flawless.
 
Where is everyone located receiving moist Pandoras?


Wondering if it a local issue, or something due to air shipping/humidity/air pressure changes?


I live in a very humid place, but I am yet to see this, literally.
 
Wow! Thanks a lot!


I got a few of such LCDs back as RMAs, you told me how to fix them :D


Saves us 80 USD per LCD :D


I need to try that :D
 
EvilDragon said:
Wow! Thanks a lot!


I got a few of such LCDs back as RMAs, you told me how to fix them :D


Saves us 80 USD per LCD :D


I need to try that :D
Click to expand...

Are you referring to the rice trick? It works sometimes. Unfortunately for me the patch of discoloration is still there, but again viewable only under fluorescent lights. If you have seen this before ED would you say its moisture? The nagging thought in the back of my head is that if it is moisture then one day it may short out the screen and then I will wish I had RMA'd when I had the chance. I of course don't want to send you guys unnecessary RMA's either though, so I'm really just hoping somebody can identify what is really going on here so I can make an informed decision.


As for where I live in the world, I live In Virginia on the East Coast of the US. We are known for humidity here, but its not like I live in a rainforest or anything. Never had this sort of problem with any other portable with a screen before.
 
Gein07 said:
If you have seen this before ED would you say its moisture?
Click to expand...
It reminds me to some similar marks of my old palm3 and of another effect to LCD screens. Your moisture will look like it is moving if you are dragging the stylus with a small pressure over it?


LCD mean liquid crystal display, i think the distance between the screen layers (see wiki) is responsible for this effect.


If you apply a small pressure to TV screens, you will see changes too.
 
I've always found that rice has too much 'flour' in it - i.e. tiny bits of rice floating about. I use dried pinto beans for this instead.


Use a big (gallon sized for Pandora) zip-lock (or similar) bag. If the device can be partially disassembled do so. Remove the battery, pull the stylus out, leave the battery door off, etc.. Put in the parts, half fill it with the beans, seal it.


I then place the bag full of beans & electronics someplace warm - but NOT hot. Pretty much - put the bag of beans and electronics anywhere a cat would want to lay.


Leave it sealed and warm for at least 48 hours.


I have revived several cell phones that were fully submerged using this method. Your mileage may vary.
 
Grench said:
I've always found that rice has too much 'flour' in it - i.e. tiny bits of rice floating about. I use dried pinto beans for this instead.


Use a big (gallon sized for Pandora) zip-lock (or similar) bag. If the device can be partially disassembled do so. Remove the battery, pull the stylus out, leave the battery door off, etc.. Put in the parts, half fill it with the beans, seal it.


I then place the bag full of beans & electronics someplace warm - but NOT hot. Pretty much - put the bag of beans and electronics anywhere a cat would want to lay.


Leave it sealed and warm for at least 48 hours.


I have revived several cell phones that were fully submerged using this method. Your mileage may vary.
Click to expand...
WTH? Are you being 100% serious?


http://masterdev.dyndns.dk/drslog/not_sure_if_serious.jpg
 
jabz said:
Not sure that it's moisture but I have the same condition and it only is visible under fluorescent lighting that's directly reflecting on the screen.. so certain angles. Doesn't affect my view ability under normal lighting at all and it's unplayable if fluorescent light is directly reflecting off the screen like all devices.


View attachment 562
Click to expand...
I'm also not so sure that that is moisture. Could be some very closely spaced nearly flat transparent sheets causing Newtons Rings.


See this:


https://secure.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/wiki/Newtons_rings
 
Last edited by a moderator:
SONY said:
Grench said:
I've always found that rice has too much 'flour' in it - i.e. tiny bits of rice floating about. I use dried pinto beans for this instead.


Use a big (gallon sized for Pandora) zip-lock (or similar) bag. If the device can be partially disassembled do so. Remove the battery, pull the stylus out, leave the battery door off, etc.. Put in the parts, half fill it with the beans, seal it.


I then place the bag full of beans & electronics someplace warm - but NOT hot. Pretty much - put the bag of beans and electronics anywhere a cat would want to lay.


Leave it sealed and warm for at least 48 hours.


I have revived several cell phones that were fully submerged using this method. Your mileage may vary.
Click to expand...
WTH? Are you being 100% serious?


http://masterdev.dyndns.dk/drslog/not_sure_if_serious.jpg
Click to expand...

Yes. Note: Use DRIED beans, not canned.
 
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