Problem with original Gameboy screen.

[STICH666]

Hey guys. Today I picked up an original brick Gameboy with 6 games and a carrying case. Well the Gameboy works fine except for the screen is missing a couple rows of pixels. Here's a pic.

 

 

As you can see on the left and right sides of the screen, there are a couple of vertical rows of pixels missing. The funny thing is when you turn it off and you get that black bar going across it isn't affected by this problem. Here's a pic of that.

 

 

What could be the problem? .

[STICH666]

And yes the contrast was turned all the way up so you can see it better.

[futuramaooy]

Can't offer you help but can tell you my original game boy screen does that too. It also doesn't affect the blue turn off line.

now when I got this gameboy i got it off a friend whos dad had apparently stepped on it, cracking the screen protector (thus why mine doesn't have one on it.) So I'm guessing your's just been dropped or stepped on badly.

 

Just wanted to let you know you're not the only one with rows of dead pixels.

[STICH666]

Can't offer you help but can tell you my original game boy screen does that too. It also doesn't affect the blue turn off line.

now when I got this gameboy i got it off a friend whos dad had apparently stepped on it, cracking the screen protector (thus why mine doesn't have one on it.) So I'm guessing your's just been dropped or stepped on badly.

 

Just wanted to let you know you're not the only one with rows of dead pixels.

 

Thanks but by the look of it it was effing babied. Not a mark on the thing besides those fine scratches on the screen. Well then again they can survive nuclear warfare.

 

[godslabrat]

Entire rows of bad pixels were common problems for original GameBoys, once they had been in use for a while. Most often, one or two rows would die, and the rest of the screen would continue to function, so many people would simply choose to continue using the unit afterward despite the annoyance.

 

All things considered, I'm wondering if the GameBoy should get some kind of award for being the most rugged system ever made.

[Pixelboy]

I remember having the exact same problem with my old Brick Boy. Those screens were not of the best quality. I believe Nintendo fixed the problem in later iterations of the Brick Boy, but buying Brick Boys today is always a gamble. You're better off just getting a Game Boy Pocket, or better yet, a Game Boy Color.

[STICH666]

Can I use the screen form a busted Pocket I have?

[SEgamer]

Can I use the screen form a busted Pocket I have?

 

I'm pretty sure they don't use the same screen judging by the size of the game boys and that the screen colors are green and silver. Besides, replacing the actual screen is difficult with the ribbon cable connections to the boards.

 

I also have an old Game Boy with the same problem. I think it's the same problem with the Virtual Boy where the glue holding the ribbon cables to the board is wearing off, and not necessarily the screen itself.

 

Like Pixelboy said, the easiest and cheapest way to solve this is to buy another one. Normally any original game boy/pocket can be found a flea markets for $5 or less. I'll be on the lookout if they're scarce in your area.

[Video]

Their both LCD screens, same resolution, the difference in color is just a newer type of crystal and the backing is of course gray instead of yellowish. I've never tried, but if the connector is the same, then it's a simple plug and play with the screen, if the connector is different, your better off using same parts or having a pro mod it, or you'll probably just end up with two dead screens.

 

My gameboy had no screen problems for almost 8 years, then all of a sudden line by line, the screen started going out, I took it apart and cleaned it, that seemed to work for a little while, then different lines went out.

 

To bad about the screens, other than that, the DMG's probably would be around a thousand years from now but you won't be able to use them due to the screens dying.

 

Not just Gameboy, I've had this problem with every single piece of LCD equipment I've ever owned (and used for any relevant amount of time) It's probably just all the different types of materials coming together, I mean, it's glass, metal, rubbery connectors, flex connectors, and whatever the hell a liquid crystal is made of. Just so many points to fail at..

[awhite2600]

As stated above, missing lines of graphics is a common problem with the original GameBoy. I bought one the first week that they were available in 1989. (I was in my early 20s, so the GB was never abused) After about six months the screen suddenly started to develop missing lines. I called Nintendo and they promptly replaced the unit. I was a bit upset at the time as the original unit had a very low serial number.

 

Well, the years went by and two kids arrived. Once they got their hands on the GB the missing lines reappeared. I think the poor abused GameBoy now sits in drawer in my daughter's room. I suspect that it doesn't work well anymore. ...but the GB emulator on my DS works great.

[shadow460]

I think what causes that is some internal connections coming apart in the screen. It's been a while since I even looked at my Game Boy Brick, let alone opened it for repairs, so I'm fuzzy on exactly where everything hooks up.

 

Theoretically it's fixable, but I am sure it would be very difficult.

 

I'm going to throw a guess out there as to why the turn off line is unaffected: I think that line is generated by something similar to breakdown in a magnetic field, where loss of the field generates a current. It might also be caused by loss of forward voltage on parts of the screen, which causes the anode of said part to become negatively charged for a split second. Either way, the "dead" pixels would be activated by inductance, not by the GPU. I'm talking out my hindparts here, though. It's just a wild guess.

Edited July 14, 2009 by shadow460