Gateway's XHD3000
The display offers a gaping 30" of incredibly clear and bright screen.  With a resolution of 2560x1600, it’s big enough to fit everything you do on the screen without overlapping.  I can't begin to describe to you everything this display has to offer.  Take a look at the specs:

• Resolution: 2560x1600
• HD Video Support: 1600P Quad-HD
• Video Inputs: Dual-link and Single-link DVI, VGA, HDMI, Component, S-Video, Composite
• Device Support: All PC and CE devices
• Video Processor: HQV
• Brightness: 400 nits
• Contrast: 1000:1
• Response Time: 6 ms
• Remote Control: Universal plus IR Blaster
• Audio Support: Fully Integrated
• Audio Outputs: Analog, Coaxial and SPDIF
• Speakers: 8 Driver High-Performance Sound System (included)
• Audio Inputs: One each for DVI, VGA, Component, Composite, S-Video

Yes, you read that right; the resolution is larger than High Definition and is what they are calling 1600P.  Of course 1600P isn't supported by anything right now, but they have a fantastic solution.  They are using a powerful image processor made by Silicon Optix called the Realta HQV processor.  The HQV processor doesn't just process pristine high definition images, but actually up-converts any HD feeds to 1600P for clearer and more visually stunning detail.  The Realta processors are widely known for their use in outboard video processing boxes that are very expensive.  All the audio support is built in with the options to feed the audio out via analog, coaxial, and SPDIF connections.  


The monitor has connection in the back to support Dual-link and Single-link DVI, VGA, HDMI, Component, S-Video, and Composite.  For the demo I was shown today, one of the FX desktops hooked up via Dual-link DVI (required for 2560x1600) along with an Xbox360 with attached HD-DVD drive via Component.  Of course, you could also hookup a cable box through the S-Video or Composite, a PS3 via the HDMI, a second computer through the VGA connection and a Wii via the S-Video or Composite (whichever you didn't use for the cable box).  

The first thing they wanted to show me was the FX Desktop running Bioshock in 2560x1600.  Now the desktop was running an 8800 GTX and it was not only amazingly clear, but there was no ghosting and the 30" screen seemed to be right in my face, completely immersing me in the game.  I, of course, asked what happens when your video card isn't powerful enough to run a game at this massive resolution.  Their answer was very simple.  Thanks to the HQV processor, there is an internal scaling technology that automatically takes a lower resolution and scales it to fit the LCD without too much quality loss.  The scaling is optional and you could choose to render just the resolution you can play at, but I would have to say that scaling did not cause any noticeable loss in quality other than the obvious resolution difference.  To prove what they were saying, they loaded up the Bioshock settings and changed the resolution to 1680x1050.  When the screen refreshed to the new settings it scaled the full size of the monitor and didn't appear to lose any quality.  

Next, they showed me the High Definition capabilities by playing the Willy Wonka HD-DVD on the Xbox 360 via Component.  It was clear as day, but what was even cooler was the fact that it was up-converted to their so called 1600P and you could clearly see a difference over the 1080i resolution, which they showed me before.  I don't want to give the idea that it was leaps and bounds better, but there was a noticeable gain from the up-conversion.  Then I loaded up Burnout Revenge on the 360 and, after seeing the HD-DVD, wasn't really surprised at how fantastic it looked.  

Lastly, they demonstrated the Picture-in-Picture (PIP) capabilities of this monitor.  While having three browser windows tiled across the PC's screen, they activated the PIP so that we could see the 360 screen in the top left corner area.  Now, they said that I was probably thinking about having to arrange all my PC windows around that PIP display so I could still work on the PC and view the 360.  I, of course, agreed because what else would you do?  I was really impressed when they moved the mouse to the area the PIP was covering and the opacity of the PIP area went to about 5-10% so that you could see clearly everything behind it.  As soon as they grabbed what they needed and moved to the other area of the screen the PIP came back to 100% opacity.  That was just plain awesome and a fantastic implementation of PIP for PC users.  The PIP will work with any of the inputs so that you can do more things simultaneously on the screen. With a 2560x1600 resolution and 30" of display, there is plenty of screen real estate to work with even while enjoying the PIP feature.

We didn't get into the audio much except to say that there are 8 speakers in that bar beneath the monitor and that they can support quite a loud volume with very little distortion.  While playing Bioshock and Burnout, I was impressed with the audio clarity and the volume.  Not much more I can say until we are able to test it under controlled conditions.

Overall, I am thoroughly impressed by this display and can't wait to do a thorough gaming review.  One of the more impressive specifications from the list above is the fact that his baby can run at a response time of 6ms.  Being as large as it is, I expected a higher number.  From what I experienced so far, there is no comparison between the Gateway XHD3000 and any other brand's 30" display.

All in all, Gateway made a great showing at this year's DigitalLife and I can't wait to meet up with them again.  Truly, an impressive showing this year.

Information taken directly from the product brochure can be found on the next page.