PRS-350 Screen problem

Kumabjorn · 10-21-2011, 05:44 AM

Travelling back from Japan I put the PRS-350 in my backpack. It has been in there for 32 hours and gone through two security checks. Now the screen is completely warbled. I tried resetting, reformatting but it remains and is probably getting worse.
Photo included. Does anyone recognize this problem? Since it is bought in Japan I can't really return it for warranty. So any ideas are welcome. There has to be some method of resetting the screen to factory setting, right?

JSWolf · 10-21-2011, 05:52 AM

The screen is broken. No amount of resetting will fix this.

Kumabjorn · 10-21-2011, 09:59 AM

Broken? How can it break inside a backpack?
Not that I don't believe you. I'm just stunned.

Analogus · 10-21-2011, 10:15 AM

Your are not allone with this problem and you'll find several threads here on that topic.

Problem is a technical one:

While the outside of the screen is a plastic foil, the material of the inner part is GLASS. It can break with moderate pressure. Imagine a thin glass plate in your backpack. Would it be possible to break it? With the right pressure in the right direction on the right point - I presume yes...

A.

Kumabjorn · 10-21-2011, 10:26 AM

I see, thought it was all plastic.
Wouldn't there be a visible crack?

Analogus · 10-21-2011, 10:50 AM

Yes of course. I guess the crack in your case is horizontal just on the boundary of the blackended part.

Sometimes it is more reproducible:

A.

Edit:
Additionally the glass is covered with a ADHESIVE FOIL (the EInk part) which could hide reflections of the crack.

Kumabjorn · 10-21-2011, 11:05 AM

Dang! What a bummer.
Having just returned home from Japan I can't even claim a warranty and I haven't even bought a single book for it (came pre-loaded with 10 titles)

JSWolf · 10-21-2011, 11:07 AM

Still, give Sony a call and see what they have to say. You have nothing to lose by trying.

Kumabjorn · 10-21-2011, 12:20 PM

I was thinking that I'd write a letter and send it to Sony Japan and see what happens.
The frustrating part is that I was about 70% through an interesting novel.

pidgeon92 · 10-21-2011, 12:23 PM

The visible crack is on the inside of the screen. If you disassemble the unit, you will be able to see the crack clearly.

If you click on the image below, you can see a large pic of my husbands broken K1 that I disassembled (the screen looked just like the OP's pic). Where the arrows are, if you look closely under the "mesh," you can see where the glass is broken in the substrate.

Kumabjorn · 10-21-2011, 01:00 PM

Can it be fixed by just replacing the glass screen then?

Analogus · 10-21-2011, 03:46 PM

No chance...
Glas, EInk-foil and plastic-cover-foil are one composit material. And I read somewhere that the electric wires for the display run on the glas. They will be destroyed when the glas breaks.

A.

Kumabjorn · 10-22-2011, 12:26 AM

Major bummer!
Payed ¥13000, close to $200 for the ability to purchase Japanese books.

ScalyFreak · 10-22-2011, 01:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kumabjorn

Major bummer!
Payed ¥13000, close to $200 for the ability to purchase Japanese books.

Any chance at all of an exchange through the Japanese vendor? If you have friends in Japan, perhaps you can ship your reader to them and they would be willing to exchange it for you and ship you the replacement?

Och välkomnen till MR!

Kumabjorn · 10-22-2011, 01:56 PM

I was bringing it out of the country I figured the warranty was pretty immaterial so I didn't bring the papers along. I'll send it to Sony and see what happens.

10-21-2011, 05:44 AM	#1
Kumabjorn Basculocolpic Posts: 4,356 Karma: 20181319 Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: Sweden Device: Kindle 3 WiFi, Kindle 4SO, Kindle for Android, Sony PRS-350 and PRS-T1	Screen problem Travelling back from Japan I put the PRS-350 in my backpack. It has been in there for 32 hours and gone through two security checks. Now the screen is completely warbled. I tried resetting, reformatting but it remains and is probably getting worse. Photo included. Does anyone recognize this problem? Since it is bought in Japan I can't really return it for warranty. So any ideas are welcome. There has to be some method of resetting the screen to factory setting, right? Attached Thumbnails

10-21-2011, 10:15 AM	#4
Analogus Fanatic Posts: 568 Karma: 2170348 Join Date: Apr 2011 Device: 2x Sony PRS-350; PRS-300 (†), Paperwhite (†), Voyage	Your are not allone with this problem and you'll find several threads here on that topic. Problem is a technical one: While the outside of the screen is a plastic foil, the material of the inner part is GLASS. It can break with moderate pressure. Imagine a thin glass plate in your backpack. Would it be possible to break it? With the right pressure in the right direction on the right point - I presume yes... A. Last edited by Analogus; 10-21-2011 at 10:18 AM.

10-21-2011, 10:50 AM	#6
Analogus Fanatic Posts: 568 Karma: 2170348 Join Date: Apr 2011 Device: 2x Sony PRS-350; PRS-300 (†), Paperwhite (†), Voyage	Yes of course. I guess the crack in your case is horizontal just on the boundary of the blackended part. Sometimes it is more reproducible: A. Edit: Additionally the glass is covered with a ADHESIVE FOIL (the EInk part) which could hide reflections of the crack. Last edited by Analogus; 10-21-2011 at 10:54 AM.

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10-21-2011, 05:52 AM	#2
JSWolf Resident Curmudgeon Posts: 73,835 Karma: 128597114 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Roslindale, Massachusetts Device: Kobo Libra 2, Kobo Aura H2O, PRS-650, PRS-T1, nook STR, PW3	The screen is broken. No amount of resetting will fix this.

10-21-2011, 09:59 AM	#3
Kumabjorn Basculocolpic Posts: 4,356 Karma: 20181319 Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: Sweden Device: Kindle 3 WiFi, Kindle 4SO, Kindle for Android, Sony PRS-350 and PRS-T1	Broken? How can it break inside a backpack? Not that I don't believe you. I'm just stunned.

10-21-2011, 10:26 AM	#5
Kumabjorn Basculocolpic Posts: 4,356 Karma: 20181319 Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: Sweden Device: Kindle 3 WiFi, Kindle 4SO, Kindle for Android, Sony PRS-350 and PRS-T1	I see, thought it was all plastic. Wouldn't there be a visible crack?

10-21-2011, 11:05 AM	#7
Kumabjorn Basculocolpic Posts: 4,356 Karma: 20181319 Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: Sweden Device: Kindle 3 WiFi, Kindle 4SO, Kindle for Android, Sony PRS-350 and PRS-T1	Dang! What a bummer. Having just returned home from Japan I can't even claim a warranty and I haven't even bought a single book for it (came pre-loaded with 10 titles)

10-21-2011, 11:07 AM	#8
JSWolf Resident Curmudgeon Posts: 73,835 Karma: 128597114 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Roslindale, Massachusetts Device: Kobo Libra 2, Kobo Aura H2O, PRS-650, PRS-T1, nook STR, PW3	Still, give Sony a call and see what they have to say. You have nothing to lose by trying.

10-21-2011, 12:20 PM	#9
Kumabjorn Basculocolpic Posts: 4,356 Karma: 20181319 Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: Sweden Device: Kindle 3 WiFi, Kindle 4SO, Kindle for Android, Sony PRS-350 and PRS-T1	I was thinking that I'd write a letter and send it to Sony Japan and see what happens. The frustrating part is that I was about 70% through an interesting novel.

10-21-2011, 12:23 PM	#10
pidgeon92 Wizard Posts: 3,144 Karma: 8426142 Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Chicago, IL Device: Kindle PW2, Kindle Voyage, Kindle DXG, Boox M90, Kobo Aura HD	The visible crack is on the inside of the screen. If you disassemble the unit, you will be able to see the crack clearly. If you click on the image below, you can see a large pic of my husbands broken K1 that I disassembled (the screen looked just like the OP's pic). Where the arrows are, if you look closely under the "mesh," you can see where the glass is broken in the substrate.

10-21-2011, 01:00 PM	#11
Kumabjorn Basculocolpic Posts: 4,356 Karma: 20181319 Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: Sweden Device: Kindle 3 WiFi, Kindle 4SO, Kindle for Android, Sony PRS-350 and PRS-T1	Can it be fixed by just replacing the glass screen then?

10-21-2011, 03:46 PM	#12
Analogus Fanatic Posts: 568 Karma: 2170348 Join Date: Apr 2011 Device: 2x Sony PRS-350; PRS-300 (†), Paperwhite (†), Voyage	No chance... Glas, EInk-foil and plastic-cover-foil are one composit material. And I read somewhere that the electric wires for the display run on the glas. They will be destroyed when the glas breaks. A.

10-22-2011, 12:26 AM	#13
Kumabjorn Basculocolpic Posts: 4,356 Karma: 20181319 Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: Sweden Device: Kindle 3 WiFi, Kindle 4SO, Kindle for Android, Sony PRS-350 and PRS-T1	Major bummer! Payed ¥13000, close to $200 for the ability to purchase Japanese books.

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10-22-2011, 01:56 PM	#15
Kumabjorn Basculocolpic Posts: 4,356 Karma: 20181319 Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: Sweden Device: Kindle 3 WiFi, Kindle 4SO, Kindle for Android, Sony PRS-350 and PRS-T1	I was bringing it out of the country I figured the warranty was pretty immaterial so I didn't bring the papers along. I'll send it to Sony and see what happens.