Let's Fix: LCD Badly Burned Gameboy Pocket Classic

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Since my friend Elliot over at The Retro Future posted his videos on these DMG themed limited edition gameboy pockets I just had to pick one up for myself. The only problem was I wanted the one with an LED power indicator and those go for well over $40 in good condition so I waited. And waited. And waited until I found one from J4U on ebay with a very badly burned LCD but that was in otherwise great physical condition. I managed to get the price down to less than $30 including shipping so I was pretty happy for what I paid. But that all depended on if I could even fix it.
Once it arrived I proceeded to peel off the burnt polarizing filter and meticulously remove the adhesive which had chemically changed due to the UV exposure and replace it was a new filter. So how did it all turn out? Was I able to salvage the LCD? Watch till the end of the video to see the outcome ...
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[@moth.monster]

I'm glad seeing it fixed. Those stickers make me feel like it was well loved by whoever had it before. Even though you removed them, that's just to help you enjoy it for many years to come!

[@sjm4306]

Thanks. Yeah other than the screen damage, the console was kept in very good condition, barely a scratch on her. This dmg pocket and my extreme green are by far my favorite portable consoles.

[@TheRetroFuture]

Quality video man! Production value through the roof!!

[@landon8-bit881]

The Retro Future Hi!!

[@jooniethebest3709]

Yea, love that you help out other gameboy mechanics!

[@TanukiTakey]

The new polarized filter actually looks great with that color scheme imo. Great work, I had no idea this was possible.

[@enzowarren9832]

If that happened to my 3ds I would cry. You’re a hero for healing this GameBoy.

[@sjm4306]

I am a gameboy whisperer ... they whisper the secrets of what ails them to me ...

[@enzowarren9832]

sjm4306 lol

[@skywalkershaun1]

I like it with the DMG polarizer. It makes it look like an original DMG but a bit smaller.

[@davidvassar3651]

I know this is an old video but you help fix stuff at work and I appreciate you and your videos. Thanks for sharing the knowledge bro. :D

[@sjm4306]

Thanks bro, means a lot hearing from a fan!

[@todderbert]

I own two of these units, but never realized there was one with a power led indicator. Now time to track one down. Another tip, I use a MARS white eraser pen used for drafting to clean the contacts and pads..brings the buttons back to life without the need to for ISO.

[@Souljapipe]

I've yet to try this but I will deff do this in the future, when I get a broken gameboy pocket! Very educational bro

[@sjm4306]

Retro Partout Yeah there are tons of pockets that suffer this fate so it's great they can be resurrected.

[@jooniethebest3709]

Nice video, got to love the intro 🤣😂 AND you got eliot to help you? LUCKY! You certainly got a new subscriber!

[@zolaaunderscore]

This is my first video of yours, I got to admit - I really enjoyed it I gotta say, this video seems like a combination of Druaga1 and the 8-bit guy's videos Keep up the good work!

[@sjm4306]

Thanks that means a lot to me. I'm subbed to 8-bit guy so that's makes sense, haven't seen Druaga1 so I need to check his channel out.

[@KidThomsonMediaProductions]

Beautiful repair man

[@EmilioRieraBenejam]

Great! I did it as you show, exellent results! Thank you!

[@brenlowe2498]

Awesome word bud. Impressive and patient.

[@mazda9624]

Wow I can't believe that the only damaged part was the front polarizing filter. Excellent work!

[@sjm4306]

I was amazed that the repair was as straightforward as it was.

[@koga924]

I have a massive hard-on for J4U too! I order a few packages from them every week without fail, Glad I didn't throw away all those LCDs, I didn't know you could remove the front polarizer.

[@AshMLP]

Wow now looking back at all the vids I’ve watched of u and Retro future I’m such a ducking nerd

[@jackvenn3392]

Didn't know you can fix this problem,brought back to life :-)

[@sjm4306]

Now hopefully all those gameboys that are dirt cheap and wrecked because of screen burn can be fixed up and given new homes.

[@49short]

Awesome video! I work in the LCD industry and I used to work in a factory polarizing displays. The best thing to remove the adhesive from the polarizer is Methyl Ethyl Ketone (MEK), it’ll get anything and everything off of that glass with no effort. Alcohol doesn’t work nearly as well as you would expect it to. I do have to say, you did a damn fine job re-polarizing that display. It’s tricky to get it done without any dust particles or anything getting in between the glass and the new polarizer. Hopefully you also got the front release sheet off of the polarizer too (it looks like you did). There’s a thin sheet of plastic on the front of the polarizer like the one covering the adhesive. Once you remove that, it’ll look even better and be easier to clean.

[@sjm4306]

Thanks for the suggestions and info. I often have to deal with removing adhesives and such so I'm sure it'll come in handy.

[@49short]

sjm4306 I also totally forgot to mention something kind of important. If you do get some MEK for cleaning purposes, you’ll need to know that that stuff can really eat its way through some types of plastic. Hopefully you get this before you pick up some MEK and accidentally destroy something.

[@jiabanana9964]

What is the name of that polarized film?

[@sjm4306]

Linear polarizer

[@Synthematix]

Best graphics ive ever seen on a gameboy tbh

[@sjm4306]

It looks so real ... like the screen is really burnt!

[@matty85ninja]

Came here from the retro future channel 👍 👍 cool vid!

[@sjm4306]

Thanks and welcome

[@s1nRG]

How could someone do that much damage to a Gameboy Screen?

[@sjm4306]

My guess is it was left in the sun and the uv damaged the filters/adhesive.

[@-automata-2643]

sjm4306 maybe had one of those magnifying glasses on?

[@sjm4306]

I could see leaving the lens on and on a sunny windowsill could do some permanent damage.

[@Kalvinjj]

You don't need to misshandle it at all to happen this, just play a lot on sunlight. And, well, it does happen on childhood (if you were the type that plays outside). Happened to mine and I never left it on the sun. Sunlight/UV levels are so high here that once I was playing on my Game Boy Color on the sun for a while, the screen just started to fade off, when I saw it I realized it was actually very hot, and then LCDs start to go mad. This heat thing on LCDs make me wonder what kind of epic LCDs do they use on car dash board systems

[@Nathan35077]

Kalvinjj how does one play on the sun? Gotta be hot up there.

[@paulbucknall1064]

Excellent! I'm going to give this a go!

[@DarkusObscurius]

So pretty! Nice work!

[@freddyzeledon921]

Excellent video, thanks for your help!

[@_BELMONT_]

sweet video, dropped you a sub. love these repair videos!

[@sjm4306]

Thanks!

[@ZeeZeeBun]

Excellent work, looks like new.

[@JoeMuc2008]

3M has a great "Adhesive Cleaner" (08984) in their portfolio. Just put it on the surface and leave it there for a minute. You'll see the adhesive puff up a bit and it's then really easy just to wipe off the surface with practically no residue (if you waited long enough). Oh, and heating the entire display up from the top with a hair dryer or something will also help a great deal softening up that adhesive so you'll get the sheet off the glass more easily and with less risk of cracking it.

[@tmskatap]

finally! iv been looking for a tutorial on this

[@stude1965]

Now I know why I see so many Gameboys for sale in Japan that are listed under junk that look like this. Thanks!

[@sjm4306]

Even the prices on those are now rising now that it's publicly known that they are reasonably easy to fix.

[@tawfikakkad]

So satisfying to watch ....

[@yumcherrypies]

I just um played it next to the lit candle. You know I could not play because it has no light right?

[@sjm4306]

YumCherryPies - Roblox,Nintendo I can just imagine a light attachment that holds a candle just above the screen dripping wax on it.

[@RetroPlus]

sjm4306 haha, that needs to happen.

[@jonnycraft5514]

Definitely bought a new screen for it. That other screen was junk. No way it could have been cleaned up and looked that perfect. It was a good decision to replace it man.

[@sjm4306]

I definitely replaced the polarizing filter of the original screen. There are a number of other youtubers who have done the same repair and can confirm that it is possible to fix screens with this type of damage. As the damage is to the plastic based polarizing filter on top and not the glass itself it is nothing that's permanent and can't be replaced.

[@ChrisMX9]

I was waiting for that video :)

[@sjm4306]

:-)

[@ChrisMX9]

sjm4306 I will try it on that blue game boy color when I receive it from j4u

[@Starcat128]

That's cool I didn't know you could remove the front to polarizing Filter

[@FinestDerp]

I was watching this, then realized we have the same keyboard. I thought mine was just a random dell keyboard.

[@keatontyo]

1:10 "beautiful, shiny, beautiful" lol Subbed just for that...

[@NetNerdy]

Nice! I was iffy on watching this for a while, but this could save me loads! (maybe $10-$25). Also, fitting to have the screen green on a DMG styled pocket

[@sjm4306]

NetNerdy Thanks man! Gotta get all those screen damaged pockets good as new and into the hands of gamers again.

[@ODDPro]

Just subbed, ur channel looks pretty cool

[@ScruffyLookinRGB]

Good work as always! I'm glad you talked about the differences in polarizing films. Have you ever come across a polarazier where you had to turn it diagonally? I just did this fix to one of my Gameboy Colors and it wouldn't show up correctly until I turned it on a diagonal. Have you ever come across this before?

[@sjm4306]

I've had to do that for polarizing sheets I've salvaged from lcd monitors/tvs but not for commercial ones I've purchased.

[@ScruffyLookinRGB]

@@sjm4306 Thanks for getting back to me. Another thing I realized was when putting the polorizing film directly on the screen the image was reversed but when i put the GB color front cover on and placed the same polorizing film over the outside screen it looked normal. WTF. Guessing there is a polarizing film on the out side screen too.

[@sjm4306]

Yep, all lcds have two polarizers (one on top and one on the bottom)

[@DD-jk3nf]

Nice restoration :) For removing the adhesive backing, a water displacer (WD-40) is the best bet, it will wipe right off. Iso can be a bit harsh and reacts with some plastics. Most of the time it's fine, until that one that comes along and your black plastic starts turning white :O I didn't even know that edition of the pocket existed :D

[@sjm4306]

Thanks for the tip! Not sure if the dmg pocket was released outside of japan which might explain why many havent heard of it.

[@millbrick]

(30 seconds into the video) my guy you deserve my subscribe

[@ethanrake4929]

I ordered a pink pocket with burns and screen lines from j4u for $15. I hope I can fix it

[@joshconeby]

Very cool video. Where did you get the replacement for the polarizing filter?

[@sjm4306]

Deadpan Robot, an online uk retro modding store

[@TheJoksmar]

Hi @sjm4306 , did you use this filter? www.deadpanrobot.co.uk/adhesive-front-polarising-film-replacement-for-nintendo-game-boy-polr-adh?search=polar . I have a green pocket waiting for months to change the front polarizer but I'm not sure wich ones work in a pocket. The one from deadpanrobot says that if you are not doing a backlight or bivert it will be an inverted image, so wont it work in a normal pocket? Some say that the polarizing filter for the pocket is circular and if you use a linear one the screen will be greenish like a DMG, is it true? I need it so badly but I'm not sure what to get. Awesome video as always, thanks for these helpful guides!

[@sjm4306]

Yep, that's the one. The pocket uses a linear filter and if the image is inverted all you need to do is rotate the fliter sideways or flip it over until it looks right.

[@petr_zakharov]

Nice work man!

[@sjm4306]

Thanks!

[@jeremym8748]

at this point id completely replace the entire screen. A few dollars saved is not worth this much effort but freaking cool vid anyway dude. Subbed

[@sjm4306]

Thanks! Fair enough but I can imagine niche cases for rare consoles where finding a replacement is not an option (either due to rarity or cost) where this method can be the difference between having a working unit or display piece only. Plus I had fun experimenting in something I hadn't seen done before.

[@andreslb151]

8:30 Hi, I have a similar problem to yours. My gameboy screen just got damaged (it seems it got burnt by the batteries acid). I tried to make something similar you make here so I tried to peel it. There were two layers, the first was very flexible, the second and a little bit deeper was a little less flexible and seem to start breaking like those mobile phone protectors when I tried to remove these two. What should I make?

[@elrolando84]

Great video! I have a DMG with the same issue. Do you think this can be done with a DMG screen?

[@sjm4306]

It absolutely can

[@michael1234252]

My Gameboy Pocket that I've had for about 20 years or so still works well considering that it was my first personally owned console. Mine was the standard silver one. It has some of the standard wear n' tear around the corners of paint/color removal. Plus it also has some small permanent pixel damage along the bottom and left of the screen that can be seen when it's off and on. Plus mine is the later model with the power LED. but the screen damage is nothing to me cause it's not to bad that renders playing a game unplayable.

[@sjm4306]

A few of my pockets have similar liquid crystal leak damage around the edges of the lcd but it is really only a bother if you are looking for it.

[@knifeparty88901]

We use a bigger version of that sonic to get bone and tissue out of surgical instruments, never even thought of a smaller version to clean things like buttons and parts, great stuff

[@sjm4306]

Ironically enough I now work as an engineer for a company which designs and produces such cleaning equipment.

[@knifeparty88901]

sjm4306 ha! That’s awesome! 👍

[@Timmymantwo]

Shaun you're a genius man. Love the videos keep it up

[@carolinacordova9162]

For taking adhesives off try using orange oil. We use it at work to take the adhesive off heavy duty stickers and it works wonders.

[@sjm4306]

Thanks for the tip. I semi-recently found some goo gone at the dollar store that smells strongly of orange that is a godsend for removing adhesives. Definitely beats isopropyl alcohol hands down.

[@cashuuu]

Excellent video

[@sjm4306]

Thanks!

[@pezettos]

Really good manual!

[@nestorcubas4777]

Great video! Where can I buy the polarizing film? I hace two GBP that need this screen fix. Thanks!

[@sjm4306]

Deadpan Robot, Handheld Legend or Kitsch Bent carry them depending on where in the world you are

[@katiehunter7313]

well done mate!

[@Kalvinjj]

This happens A LOT on Brazil (tho not necessarily black like that), I'm guessing it's got to do a lot with the UV exposure from sun (as, you'll be playing those on sunlight). The Color and Advance ones are commonly seen with terrible polarizers like those for cheap, the fix is annoying to do (as shown) but cheap. You may end up doing it for free if only the glue layer is damaged, or if you have another filter to replace (say a dead laptop's screen). Care must be taken on the Color and Advance (also Advance SP AGS 001) that the polarizer is different: it uses a circular polarizer, and this takes 2 layers on the front before the glass (not counting glue layers). The top layer is a linear polarizer, and the bottom one (bottom ON FRONT) is a quarter wave plate/retarder. This is extremely important if you wanna just salvage a polarizer from another LCD, say an old/broken laptop's LCD. Those being linear, you'll need the bottom quarter wave plate intact.

[@sjm4306]

Kalvinjj Thanks for the detailed info, I had a sneaking suspicion that the color and advance filters were circular.

[@Kelvin-um8li]

What about for the advance sp ags 101 (backlit)? Would it still suffer from the same problems?

[@sjm4306]

Kelvin Technically since it also has polarizing filters but the clamshell design protects the lcd when closed so I have never seen a single sp with this lcd burn problem in my life.

[@Kalvinjj]

Kelvin could be, but I haven't seen it the same way, since this model's direct sunlight visibility isn't the focus, you'll end up playing on the shade, without direct UV exposure. I have seen tho that the edges of some AGS 101 screens fade to white, growing towards the center with time. Whoever I cannot say if this is an issue with the polarizer or the panel. I would suspect polarizer, tho now there's the back and front one to try.

[@tsukimaru131]

Hey, I know this was more than a year already, but I happen to have an AGS 101 screen with a very similar issue. So, I could just take the filter layer and replace it with a cellphone replacement? or would that make it too dark?

[@chrismifsud7154]

This is great I did it many times but is there a way to get the screen to be black & white like new instead of green like the original DMG ?

[@sjm4306]

If you get a bigger polarizing filter sheet and rotate it the shade of colors will change from bluish-purple, to black-white to greenish. Just mark which angle gives the desired colors for the on and off pixels and cut to size. I did this for my clear pocket I backlit so the on pixels are pitch black and the off pixels are white. Looks absolutely great.

[@GROUPGALAXYEntertainment]

next time I see damaged or broken game boys I'm going to try to fix them. thank you and I have two of those keyboards but the lights are green first time I seen one with the lights being red

[@sjm4306]

GROUP GALAXY video gaming The lights were green on my keyboard as well, I just got bored of them so I changed the leds for red ones to jazz it up a bit.

[@joseomarguevara]

Nice Video, thank you, for sharing

[@martinsamuelsson2322]

Good job, would love one in that color myself! I suspect that the original front polarizer is fused to a color conversion filter, that would explain the green color

[@tretrotrotre]

I'm replacing the polarizer of My gba, i want to use recycle the polarizer from an old monitor but it doesn't have any glue, should i put loka uv glue between the screen and the polarizer or just glue the boxers of the polarizer on the screen or case? Thank You for this video btw

[@sjm4306]

If you are worried about dropping the gameboy or something then loca should work fine, but I've found just the pressure between the lcd and the front case is enough to keep it in place so long as you cut it to the right size.

[@F.R.G317]

Now that's alotta damage!!

[@rainercuello5010]

Your amazing guy im wondering if i can buy big screen filter for my jetski cluster that look burnt any advice where to buy film thank you

[@sjm4306]

I don't see why this fix wouldn't work so long as you are careful not to damage the lcd glass. Last I checked you can buy larger sheets of linear polarizing filters from sites like Aliexpress direct from the companies that make them.

[@carmen7071]

I am going to repair my old GBP from childhood that my mother brought to me this last visit. Do you do any gluing with the new filter, or just lie it down on the glass then lie the LCD on top?

[@sjm4306]

I just place it between the lcd and front lens and when you screw the gameboy together the pressure will hold it in place

[@carmen7071]

Fantastic and does the filter have to be on in any particular direction? It seemed to change the look when you rotated it.

[@sjm4306]

Just rotate/flip it until it looks right. If you get it the wrong way around the image will be inverted but can easily be fixed by changing the orientation.

I just bought a deadpan robot adhesive polarized film cause found some scratch on the lcd and had to remove that layer, saw the video and couldn't see was adhesive, just put between the screen and the lcd??

[@sjm4306]

The filters I used didnt have adhesive, but for ones that do you would remove the old scratched one, peel the protective plastic off the new filter to expose the sticky adhesice, and stick it to the lcd glass in the same orientation as the old filter was (so the image isnt inverted).

[@TheOfficalAndI]

hi, do you know where to get good and inexpensive upper LCD screens for a DS Lite?

[@sjm4306]

Ebay is fairly cheap and safe, Chinese direct sell sites like taobao, aliexpress, etc are a little cheaper but usually are more restrictive in how they accept payments, min order quantities, and are less protective of customers getting ripped off.

[@mysteriotube1233]

i seen some screen burns but wow thats crazy

[@MrThechuzzler]

I know this video is a little old, but I use Goo Gone prep gel spray to remove adhesive. Soak a paper towel pretty well and coat the surface and make sure to let it sit for 5 - 10 minutes and it is better than anything I've ever used before it.

[@sjm4306]

Yeah I just got some goo gone recently as my dollar store store randomly started carrying small bottles of it. Decided to give it a try and its great!

[@MrThechuzzler]

That's great haha, I've found that specifically the gel spray works better than any other goo gone material so if you haven't tried that one out it might work even better.

[@Iricetis]

Don't use paper towel...some brands are too fibrous and can scratch delicate surfaces like screen glass. Paper towels are a big no no with screens....

[@sjm4306]

At work we have tissues used for cleaning glass optical lenses that work great for this sort of thing as they leave no fibers behind and are designed not to scratch delicate surfaces.

[@RumblePirate]

Amazing stuff, just the thing I've been looking for .... But where to get the cheapest polarising film

[@sjm4306]

eBay, Amazon, Deadpan Robot, Handheld Legend, Kitsch Bent ... pick your poison!

[@darealworld558]

I have one that the black part is the silver back behind the screen with the white side. Don't know what to do now.

[@sjm4306]

You'll have to backlight the lcd (basically remove the rear reflective and polarizer layers and replace the polarizer). If you can finda suitable reflector you can get away with not backlighting it but it'll probably never look 100% like it did before.

[@andrewjett5293]

We have the same mouse :o also good video man

[@beyondtheautumns]

Would a Light Boy be fixed the same way? Picked one up and the front screen is a bit wavy. But without the decolouration.

[@sjm4306]

Yes, in fact this is how I got mine for cheap. It had the same problem.

[@beyondtheautumns]

sjm4306 thank you!

[@jimmyplayz6373]

its really weird and i cant get it off. i cant tell wich part of the screen it is

[@Juliengoodgames]

very nice job il love it

[@erickelly8704]

Great repair but might want to use alchol swabs instead

[@ommzero]

good job, how can I repair a gba ags 101 screen stained by moisture?

[@sjm4306]

OMM ZERO It is most likely the backlight diffusive layers that were damaged. I would start off carefully taking the LCD apart, separating the layers and cleaning everything.

[@joethomas6320]

I have one that is damaged on the back polarizing film. Where can I purchase the reflective backing material that goes over the rear polarizing film?

[@sjm4306]

Unfortunately I don't have a source for the reflective layer. I've experimented with metal foils, mirror films and white plastics to act as the reflector but it's just not the same as the original. I suppose you could try asking a monochrome lcd manufacturer if they would sell you some but unless you order quite a bit of it I doubt they would.

[@ilike0ldgames]

this guy is a hero, and how often can you burn your screen?

[@sjm4306]

Thanks. I've personally never had this issue as I dont leave my consoles exposed to the sun for extended periods of time so I couldnt really tell you exactly how or why this burn damage happens.

[@SpyChar]

Does anyone has a source of filters that don't make the screen green?

[@m0xmAn]

Use a sewing thread to separate the plastic from the glassnto avoid putting too much pressure on the LCD glass

[@sjm4306]

Good tip, I'll have to give it a try! Thanks

[@ThallesValle]

OHHHHHHHHHHHH MAN, I NEED THIS HERO TO FIX MY ENTIRE LIFE WITH THE 7 DOLLARS I HAVE

[@Zark-Muckerberg]

There's not much fixin' ya can do for 7 doll hairs.

[@DDCRExposed]

Wow, that's fantastic to see. I had no idea that the burn could be fixed. That's great to learn. Now I won't bother avoiding those GBPs when buying to repair, mod, and sell.

[@sjm4306]

Andrew Fillhart I've probably shot myself in the foot now that everyone will go out and buy all the burnt gbp's but knowledge must be shared!

[@DDCRExposed]

I could see your point but it's true, share the knowledge and let us all grow from it. I actively share all my knowledge of fixes and repairs as well on my website, ifixit.com and other places where I can. Keep up the stellar work!

[@sjm4306]

Andrew Fillhart I love ifixit, it's my go to place when I need to know how to open something without demolishing it!

[@BigRobChicagoPL]

Yikes. I used to use my original game boy in the sun during school breaks. Good to see what could happen if your not careful

[@sjm4306]

Probably fine so long as you dont leave it out in the sun for hours. This one almost looks like someone left it on a window sill for days.

[@BigRobChicagoPL]

@@sjm4306 I've seen bad results from car dashboards too. The sun is nuts

[@sjm4306]

Yep, your car is like an oven when it's sunny out.

[@rahiskc8592]

@@sjm4306 in 8:06 That you use to clean that button What is that

[@sjm4306]

It is an ultrasonic jewelery cleaner

[@F0nkyNinja]

How do you clean the outside plastic if it's got soda on it? isopropyl?

[@sjm4306]

Isopropyl works great if you have some or warm soapy water is fine as well.

[@deckwithmatter]

I have a Gameboy Color with burned LCD like this. May I know if the steps is the same your video? Ty

[@sjm4306]

Hazwan Nazri Yes but I've received info from others who have tried it that the gbc and gba use a different kind of polarizer than the pocket and dmg. You will need a circular polarizing filter which you can find through googling.

[@lucwal67]

Did this but still got a little part in the middle than isn't clear. I thought that i had some adhesive left but now i'm starting to think it might be the back polarizer. But my front was way less damaged than this. So what do you reckon ? Is it possible that it is indeed the back filter ?

[@sjm4306]

If you look at the top of the lcd at an angle do you see the opaque spot on the surface or is it below the glass? From a comment someone posted there is additionally a layer bonded between the glass and the polarizer that you might have missed a part of. Or it could indeed be the rear filter has also sustained some damage.

[@lucwal67]

Yes I can still see something indeed, thought I got it all of because I couldn't see anything earlier. I'll try to get rid of it then. Thanks !

[@twixman2000]

I would love to get a link to where you buy this specific pol-filter for this game boy. I couldn’t really hear what you were saying.

[@sjm4306]

Here ya go: www.deadpanrobot.co.uk/adhesive-front-polarising-film-replacement-for-nintendo-game-boy-polr-adh

[@JeremyMKWii]

is there any easy fix for a burn on the rear polarizing filter?

[@sjm4306]

To replace the rear polarizing filter. No simple fix other than that. The process would be similar to backlighting the lcd but the reflective layer will likely be damaged/bent during the process so you'd likely need to figure out a replacement for it as well.

[@ShadowStep752]

My gba sp ags 001 appears to have a slight burn on the screen. I'm not 100% sure if that's the case since I haven't opened it up yet. Is the process for replacing the filter the same or similar to the video? I can't find much info on replacing the filter for an sp and I don't want to buy a new screen.

[@sjm4306]

It would likely be the same process, but since it is frontlit I'd be worried that replacing the filter would never look quite the same as the original (you'd likely introduce imperfections/air bubbles/etc). Replacement 001 screens are only ~$30 so the choice is up to you which route you prefer.

[@ShadowStep752]

@@sjm4306 thanks, That helped a lot!

[@PhilXavierSierraJones]

You can use expired credit card and a piece of fine grit sandpaper to make a dull plastic blade which hopefully will make the removal process a breeze. Using alcohol or a tiny bit of WD-40 helps but be careful if you use WD-40 as it won't evaporate easily and leave a wet spots behind if you're not careful and it gets behind the screen.

[@jasonsantiago2872]

nice video where can i buy that polarized film? to repair my GB i have a GB just like that one the screen is all burned up

[@sjm4306]

Jason Santiago Deadpan Robot, Kitsch Bent, and Handheld Legend all sell replacement polarizers.

[@daim9405]

holy fucking shitnit looks like someone just put on a lighter and farted in it with the gameboy behind

[@sjm4306]

daim ProPlayer Flameboy?!?!

[@roarkemurdock8999]

Flatulence boy

[@MrBioniclefan1]

LOL I know right

[@finntv4280]

Hello! I've got a Yamaha EL-70 organ which has an LCD screen and it is burnt. What if i don't have a polarizing film, can I just remove the burnt polarizing film and put the LCD back and still work?

[@sjm4306]

The polarizer is what makes the lcd image visible, if you remove and dont replace it the screen will always look blank.

[@finntv4280]

sjm4306 Thank you for the info! ☺️

[@tirtowijarso7189]

My GBC & GBA have burnt screen when I put it in the box for long time , it just happen and never exposed outdoor. So darkness & humidity could do the same as sun light

[@sjm4306]

It's probably some latent chemical reaction of the polarizer/adhesive breaking down with age.

[@JevousGaming]

So I'm commenting on an old video here but I hope you can help. My back and front polarizer film and the back reflector are all burned. The polarizers aren't difficult to replace, but how about the reflector? TIA

[@sjm4306]

I haven't found a replacement reflector myself, though I've done experimentation with various metal foils which work but don't end up looking as good as the original. Your best bet would probably to contact an lcd manufacturer directly and ask nicely if they would sell you a swatch of the reflector material but no guarantees.

[@linkmasters535]

Yeah I found a AGS 101 With white spots in the screen corners is that fixable

[@sjm4306]

Sounds like light bleed due to some issue with the lcd itself. I've seen plenty of examples but never heard of anyone fixing it. If it is severe enough and you want to risk it you could try replacing the polarizing filters in the hopes they are the cause but other than that I'm afraid there is no easy fix.

[@bobbyhinner3225]

Any advice for removing the rear polarizer and reflector? I tried backlighting mine and completely destroyed the ribbon cable and I don’t want to break anothet

[@sjm4306]

The safest way is to very carefully desolder the few solder points at the bottom ribbon so you can swing the entire ribbon off to the side. Once you are done then you just resolder the connections and you are set.

[@bobbyhinner3225]

sjm4306 thanks! I tried doing that after I broke it (but I broke the orange ribbon cable completely off both connections) so it was beyond repair. I will definitely try that when the new one comes in the mail

[@joseramonbellido3516]

It is necessary a LOCA type adhesive in order to set the filter over the LCD?? Maybe comes it with an adhesive side?

[@sjm4306]

José Ramón Bellido There are filters that come with adhesive, but I've found that the pressure of the lcd against of the front plastic is enough to keep the filter in place.

[@SergeyMaslatsov]

I have the same problem and can't find a new film in internet. Could you tell where you bought yours? Thanks!

[@sjm4306]

Sergey Maslatsov They sell them online at Deadpan Robot, Handheld Legend or Kitsch Bent.

[@emmettturner9452]

Someone recently gifted several GBCs to me with this exact damage. Looked like someone held the screen over a lighter! Anyway, are those replacement polarizing filters also available for GBC?

[@sjm4306]

Emmett Turner You will have to search for circular polarizers which unfortunately I don't have a source for. A physics scientific/experiment component supplier would be a good place to start looking.

[@emmettturner9452]

sjm4306 Thanks. I was planning to place another order from Kitsch-Bent soon and I see that they have a GBC backlighting kit with polarizers for $1. It's intended to go on the back side but they stress that it's not the same as the DMG polarizer... so perhaps it's the right kind for the front as well? Never heard of a "circular" polarizer and they don't call it that so hopefully the rear polarizer is the same kind as the front. :)

[@sjm4306]

Emmett Turner That sounds about right. Good to know Kitsch Bent has them in case I need a source. The dmg and pocket use linear filters while the gbc and gba use circular ones inherent in how the lcd technologies work differently.

[@emmettturner9452]

sjm4306 Thanks again! Hopefully I'll remember to report back. :)