Dell UltraSharp 3008WFP 30-inch LCD

The author said:

"And though this niche obviously drives lower volume demand versus the mainstream, you have to remember that the enthusiast end-user is a very influential segment of the market, often times assisting in the definition of what will become mainstream technology tomorrow."

Although this may be true, I'll bet that the initial target market may be Wall St. types. These folks LOVE flat panels and to them (a) bigger is better, and (b) cost is no object. Plus, having your logo in some trader's face all day probably doesn't hurt much either.

So, well heeled enthusiasts enjoy, but don't forget to thank Wall St. for some of your blessings.

  Just my 2 cents, 

  --Bob

 I accidentally double posted...apologies

Pretty darn good review.

Please though... Test this monitor against a CRT for input lag. There's the thought that the addition of the 3008 scaler chip could add input lag to the monitor. Upwards of 60ms. It is crucial to know how this scaler chip acts. It could be "on" even at native resolutions. Simply hook the 3008 and a CRT up to the same gpu, clone the monitors, use a timer ( http://tft.vanity.dk/ ) and take some photos at 1/2000 shutter speed. The difference between the CRT and the 3008 is the input lag... any more questions just PM me.

 Also....

Just how hard was it to calibrate by hand, and afterwards were their some colors that "just didnt look right?"

What are the qualities of the screen coating? This is the first large monitor with True Bright type technology. So subjectively... is it Glossy? Is it Matte? Is it in between? 

Using the new (or older) ATI card, can you SIMULTANEOUSLY drive the WFP3008 off of displayport and, say a big 52in LCD TV off of the HDMI port? If not simultaneously, is there some control panel which tells the card which port (DVI, HDMI, DisplayPort etc) to direct the output to? I want to be able to watch bluray off of a new XPS420 either on the Dell display or my TV and am wondering if the card can do that. Also, any idea if Dell will offer this card or whether the HDMI is 1.3 compliant (if not, can you do a Displayport to HDMI conversion to ensure 1.3-type audio)? Thanks!

whoops..I meant 3008WFP!

I bought this monitor to do Photoshop color work on and the one I got is totally unacceptable for use in that regard.
I calibrated using i1 Photo through every possible configuration  (dvi-1 & 2 , vga, native, A98, Manual, factory default , etc., on a mac using OS X, with essentially the same result. If you set a NEUTRAL gray background (desktop) it is not consistent in color or density to the eye. Mine was reddish on the right, green/cyan on top yellowish across the bottom , and blotchy brightness-wise across the whole panel.

IT IS NOT THE VIEWING ANGLE-as the colors and effects did not change as you moved your head only the intensity of the defect.

The monitor profiles just fine (but I had to reduce brightness from 75 [factory] to 3 to achieve 120 ft/candels) and the gammut does closely match the A98 color space as they say- even exceeding it in the red/magenta axis, just shy in the green but if you are planning on WYSIWYG color calibrated & profiled workflow this is panel (just mine?) is not gonna cut it.


FWIW, I POSTED ESSENTIALLY THIS SAME INFO ON THE DELL WEBPAGE FOR THIS MONITOR AND THEY HAVE NEGLECTED TO POST IT ALONG WITH THE MORE FAVORABLE LESS CRITICAL REVIEWS.

I even said that for for less critical applications this would probably be an awesome monitor.
I have 2 older Dell displays (2405's)   that are not nearly as advanced as this one and one Apple 23" Cinema Display that I use daily for color work for years now, and they do not display the same anomalies as the 3008 WFP .

ALSO their "TECH SUPPORT" is a JOKE. They read to you from the user manual that you get with the purchase.
THERE IS NO MONITOR EXPERT TO HELP SOLVE ANY PROBLEMS OTHER THAN BASIC SET UP FUNCTION and CONNECTIVITY - THAT I HAVE BEEN ABLE TO GET TO.

I may give them one more shot with an exchange  but The EIZO for 25% more may be a smarter if not more painful solution. Or wait for the new Apples....

BUYER BEWARE.
But that's just my experience, your mileage may vary......

Are you using the Displayport? If not, why is Dell selling a Displayport monitor with no displayport card? Thanks!

 Do keep in mind guys that for these wide gamut displays, DVI can't offer enough bandwidth to fully utilize them. That's what display port is for, and display port will be the next adopted connection system which will be coming out on upcoming cards this year. In terms of wide gammut, it's actually not the best thing for photoshop users. Some photo users like it and some hate it. But images overall tend to look extremely over saturated. It's not for no reason that the Nec 2490WUXI is picked up with massive recommendations over the 2690wuxi which has a wider gamut display. Personally, I believe wide gammut displays are better suited for gaming. Offering extremely rich colors. It's still great for photo/color work as well, but some people just end up not liking it.

 In terms of the issues you had Glock...Welcome to the lovely world of LCD technology. It's so flawed it's really disappointing. Which is why I'm going to nab a FW900 and skip the idea of even going for a LCD. Input lag, respose times, inaccurate color accuracy, ghosting, viewing angles, backlight bleed, dead pixels, etc...WHY OH WHY did CRT's go away?..lol. They may be big and bulky, but the visual quality is MUCH higer. FED and OLED are going to be fantastic though, definitely count me in for that technology when it becomes widely available and affordable (around 2 years down the road), until then, CRT's for me ^_^.

The only complaint I have about my LCD(Samsung 226BW S panel)is the paultry 60hz refresh rate, which while par for the course suffers from tearing in games as I don't like using v-sync.

I feel that I have a very discerning eye and IMHO image quality is excellent for games and movies... taking into accont the points you mentioned: color accuracy, ghosting, bl bleed, etc. I understand and can appreciate the merits of crt monitors, but aren't interested in dealing with the bulk despite knowing full well that a model like the sony you mentioned will outclass an LCD across the board.

Indeed it's a very valid argument. LCD's are MUCH easier to handle. Light weight, very thin, take up no room. They are indeed great for what they do. But for a person like me who multitasks in MANY different fields, whether it be graphic design, video editing, video special effects, 3d modeling, etc...It's best to just nab a CRT. Especially for video, which is my most orientated field in terms of my workstation uses. LCD response times and delays are a big factor for me considering most my projects are VERY beat orientated. So seeing a frame late completely throws off my very precise timings. =(....

CRT's are still fantastic choices, and a FW900 will demolish any LCD, even the highest end. But they are big, heavy, take up space, and can only be picked up refurbished or used now-a-days. LCD's do have their advantages which are quite strong, along with their size/weight, they have wide gamut displays which make games look fantastic if response times and ghosting aint a issue. 

I'm dying to see FED and OLED in action, it's really going to be a fantastic technology. Just 2 more years to go for affordability and availability. Even though I know I said this in another thread somewhere, I'll say it again ^.^...It's not for no reason that the creators of the film "300", Pixar, and Lucas arts pick up lots of refurbed FW900 monitors. They are simply the best monitor you can get...The only downside is the fact that you can only get them used or refurbed.

Luckily for me though ^_^...I know how to use windas (a sony tuning software to internally calibrate the monitors via software), so I can even take a faded/overbright and out of convergence fw900 and fix it up via Windas =P...so I can nab the value of a 2300 dollar monitor for a used price of 100-300 and make it look brand new ^.^....lol..I love technology =D. 

I've seen some pretty bad ghosting, but with my current Sammy it's not an issue... not even a little!

I understand your reasoning completely though and it sounds like you're a more dynamic user in that you use your PC for a plethora of tasks while I primarily game as should be evident from my sig & avy!!!

 BTW...What games do you play recover? I was a dedicated gamer a few years back, I'm actually damn good also ^_^. Played Counter Strike 1.6 leagues back in the day, dedicated. Skill level was around Cal-M/Cal-P if you use to play CS. I haven't played for like 11 months, but just started again yesterday...I'm rusty compared to how I use to play, but still decimating ^_^. God I love gaming...lol...I've been trying to scrounge some cash up for a workstation/gaming rig for the upcoming Aion: The Tower of Eternity (MMORPG). I had saved up 5,000..Was about to nab a monster of a rig...Of course not all 5,000 was on the rig though. Specs would of basically been..

Q6600
Undecided mobo
Video Card - waiting for new highends, or 8800GT
4x2 gb G.skill modules
2x 1tb Seagate 7200.11's
2x 500gb Seagate 7200.11's (raid 0)
2x 150gb Raptors (one vista, one XP, both with the paging file on the  opposite drive)
Cooler Master Stacker case
Auzentech X-FI Prelude
Windows Vista Premium

The rest of the cash would of been spent on a FW900 grade A- refurbed for 700 @ www.accurateit.com, Audio Technica ATH-A900 headset, Intuos 3 widescreen tablet. 

I was going to modify the specs a little also, try to save some cash here and their to build two budget rigs for HTPC...One next to my current rig so I could dual run Aion, to have one healer/buffer and my main class. It would basically be a low end allendale and a p35-ds3l board with a 3870 for each. BUT, if I had even extra cash, I would dump in a 8x/8x p35 board so I could take one of the 3870's from one and crossfire in the other if I needed extra performance. It'd be even sexier to nab a x38 board, but much more pricey.  Would of had one of the rigs on a HDTV as a media pc...The other a second gaming rig for dual boxing and letting friends lan with me. =D...

But unfortunately, I had to give up all the cash I saved up. My family has been having a lot of financial troubles in this dwindling economy. Lost a couple of our businesses, and people left and right are trying ot screw us out of the properties we are trying to build condos/apartments/houses on. (we had 2 properties, one foreclosed). So gave up all my cash to help the family. The one thing that I'm actually happy about though, is it's really building my character and making me understand the value of money. For that experience, I'm grateful. I've lived under a house with a upper income family, middle, and now low...I must say, your respect for the value of money does indeed change after all that =P.

 But yea....That was the original plan. But it's no worries...No pity needed! I'm actually slightly glad I learned this lesson, life impacting moments like this build character.

BACK onto subject!....sorry about that...lol. Which games? I use to play Dota all the time via warcraft 3 frozen throne. I also use to play Lineage 2, sold my account ages ago though, a Level 70 Treasure hunter during chronicle 2. Damn good MMO =P..Too bad lineage 3 hit delays and a complete make over, won't be out till 2010/2011 =(. 

Sounds like you're on another level skill-wise, but I have alot of fun nonetheless. Never really got into CS mainly because I wasn't doing PC games when it 1st came out. When I finally tried to play awhile back I got sooooo owned I didn't really pursue trying to get better.

I was into F.E.A.R. MP for awhile and feel that I was pretty darn good. I think the reason is because with that game even if your aim/twitch skills are only average(which mine are)movement tactics are heavily rewarded. In case you don't follow me I'll expound. 2 things that dawned on me pretty quickly is that 1: Never stop moving... ever(some campers did well, but f*** that) and 2: If you keep your line really tight and get the drop on ppl at least half the time, you'll own them even if they have better aim. Later I realized a 3rd point which has to do with movement patterns through a level... keeping them varied and irregular. By irregular I mean straying from the most linear paths by for example jumping down from upper floors randomly, eratic/random direction changes,etc. I quit playing because with punk buster no longer supported there are hackers/glitchers on most servers nowadays.

I played Quake Wars:Enemy Territory for awhile and had a good run albeit a short 1. This game rewards sheer aim and twitch skills like CS and also team tactics and adept use of class abilities. The GFX are top notch, but that alone was not enough to hold my interest after I beagn to feel smaller and smaller in an increasingly deep and potent field of competitors. It's deffinately an awesome online shooter that I'd probably still be playing if I had tried to elevate my game.

Team Fortress 2 is what I play alot of these days and I feel that on any given day and in any given match I can dominate. My biggest problem is consistency... I either play like a freak of nature or like a complete noob who's all thumbs(not good for a mouse & keyboard lol). I have cleared out multiple servers in a day - the opposing team got sick of getting owned and my teammates were probably thinkin' hey man leave some action for us. The game is great IMO and has 9 distinctly different classes, each with different strengths & weaknesses that lend themselves well to players of all different skill levels and skillsets. My favorites are engineer, pyro, soldier and above all scout. The scout moves the fastest, can double jump/change direction in the air and has an extremly potent close range weapon in the scattergun.  Closing the distance is the name of the game with both scout and pyro and as I mentioned earlier movement tactics are my strongest suite.

Offline I've played most of the latest and greatest shooters. Everything from HL2 and Doom III to Call of Duty 4 with Bioshock being my favorite game of any genre period. I really enjoy a good rpg, but they seem to be few and far between.

BTW: Sorry to hear about your troubles. I'd chat/type more, but I'm lousy at typing hence my posts are generally short. Isn't Reseda in CA? How old are you?

Nice gaming choices ^_^. I've been holding off gaming since my rig literally just can't take it now-a-days. I've been trying to Re-oc my rig, but the psu is 6 years old, and it's hit the limit of what it can do, a 3.2 prescott, 5 hard drives, 4 sticks of ram, 2 cd rom drives, 4 120 mm fans, x700 pro etc. As time goes on, psu's degrade, so I tried to OC but was getting instability up the woozah...It's pretty much hit it's limit, if I bump up the voltage even a little, I go unstable..So I'm near the limits of the psu after 6 years of degradation. I oc'ed my graphics card though from x700 pro stock speeds to x700xt clocks. I get about an average 20-35 FPS average in CS:Source...lol. Bad I know...But considering my skill level from 1.6...I can still do extremely well with a low frame rate, but I'd love to see what I could do on a high frame rate rig ^_^..Going to try to convince my friends to let me install it on their rigs and give it run with my config/keyboard/mouse/mousepad/headset. 

Have you never gotten into MMORPG's? They are very addicting and BAD to get into, but boy are they fun =D. I spent 2-3 years on lineage 2...very fun time, but not a healthy obsession I can say that easily.

 No worries about the financial situation, I'm already use to it. I just make sure to get quite a lot of freelanec jobs in video editing and pc building, while my brother gets major web design jobs which get us around 3-5 grand a project. So we can barely make ends meet...But we do make them meet thankfully. Trying to pay monthly for a store that makes no profit, our house, our land that we have been waiting to get the final step approved for construction, and utilities/food and such aint easy =P. In terms of where I live, yea...Reseda is indeed in California. San fernando valley to be exact ^_^. about 20-30 minutes outside of hollywood. Age wise, I'm 23, 24 in june.

Wasn't Daniel Larusso from Reseda? lol You're about 50-60 miles from me I think.

I'm 29 and come March the big 3 OMG!

Sounds like you've got a good head on your shoulders and don't tend to let stuff get you down... for that I commend you.

I've been posting more than usual lately in light of the contest and would really love to win the beast like pretty much everyone else. Look... I don't wanna blow smoke here or get all sentimental, but after reading alot of your posts I feel you're a worthy candidate so good luck... seriously!

lol =D. Just the mention of the name Daniel Larusso made me laugh. Do you want to see what he looks like now? It's kinda freaky for some odd reason. 

http://www.celebritynooz.com/watn/macchio.html 

 For some reason his picture scares me...lol. 

The big 30 approaches =P. My brother is the same, 29, 30 on june 5th. Damn..I'm slowly getting old too...lol. Thankfully I still have 6 and a quarter years of being in my twenties =P.

I thank you for the compliments man ^_^. Thankfully I was raised well, a slap on the hands here and there to lead me on the right path, and for that I thank my parents ^_^. Honestly though, I really don't even know how to respond to that...There's really no way for me to say amytjomg without making it sound sentimental though...lol..But yea, they should give it to whoever they want, at least I found another community to get involved in =P. As long as HotHardware gives the rig to whoever they deem worthy, it's fine to me. Afterall, they're being nice enough to offer a fantastic contest which is indeed bringing more people into their community. If I don't win, no biggy, my pc still runs and does what I need it to do, not quickly, but it still does it. Also, I have family and friends all around that bring joy into my life at the hardest of times =P..So I don't consider myself in a bad state in a sense. Once again thanks for the compliments ^_^...I mean that, heart felt...while trying to avoid the cheezy sentinmental factor...hahaha

The very 1st thought that popped into my head when I saw the pic of ole Ralphie boy now was... school janitor roflmao!!!

recoveringknowitall:

The very 1st thought that popped into my head when I saw the pic of ole Ralphie boy now was... school janitor roflmao!!!

 hahaha...I can definitely see that. But damn man, I literally do not like looking at that picture. It ruins the coolness essense that is Daniel Larusso...hahahaha.

Talking about the dell ultrasharp to this...rofl. Talk about off topic =P.

Just a note, I tend to go off topic a lot guys, sorry about that >_<...lol. I just have a bubbly conversationalist personality =P. 

Straying off topic isn't frowned on much here as long as A: you keep it positive and fun and B: you get back on topic if the originator of the post chimes back in with something relevant. That's the way I see it anyway!

Kamrooz:

I literally do not like looking at that picture

Yeah... imagine looking at it on that 30" Dell at 2560 x 1600 lol!!!