7-day old PRS-505, Black lines/bands across the screen!

pazu · 07-12-2009, 02:34 PM

I was very happy with my PRS-505 when I bought it 3 weeks ago, my friend saw it and bought one also about a week ago.

My Sony PRS-505 is still working well, but my friend's reader has a serious problem this morning. There are some terrible and ugly black lines and bands displaying across the screen.

My friend didn't drop the reader, she merely switch it off and on in 1 minute, then these black lines appeared!

The battery level was around 75% when these black lines appeared.

And I've read some comments on the internet that you are suggested to recharge the machine for a long time, I helped her to charge it for 6 hours today, but still the same.

Sony has an FAQ here: http://support.sony-europe.com/dna/f...S-505&f=PA_PRS

"To resolve dark lines across the screen, turn the page or change what is being displayed several times. If lines are still displayed after changing the display, reset the reader. "

I tried to hard/soft reset the machine, but it didn't help at all.

What should I do now? We are now in Tibet... should we send the unit back to Sony in the States? We bought the machine on a Chinese bidding site called Taobao.com.

The ugly lines and bands across the screen:

Shutting down (not switch off, but shut down) the machine:

Resetting the machine...

kaas · 07-12-2009, 03:02 PM

I am sorry to say so, but it really looks like a broken screen...
You can look for a functioning screen on ebay or here in the flea market and fix the reader yourself. Sending it in to sony should be quite expensive. Do you have maybe an insurrance for it which covers a broken screen?
or maybe you have any other insurance which would pay for repair?

success!

kaas

doreenjoy · 07-12-2009, 03:06 PM

I agree, that is a broken screen. Your friend might not have dropped it, but it was probably bent or twisted at some point.

pazu · 07-12-2009, 04:49 PM

I've checked some other posts here and on other forums, there were some cases with exactly the same perpendicular bends and black lines as my friend's reader. I think it would be quite a coincidence if it was bent randomly but with the same results as other users across the globe.

doreenjoy · 07-12-2009, 05:00 PM

Not sure I'm following your meaning, but it definitely looks like the screen substrate (which is under the glass) got broken. That can happen if the reader gets bent or twisted. Sometimes just pressing on opposites corners can break the substrate. It's not unique to Sony; all ereaders with e-ink screens are sensitive to bending.

pazu · 07-13-2009, 08:34 PM

I can't believe it!

I've bought two Sony PRS-505, my friend's machine was broken (as shown above).

After the unhappy experience with my friend's PRS-505, I was quite upset and became quite careful when using my reader.

Everything was normal yesterday, I did not put my reader into any bag at all, just put it on my reading table, I'm sure nobody can touch it except me, but when I go back to check the reader out a few hours later, I got exactly the same problem as my friend!

There was no pressure exerting on the reader for a whole day.... what happened?

Kostas · 07-13-2009, 09:22 PM

That's really weird!

Did you buy both readers from the same reseller? Hope that they weren't refurbished ones...

pazu · 07-14-2009, 02:25 AM

I'm now in Tibet and I bought both readers from the same reseller over the internet, do you think if there's any chance that he's selling refurbished one?

Two broken readers in less than 24 hours, I can't believe my bad luck!

pazu · 07-16-2009, 08:23 AM

there's another thread about broken screen:

https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sho...t=37467&page=2

doreenjoy · 07-16-2009, 02:45 PM

Wow, that's strange. Definitely contact the reseller and see if they're willing to give you a replacement.

dordale · 07-16-2009, 05:50 PM

Since both of the readers you bought from this reseller had the same problem within days of each other, I suspect it might have something to do with the way the reseller was handling and/or shipping them. Maybe what they were doing was causing some type of stress on the substrate, but it took a few days to actually break.

Sorry this happened to you--hope you can work something out with the person/company you purchased your readers from.

Good luck!
dordale

07-12-2009, 02:34 PM	#1
pazu Pazu Posts: 22 Karma: 471996 Join Date: Jul 2005 Device: Treo 650	7-day old PRS-505, Black lines/bands across the screen! I was very happy with my PRS-505 when I bought it 3 weeks ago, my friend saw it and bought one also about a week ago. My Sony PRS-505 is still working well, but my friend's reader has a serious problem this morning. There are some terrible and ugly black lines and bands displaying across the screen. My friend didn't drop the reader, she merely switch it off and on in 1 minute, then these black lines appeared! The battery level was around 75% when these black lines appeared. And I've read some comments on the internet that you are suggested to recharge the machine for a long time, I helped her to charge it for 6 hours today, but still the same. Sony has an FAQ here: http://support.sony-europe.com/dna/f...S-505&f=PA_PRS "To resolve dark lines across the screen, turn the page or change what is being displayed several times. If lines are still displayed after changing the display, reset the reader. " I tried to hard/soft reset the machine, but it didn't help at all. What should I do now? We are now in Tibet... should we send the unit back to Sony in the States? We bought the machine on a Chinese bidding site called Taobao.com. The ugly lines and bands across the screen: Shutting down (not switch off, but shut down) the machine: Resetting the machine...

07-12-2009, 03:02 PM	#2
kaas Muncher of ebooks Posts: 312 Karma: 6423 Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Fürth, Germany Device: Pocketbook 360	I am sorry to say so, but it really looks like a broken screen... You can look for a functioning screen on ebay or here in the flea market and fix the reader yourself. Sending it in to sony should be quite expensive. Do you have maybe an insurrance for it which covers a broken screen? or maybe you have any other insurance which would pay for repair? success! kaas Last edited by kaas; 07-12-2009 at 03:22 PM.

07-13-2009, 08:34 PM	#6
pazu Pazu Posts: 22 Karma: 471996 Join Date: Jul 2005 Device: Treo 650	I can't believe it! I've bought two Sony PRS-505, my friend's machine was broken (as shown above). After the unhappy experience with my friend's PRS-505, I was quite upset and became quite careful when using my reader. Everything was normal yesterday, I did not put my reader into any bag at all, just put it on my reading table, I'm sure nobody can touch it except me, but when I go back to check the reader out a few hours later, I got exactly the same problem as my friend! There was no pressure exerting on the reader for a whole day.... what happened? Last edited by pazu; 07-13-2009 at 08:40 PM.

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07-12-2009, 03:06 PM	#3
doreenjoy 01000100 01001010 Posts: 1,889 Karma: 2400000 Join Date: Mar 2009 Device: Polyamorous	I agree, that is a broken screen. Your friend might not have dropped it, but it was probably bent or twisted at some point.

07-12-2009, 04:49 PM	#4
pazu Pazu Posts: 22 Karma: 471996 Join Date: Jul 2005 Device: Treo 650	I've checked some other posts here and on other forums, there were some cases with exactly the same perpendicular bends and black lines as my friend's reader. I think it would be quite a coincidence if it was bent randomly but with the same results as other users across the globe.

07-12-2009, 05:00 PM	#5
doreenjoy 01000100 01001010 Posts: 1,889 Karma: 2400000 Join Date: Mar 2009 Device: Polyamorous	Not sure I'm following your meaning, but it definitely looks like the screen substrate (which is under the glass) got broken. That can happen if the reader gets bent or twisted. Sometimes just pressing on opposites corners can break the substrate. It's not unique to Sony; all ereaders with e-ink screens are sensitive to bending.

07-13-2009, 09:22 PM	#7
Kostas Still wondering why Posts: 253 Karma: 800 Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Athens, Greece Device: PRS 505, (BlackBerry Bold ?)	That's really weird! Did you buy both readers from the same reseller? Hope that they weren't refurbished ones...

07-14-2009, 02:25 AM	#8
pazu Pazu Posts: 22 Karma: 471996 Join Date: Jul 2005 Device: Treo 650	I'm now in Tibet and I bought both readers from the same reseller over the internet, do you think if there's any chance that he's selling refurbished one? Two broken readers in less than 24 hours, I can't believe my bad luck!

07-16-2009, 08:23 AM	#9
pazu Pazu Posts: 22 Karma: 471996 Join Date: Jul 2005 Device: Treo 650	there's another thread about broken screen: https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sho...t=37467&page=2

07-16-2009, 02:45 PM	#10
doreenjoy 01000100 01001010 Posts: 1,889 Karma: 2400000 Join Date: Mar 2009 Device: Polyamorous	Wow, that's strange. Definitely contact the reseller and see if they're willing to give you a replacement.

07-16-2009, 05:50 PM	#11
dordale Wizard Posts: 1,731 Karma: 3472866 Join Date: Apr 2008 Device: Sony PRS-650 & 350; Kindle Voyage; Kobo Aura HD, Aura One, and Forma	Since both of the readers you bought from this reseller had the same problem within days of each other, I suspect it might have something to do with the way the reseller was handling and/or shipping them. Maybe what they were doing was causing some type of stress on the substrate, but it took a few days to actually break. Sorry this happened to you--hope you can work something out with the person/company you purchased your readers from. Good luck! dordale

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