News Monitors

Hewlett Packard lays on an extraordinary innovation in June: Featuring a screen diagonal of 30 inch, the ZR30w display literally stands above all other monitors. However, it is the display of colours that makes it unique: HP's new monitor is able to represent 1.07 billion colours. The fact that competition in this size range is manageable, suggests a comparison with Apple's Cinema HD display, which at this point – along with most fellow 30-inch models – comes off second best: The ZR30w is able to show more than 64 times of the 16.7 million colours that its Apple competitor masters.


Due to a resolution of 2,560 to 1,600, the 4.1 million pixels of the S-IPS panel provide a maximum accuracy of display. Whereas the dynamic contrast ratio is at 3,000:1, its static counterpart has a 1,000:1 relation. Image format is 16:10, and the maximum brightness amounts to 370 cd/m². The wide gamut panel covers sRGB colour space at 100 per cent; Adobe-RGB is represented to 99 per cent. Red, blue and green are visibly deeper, according to Hewlett Packard. Photographers and other user to who colour fastness is an imperative, might welcome this fact. HP furthermore recommends the monitor for professionals in the fields of animation, game development, design and graphic arts.



Gamers will not be that happy with the HP giant, because the maker quantifies the response time to be at seven milliseconds, which is unacceptable among this target group. On its backside, along with both a Displayport and a DVI-D input, users will find a four-port USB hub, as well as a so-called "HP Quick Release" action that is said to separate the panel from the foot in a foolproof way. Aside from tilt and swivel function, users are provided with the possibility to adjust the monitor's height by up to 100 millimetres.

Though featuring H2-IPS technology for enhanced energy efficiency, the S-IPS-Panel consumes 130 to 185 watt in normal and maximum operation respectively. Even in the power saving mode, around two watt are pouring. HP's performance monitor features a brushed aluminium industrial design that is complementary to HP's workstation computers. The HP ZR30w is available at 1,299 US dollars in the US. In this part of the world one will have to wait – though several online vendors have listed the giant monitor, starting at around 1,400 Euros, there is no detail as to its availability.