I Found A Solution To Grainy Screen Problem

As many of you are aware, there is a problem with some of the screens Dell is using on its 1420 and 1520 Inspiron notebooks. This problem is a grainy or shiny screen, as some people have described it.

First, let me just say that I think all notebook screens exhibit this grainy or shiny quality to some extent. It shows up mostly in web sites with a lot of white--it is a sort of "dirty" or oily look. The problem with some of the screens dell is shipping is that the whites don't just look a little dirty--they look FILTHY. You'll see it even in the Dell logo and bios screen when you start up the computer. It is obvious.

If you think your screen is just plain bad, just plain ugly, grainy or dirty looking, it is not your imagination. I am a PC gaming and home theater enthusiast and I know what a glossy screen should look like. IT SHOULD NOT BE GRAINY. THAT IS THE POINT OF THE GLOSS! THAT IS THE WHOLE POINT! THAT IS WHAT THE GLOSS IS SUPPOSED TO DO--REDUCE THE SCREEN DOOR EFFECT! Absurd, right?

The screen is not up to specs at best, at worst defective. In any case, you don't have to accept it.

I recieved a 1420 with a grainy 1440 x 900 glossy screen. It was the ugliest LCD screen I have ever seen. It had the grain issue for sure, and the viewing angles vertical and horizontal were so bad it was a joke. I was all down about it and then I was in Costco and I walked past some HP and Sony notebooks with glossy screens and my jaw dropped when I saw how much better the screens were.

I called Dell and absolutely *****ed my head off to tech support. I told them they were trying to pass defective merchandise off to consumers. I told them their competitors screens were better. I told them this was the worst LCD screen I have ever seen in my life. I told them this was a known issue in online forums. I told them that I was considering sending the whole thing back. I told them that I could see the grain even in the bios screen. I told them that according to some online forum posters, replacing the screen and/or system fixed the issue, and that I wanted a screen made by a different manufacturer. I also told them I wanted them to expedite the replacement and that I wasn't going to get in the back of the line.

Well, they wound up sending me a whole new 1420 and I got it in like 4 days. They told me to put the old one in the box that came with the new 1420, slap the included DHL label on it and call DHL to pick it up.

Guess what, the new computer has a screen made by SEC and it looks GREAT! I did a side by side comparison of the two units and it was night and day. Unfortunately I don't know who made my old grainy screen because I only just figured out how to find that out. But the new SEC screen is as good a screen as I've seen on a notebook and I am thrilled because this is a great computer.

Now, I suspect there is a bad batch of screens. There is also a shortage of screens. I don't know if they know about this or if they are dealing with this or what, but I think your best bet is to replace the whole machine and just make sure they know why it is going back. My hunch is that when you replace just the screen, they give you exactly the same manufacturer as before automatically to be consistent. Ask for an SEC screen or LG Screen (I suspect mine was an AOU) and make sure everyone you talk to knows that is what you want. Insist that they at least make a note of it.

At the end of the day it may all be luck of the draw but I think if you replace the whole machine the chances are good you'll get a better screen. They can't say no to you if you won't take no for an answer. If you can't find the anger within yourself to get this done, go to bestbuy or costco or whatever and go look at some other glossy screen notebooks and look at the screens. That will get you going for sure.
THE END.

 

Believe me, its the luck of the draw.. nothing else. Dell did not intentionally pull out a SEC just for you.. Unless they have finally, started the practice of selecting non AUO for display replacements. Anyway, I did the same side by side and know exactly where you are coming from.. But I was not lucky like you. My new HP is already shipping and look forward (and hope) my grainy screen days are over.

Actually, if you have been reading the grainy threads here, your solution of getting a replacement would have shown you that is not working for many. There are plenty of people in the HP forum like myself who gave up on Dell after receiving a grainy replacement system.. But I am happy you received the nicer SEC. My first had that panel and it is pretty nice (But also had cracked lid). We can only hope that Dell is figuring out that it is only costing them money when they send out crap AUO systems for replacements.. It only means they have to now cough up two returns and put them up as refurbished systems. There is one person here that is actually waiting on a third system. Thats insane.

Also I am glad that someone else was able to comfirm that the grainyness was so bad that you could even see it on the boot screens. There are some people on these forums that suggest that the grainy/dirty/vasoline/screendoor/wet looking screen is just overkill or forum generated hysteria. But as you and I know, Dell is in fact sending out some crappy panels that should never see the light of day. Ok, maybe these could be used on free educational/donation systems. But thats about it.

 

i recieved a auo replacement and said forget it then i was given a great deal and upgraded the res to a better screen after that

 

I hope its not the wxga +. Unless they can guarantee it to be a non AUO ( I don't think they can) I would go with the lower res on the 1520. On the 1720 go with the highest res wuxga people seem to like that as well. But stay away from the wxga +. The problem is that is a nice res for a 15.4 display. On the 1420, I strongly discourage anyone upgrading to wxga +. Going with the regular wxga on the 1420 have far less complaints on these forums. As a general rule, stay away from wxga + on either the 1420 or 1520 systems, unless of course you feel lucky.

All of this was discussed a few months ago when dell first released these new systems. The problems started in early July when customers first started receiving wxga + systems.... and have continued to this day. But if you check out the very first posts on these systems around 1.5 months back... you can see lengthy discussions and conclusions about the flawed 1440 X 900 panels (wxga +).

 

no i opted for the wsxga+ screen due to i got it for free

 

My SEC was grainy, now my AUO also is. I'll just deal with it.

 

Good. Users are also reporting excellent viewing angles on the wuxga. Maybe I should have tried to downgrade my 1420 system to the regular wxga panel. I did not think that was possible. Its too late now but for others who are experiencing the issues you and I had, it is good to know that Dell can modify displays on replacement systems. This gives customers another option instead of giving up and canceling like I did.

 

I have no problem with the WXGA+ on my Vostro 1400. It uses SEC4457 and it is neither grainy nor having any viewing angle problem.

 

Well I consider myself lucky that my replacement SEC WXGA+ was better than my original WXGA+. There are WXGA+ displays that are really good, but it seems it is the luck of the draw.

 

I think it is pretty clear by now that there are at least three types of graininess that people complain about. One is a grid like suckiness to some of the AUO screens, that makes things look horrible, and one is a normal, subtle "sparkly" effect due to the normal glossy coating, and one is a particularly bad, smeary application of this glossy coating.

I think many people athough are reading the forums, and then really scrutinizing their screens, and seeing the "normal" glossy coating that is applied normallly (and does make the screen look better) and thinking "aaah! Ive got teh grains!" and thinking they can get something better.

I think some people with "normal" sparkly screens risk having poor-er quality screens replace them if they send their systems back (Like bmnotpls, who got an AUO screen to replace the SEC, and didnt notice any difference with the "graininess")

 

Is this really a solution? I thought everyone was returning theirs.

 

Well, if you really have to scrutinize the screen to see the issue there is probably no issue. I suspect most people will know this issue when they see it because their screen will look considerably worse than their previous laptop/notebook and it is just plain ugly. With my screen, surfing the web with it was simply hard on the eyes it was so ugly.

All you have to do is take a look at some other glossy screens at a computer store to get a frame of reference. You'll know if you have an issue or not. Again, look at the whites and light colors. Dark scenes tend to mask the issue, so if you notice that light colored web sites and photos look considerably worse than dark ones you might have an issue. White scenes usually reveal some imperfections in the screen but they should not be grey or ugly looking.

 

My SEC has that speckle, it is bothersome at times, but I do not think it is horrible. My friend just got a m1330 with an AUO CCFL screen, and it looks wonderful, no grain like mine, so I feel partly jipped. I'm afraid of getting a worse screen if I do send my notebook in....this is such a dumb situation. Are any of the WSXGA+ screens crystal clear? I wonder if I can clean the grain off, since it does look like the coating.

 

I got my vostro 1400 with XGA-TL and I want to know if my screen is SEC,AUO,or else.. How do I know?? Please teach me~

 

Can you get a return and if you get a worse screen jsut return the replacement?

 

To Determine Screen Type

Right click on Computer and select Properties
Select Device Manager
Click on Monitors to expand it
Right click on the Generic PnP monitor and choose Properties
Choose Details Tab
Select Hardware Ids from the Property drop down list

In my case, the 1420 matte screen is a CMO1426.

BTW, this has been answered *lots* of times on this forum.....
A simple search would have found your answer .


-LQ

 

Sorry, I should have searched the forum..
and thanks for the guide, my monitor is SEC3157 , is this any good?

 

We'll teach you how to fish yet....

Simply search for SEC3157 either here or google and you will find your answer .

-LQ

 

Yes, there are WXGA+ screens that are good. My replacement screen was a WXGA+. There is nothing inherently wrong with the screen resolution or the glossing coating. The flaw is either in the panel itself or in the application of the coating--it is possible that there is a flaw in the manufacturing process somewhere that creates the issue randomly. It might be an entire batch of screens that are bad--it might be that a certain number in every batch is bad. It really doesn't matter.

The whole thing is absurd guys, if you got a grainy screen it is up to you to get Dell to make it right for you. Sometimes you get more Bees with honey and sometimes you have to stick it to em. With a big company like Dell you have to just let them know that your screen simply is not acceptable, and just keep insisting that there are screens in their inventory that do you not have this issue and you want one of them. LG and SEC make the better ones I think, although there have been reports of some of those being grainy.

When you get a screen that doesn't have the issue it is like having a different computer--that is how much better it is. If the screen you have doesn't bug you then you don't have to go through this, but I strongly suggest that you keep swapping your computer until you get what you want.

 

If you have a grainy screen, send it back. Simple as that.

 

Maybe some people can go on and on with swapping out systems. But after my replacement system, I had to repack.. get all the references numbers..RMA waybills, and drive to DHL and UPS and sent back two systems. The whole process took a few hours to put everything neatly back in boxes and make sure everything was correct.. Addresses were different for shipping case back, and first system and second system.. I also had to email all the reference numbers and tracking numbers to case manager. If Dell can't get it right the second time then I will be ###!! if I am going to take a chance having to repeat that hassle over and over again. Its a pain in the #**! returning systems. And at some point if you keep doing that and they never get it right you will probably be past the point of return/refund. Yes I will say give them one more try.. but tell them upfront that if they screw it up they will have two systems to go into the refurbish shelf. But I doubt that will make a difference. Getting a good Dell panel is about luck and nothing else.

Buy the sounds of some of recent posts, its appears that Dell is using the bad practice of sending out refurbished systems as replacement systems. I believe new systems have to originate from Malaysia . If you get one real quick and the tracking does not originate from Malaysia, then watch out.

 

I talked to a Dell rep. just now, they said they're gonna send a replacement for my 1week old Vostro 1400.. Im kind of concerned, because what if the replacement is worse than my 1st 1400??? If this happens, do I just send the replacement back?? and just keep the 1st laptop and live with it???

 

Then do what Zfactor did and say you want a refund unless you are compensated with a better spec laptop.

 

my tx1000z is grainy because it is a touch screen has a extra layer for the stylus.

 

Thats a good question. I can't remember anyone ever keeping the first and sending back the replacement. Most of the time (myself included) people just send both back for refund. I am not sure why you would want to keep a system you felt was bad enough to warrant replacement. But your not the first to ask this. Its rather pathetic that a customer has to choose between two flawed systems. Personally, the Dell brand name is not that important to me. I got a HP DV6500t for less money that has more stuff then the 1420 I had. I have the added bonus of fingerprint reader and HDMI now. Only thing missing is the wxga + 1440 X900 screen and that is probably a blessing. It only comes with the 8400 card but that is what I had with the Dell. There are alot of other good laptops with quicker turn around times to receive systems. I don't understand why people would want to put up with Dell if a replacement does not satisfy. But to each their own.. Some really like the Dell brand. I probably won't dare try dell again.

I just called Dell and they verified my returns will be credited 100%. I have to give Dell high marks for the service the reps have given throughout my stay with Dell. The problem is not so much with customer service as it is with design/build quality.. Thats my take anyway. Although I am still disappointed at that one rep who promised me a SEC panel on the replacement system. That promise did not hold up.. at all.

 

Use this example for the tech support person. They won't understand what your talking about, being that it is hard as hell to explain.

http://www.appledefects.com/images/noisescreen.png

 

I heard they are only sending out technicians to replace with the SAME BRAND! So... ****?

 

Ture, its really stupid of me to choose btwn to flawled systems.
If my replacement doesn't satisfy me, I think I should return both of em and get my money back... and buy a HPdv2500t or dv2000t. problem is HP is more expensive than dell... which really sucks...

 

You may be right.. but they just had a coupon 20 percent off that just expired. When I looked at the HP's over a month ago.. they were very expensive.. But the HP dv6500t I bought had a 20% off coupon (it was on the HP forum.. there was also a 2500 coupon too!) and they also upgraded the HD to 120 gigs free.. 50% off the 8400 video card.. and 75% off the second gig of ram. Keep a eye out on HP's site.. and if they release another coupon. I actually paid less for my HP then the Dell. In the past couple of weeks they had some crazy free upgrades that could be combined with the 20% coupons. There are a bunch of us ex DEll customers that are all going to receive our new HP systems this week. And HP has also been shipping out everything overnight Fed X.. nobody is asking for that they are just doing that. I get mine before 10:30AM monday.

 

Any final advice on Vostro 1400 between wxga (matte finish) vs TrueBrite glossy? I'm about to place an order, but struggling on the screen choice.

I'm a big fan of matte screens, so I'm 95% sure that's the direction I'm going. Does anyone know of a known issue with the anti-glare screens (can they have the graininess issue?)? I'm hoping the anti-glare screen is bright enough. I've used a Thinkpad T60p before, and thought the screen was great. I'm hoping the 1400 matte finish is close???

I went to a Dell Kiosk yesterday with the hope of checking it out myself, and they only had the 1520 powered up, and it was a glossy screen (seemed ok). I asked about the Vostro 1400 with the anti-glare screen and the worker said it would look "just like those monitors over their" (while he was pointing at some standalone LCD monitors that were really nice in my opinion, but probably has no bearing on the actuall 1400 display).

 

While I'm pretty down on HP right now for OTHER issues, I'll tell you one thing: you WON'T get a grainy screen on an HP. I have yet to see that problem on an HP or Compaq, and I've owned several, and checked out dozens of others. The gpu, OTOH ...

 

We must of had the same exact order at the same exact time. Mine gets here on Monday before 10:30 a.m. too.

 

Reference numbers and waybills? All I have to do once my replacement comes is put my old laptop back in the box the new one came in, and put the label it comes with on the box and call DHL, they pick it up from my house.

 

So, when I get my replacement, I have to put my old system into the new box? and just keep the old box??
Why dont I just keep the new box and send in the old box??

 

Yeah, it comes with a label. You put your old laptop in the new box, seal the box, and put the label over the existing one. THen you call DHL and they pick it up.

 

I have the AUO on my 1520 and my biggest complaint is the lack of brightness... other than that it looks OK.

 

Well DHL could not come when I was home.. I had to go to their office. Also, the references numbers etc.. were all based on the web chat. I canceled my system on chat. I guess you may be right its not as big a deal replacing system as it is returning/canceling your system where you have to send back two notebooks. I also returned the case. All three boxes had 3 different references and different addresses. I remember I had to print out my chat log to verify everything. But normally your right, they include a way bill you slap on the replacement box with the first system. But I would never have waited for yet another replacement.

 

In my case, I am getting the same GPU as I had on the 1420. Its not a power gamers card by any means. Thanks for the confirmation on HP having good screens.. After that AUO crap on the 1420 I am a bit paranoid over here. But I will know soon enough. I hope the viewing angles are better then the Dells. The SEC panel panel had bad viewing angles.. I want something without the grain and at least average viewing angles. The SEC had the worst viewing angles I have ever seen.. In many ways, my 7 year old Toshiba had a better display then the 1420 SEC or AUO systems. That is pretty sad.

 

Desert and Blackstone (and anybody else with a SEC)

how bad are the viewing angles?

right now i am debating whether to keep my slightly (not as bad as being able to see from 10 feet away) grainy AUO2077 which has fantastic viewing angles, or to get the SEC with crap viewing angles.

my question is: how bad are the viewing angles? could someone on a plane watch DVDs with people next to him?

 

just in case anybody has a WXGA+ screen on an Inspiron 1520:
If you have a screen with the model AUO2077, check to see if you have grain.
open a explorer web page and open a new tab to get a white surface. You may move the window around to see if the grain, if any, moves. If it does, you have a different kind of graininess

anyway, I had an AUO2077. It was grainy, and today I contacted Dell through Chat (Yesterday I started then water was spilled on the electric outlet). They, after diagnosing that an external monitor did not have grain, said that they would send an empty box for me to mail the system back (I have the cheapest warranty). I insisted to the rep that I get a screen other than AUO, and he wouldn't give me confirmation/a notice in the file, but then after the issue was resolved transferred me to the manager, who then gave me a notice in the file for a screen other than AUO. So, we'll see how this all goes within 9 days (the turnaround time)

i would swap systems but my 21days are over

 

I am so ready to return my laptop altogether and just get a sager np2090.