Distorted display on my 10GB iPod.

[cedric]

I'm a bit unsure if this is normal or not: the display of my iPod is slightly distorted. You do not realize this distortion if you look at it with an angle of 90 degrees; but if you incline it to an angle of 45? or below you will recognize darker areas on the display and rainbow-like colors (just like when pressing a finger against a tft display).

This iPod is the 10GB version (a "2nd edition" iPod), though brand new. So I still could return this iPod.

Thanks for your help,
cedric

[TheChad]

Try adjusting the contrast in the settings first. That may make a difference. I notice in different lighting conditions on my 30gig I have to adjust the contrast to make out the battery indicator really well and what not.

Good luck.

[cedric]

Yes, that was my first try. The factory default of the contrast setting is a bit to low. Increasing it makes the display better legible.

But what i meant with "darker areas on the display" isn't caused by a wrongly adjusted contrast: The display stays legible, but you recognize that the display has a distortion.
It shows similar display errors to pressing your finger against a pocket calculator, gameboy or any other LCD display. A lot lighter, though.

Could that have been caused by mechanical interference (dropped iPod?) or is it a manufacturing defect?

cedric

[TheChad]

Originally posted by cedric
Yes, that was my first try. The factory default of the contrast setting is a bit to low. Increasing it makes the display better legible.

But what i meant with "darker areas on the display" isn't caused by a wrongly adjusted contrast: The display stays legible, but you recognize that the display has a distortion.
It shows similar display errors to pressing your finger against a pocket calculator, gameboy or any other LCD display. A lot lighter, though.

Could that have been caused by mechanical interference (erm.. dropped iPod ;-) or is it a manufacturing defect?

cedric

Well, if you dropped the iPod, was it distorted before the drop? If it was, then it's a manufacturer's defect. These things should be pretty rugged though.

Since it's brand new, I'd take it back.

Good luck either way.

[cedric]

I didn't drop it. But I thought of the sometimes pretty rough handling of goods during the shipment.

Well, it's hard to describe how it looks like. And I wasn't able to capture it with my digicam either.

Thanks for your advice,
cedric

[couchpotato]

I know what you are talking about... I have had 3 10gb winpods.
The first didn't have this problem. The second and third did. They cam from AppleCare in California.
On mine it looks like a rainbow going from the bottom left up to about half way then to the bottom right.
I got that funkey pre-cut tape from apple care, I just stuck a piece of that on the screen and cut it. Goes perfect with my iSkin glow. Oh yea, and no rainbow and great scratch protection!

[cedric]

Thanks for the hint couchpotato! I have called apple care today.

For all others: I have attached a picture where you can see this "rainbow" we were talking about on the display of a Rio Riot. On my iPod it is much lighter, barely recognizable. But if you know a flaw you look at it all the time...

[couchpotato]

Does anyone know what causes this?