Dell Ultrasharp 3008WFP review

At first glance, this 30in monitor looks overpriced, largely because big LCD TVs and 22in monitors are so cheap now.

However, the 3008WFP's huge 2,560x1,600 native resolution gives it a big advantage. It has 16 per cent more pixels than a pair of 1,680x1,050 22in monitors put together.

Most monitors with this resolution and price are aimed at graphics professionals. With HDMI, component, S-video and composite inputs, it's clear Dell is targeting rich consumers. There's even a brand new DisplayPort connection. Sadly, you're paying a premium for an interface that none of your existing hardware can take advantage of.

Overall, image quality was excellent. The high 3,000:1 contrast ratio was apparent in testing, combining with the reasonable brightness level to give plenty of detail in dark areas. Our greyscale test pattern was smooth, showing that this LCD can accurately display gently graduated shading. Test photos showed natural-looking skin tones, and bright colours were vibrant. The 8ms response time was also sufficient for fast action scenes or gaming.

We did notice a slightly grainy finish to the display. This is particularly evident if you are sitting very close to it. The backlighting on our test model wasn't completely even, either. There were darker patches in the top corners. These would be minor considerations on a £200 monitor, but it's disappointing at this price.

Still, the 3008WFP is an excellent choice for gadgets fans with all its video inputs. It's easy to connect a Blu-ray player, games console, HD camcorder or an S-video equipped Freeview or Sky+ box. Video scaling was competently handled and HD video content was upscaled without problems. There's an option for 16:9 content (since this is a 16:10 display), which ensures you don't get distorted images.

The design is stylish, though the stand has only a 100mm range of height adjustment. The bottom of the monitor sits 135mm off the desk when fully raised. It rotates on its stand, but doesn't pivot. There's a four-port USB2 hub, plus a memory card reader supporting SD (and SDHC), MMC, MS/PRO, xD and CF formats.

Hazro's 30in HZ30WS (reviewed in What's New, Shopper 242) has superior image quality and costs £212 less, but has only a single dual-link DVI input. The 3008WFP is the best choice for anyone who wants a huge PC monitor for use with multiple video sources and isn't fazed by the imperfect backlighting.