Dead pixel or stuck pixel? How to tell, and what you can do

A single dot that will not behave is either a dead pixel or a stuck one, and which it is decides whether you can do anything about it. The difference is simple to spot once you know what to look for. Here is how to tell them apart, what is actually fixable, and when it becomes a warranty matter.

The difference in one line

A stuck pixel is stuck on, showing one fixed color, often red, green or blue, because its sub-pixels are jammed lit. A dead pixel is stuck off, a permanent black dot, because it is getting no power at all. Stuck ones are sometimes recoverable; dead ones almost never are. There is also the hot or bright pixel, permanently white and most obvious against a black screen.

How to tell which one you have

Fill the screen with solid colors, one at a time, and watch the dot. The Dead Pixel Test steps through exactly the fields you need:

Black on every color, including white means dead: The pixel never lights.
One fixed color that stays put as the background changes means stuck.
White on every color, brightest on black, is a hot or bright pixel.
It vanishes when you wipe the screen: Not a pixel fault at all, just dust or a smudge, which is the most common false alarm.

Can you fix them?

A stuck pixel is worth a try. Rapidly cycling its sub-pixels can sometimes jolt it loose. The Dead Pixel Test includes a pixel fixer for this, and a few runs over the spot give it the best chance. Some come back; many do not.
A dead pixel cannot be fixed. With no power reaching it, there is nothing to switch back on. No app, video or pressure trick revives a truly dead pixel, and pressing on it only risks damaging the pixels around it.

Dead pixels and warranty

Manufacturers allow a certain number of faulty pixels before they count a panel as defective, set by an industry standard (ISO 9241-307, formerly ISO 13406-2). One lone dead pixel is often within that tolerance and not covered, while several, or a single one dead in the centre of the screen, may cross the line. Policies differ by brand and by whether the pixel is dead, stuck or bright, so check the exact wording for your set. Either way, photograph it against a plain full-screen color as evidence before you make a claim.

Questions people ask

Can a dead pixel be fixed?

No. A dead pixel receives no power, so there is nothing to switch back on. Stuck pixels, which are jammed on a color rather than switched off, sometimes respond to a pixel-cycling fixer, but a genuinely dead pixel does not.

Will one dead pixel spread to others?

Usually not. A single dead or stuck pixel normally stays exactly where it is and does not infect its neighbours. The real risk of spreading comes from pressing or rubbing the spot to try to fix it, so the safest thing is to leave it alone.

Is one dead pixel covered by warranty?

Often not. Most makers allow a few faulty pixels before a panel counts as defective, following an ISO standard. A cluster of them, or a single dead pixel in the centre of the screen, has a much stronger claim. Check your brand's specific pixel policy, and photograph the fault as evidence.

Run the Dead Pixel Test to identify the dot and, if it is stuck, try the built-in fixer. If instead you are seeing grey patches rather than a sharp dot, that is a different problem, covered in the TV clouding guide.