What Is a Dead Pixel?
What is a dead pixel on a screen?
What is a dead pixel? It is a pixel that stays dark on every colour because it no longer receives power or its transistor has failed. On an LCD it blocks the backlight; on an OLED it never emits light.
Causes
- Manufacturing defects in the thin-film transistor layer.
- Physical pressure or impact on the panel.
- Ageing or heat in rare cases.
How to spot one
Show a white or bright colour fullscreen with the dead pixel test and look for a black dot that stays put.
Can it be fixed?
Software usually cannot revive a dead pixel. If the dot is coloured rather than black, it is probably a stuck pixel, which sometimes can be fixed.