Product Reviews

PC monitors as big as 30in may be a rare sight, but their popularity is growing. While most desks will find even a 24in screen a little bulky, there are many professions - CAD, photo editing and public displays - for which a 30in LCD makes sense. The HZ30WS's 2,560x1,600 resolution is three times higher than a 19in screen, and although the price means it's really only a viable option for businesses, we can see serious gamers considering it, too.

The HZ30WS is encased in a sturdy aluminium chassis, not dissimilar to Apple's Cinema range. There's a choice of black or silver, so make sure you select the right colour before ordering. The minimalist styling has the side effect of making it slightly plain to look at, but it's certainly not ugly. The carry handle at the top of the stand seems strange; we can't imagine many people transporting their 30in display from place to place, especially considering its hefty 11kg weight.

However, that's about the extent of the extras. This

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is very much a no-frills, focused display. There's just one input: a dual-link DVI port with HDCP support. This means it's possible to play video from protected sources such as Blu-ray discs. There are no built-in speakers, no USB ports and no other video inputs.

The fixed stand means there are no adjustment options beyond tilting. All image tweaking needs to be made with software drivers, as there are just two touch-sensitive control buttons - for brightness and contrast - beneath the screen.

This lack of extras is not a problem, though, as the HZ30WS has just one aim: to provide superb image quality. It does this with ease thanks to the Super-IPS screen, which reproduces colours better than the twisted nematic (TN) technology more commonly found in smaller displays. The 5ms response time means fast-moving images don't smear or blur, and the claimed 1,000:1 contrast ratio gives deep blacks and bright whites.

The only real issue was that dark greys tended to merge together a little too much, but overall it's an excellent monitor. Maximum brightness is about right for such a large screen and the backlight on our test sample was perfectly even.

The giant HZ30WS won't suit every taste, and there are cheaper alternatives such as Dell's UltraSharp 3007WFP, which costs around £800 and has built-in media card readers and a four-port USB2 hub. But for serious graphic design and CAD work, Hazro's HZ30WS is a fine choice. Just make sure your graphics card is capable of providing the 2,560x1,600 resolution before reaching for your credit card.