After I bought my PSP, I did an initial check for problematic pixels and didn't find anything wrong. However, I wasn't looking closely enough. It turns out that I have several stuck pixels (always lit) that are only visible against a black background (I examined the screen using black, white, yellow, red, green, and blue backgrounds). There are a couple grouped closely together towards the top-center of my screen, another one above that, another one off to the top-right, and then a smattering of what appears to be either stuck pixels or dust off in the top-left of the screen. The misfiring pixels are almost never noticeable during gameplay, unless there happens to be some slow-moving image with a dark section that passes over the trouble spots. And after reading the various reports about the problems people have had in their attempts to get a perfect screen (not to mention the possibility of a perfect screen developing problems in the future), I'm wondering whether I should even bother trying to exchange my PSP. I'm not worried about the store policy--I bought my PSP from Best Buy and also picked up a 2-year Product Replacement Plan (PRP), so I should be set in that area. Actually, considering that the sales associate was so gung ho in trying to get me to buy the PRP, even using peer pressure tactics ("most of the other people are buying the plan"), maybe I should get my money's worth and start the exchange process. Of course, who knows whether the store even has any more PSPs in stock, and if so, whether they are in any better condition. I found it interesting that among the major gaming websites (GameSpot, IGN, 1UP), it seems as though many of the editors have pixel problems with their PSPs as well, but don't seem to be raising a ruckus. I'm currently leaning towards following in their footsteps, since my problems don't really affect my gaming experience--it's just that the nagging thought that my screen isn't perfect is kind of annoying.

Ironically, when I bought my Nintendo DS, I placed screen protectors on the two screens, and the top one developed several bubbles which I couldn't get out. Even though they were sometimes visible during gameplay, I didn't really mind that much and kept my protector on for months, until I bought my PSP and wanted my DS to have a bubble-free screen too so that I could feel a little better about its smaller LCDs. But the difference was that I knew that the bubbles on the DS were something I could fix, while I have no control over the stuck pixels on my PSP--unless I exchange it and hopefully get a problem-free unit.