My 22-inch monitor at home has two or three "stuck" pixels. And if you have an LCD monitor at home or in the office, you've probably noticed some, too. They are the bright pixels most noticeable when the rest of the screen is black (see picture on right). They're irritating and the problem is that they're not necessarily covered under the manufacturer's warranty.
It is common for an LCD manufacturer to tolerate a number of hot, stuck or dead pixels before rejecting the screen [see ISO 13406-2]. And, unfortunately, my monitor does not have enough defects to warrant a replacement. I guess that's the price I pay for buying on the clearance rack, huh?
This weekend, I spent a few minutes exploring potential fixes for my stuck pixels. I attempted 20 minutes of JScreenFix [link] with no clear evidence of fixing the problem. And then I ran across this almost laughable solution: pixel massage. No kidding. It comes with a warning: By massaging, you risk creating more dead or stuck pixels. (Which, by the way, does that then make it eligible for warranty replacement?) Anyway, here are the steps:
First, note the location of the offending pixel. Next, turn off the monitor. Apply moisture to a tightly woven cloth. Using a single finger behind the cloth, apply pressure to the area where the pixel lies. While applying pressure, turn the monitor on. Remove pressure and the stuck pixel should be gone. That's it. You are now a pixel masseuse.
Now, what's not clear is what specific massage therapy technique is best. Sure there's moisture, but does that infer oil massage or Chinese herbal massage? Or will aromatherapy help calm my nerves when I discover that I've created more dead pixels by squishing the liquid crystal out onto the desk?