NEC Unveils 29.8-inch MultiSync Professional LCD Monitor

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The NEC MultiSync LCD-PA302W features a 29.8-inch panel with a native resolution of 2560 x 1600.

NEC has taken the wraps off the newest member in its MultiSync series of the professional LCD monitors, the LCD-PA302W which features a 29.8-inch GB-R LED backlit IPS display with 10-bit RGB color.

The monitor provides a native resolution of 2560 x 1600, a 1000:1 contrast ratio, a brightness of 340 cd/m2, a 7 ms (GTG) response time, and viewing angles of 178° / 178°.

The LCD-PA302W includes DVI-D, DisplayPort, HDMI and mini-DisplayPort connectors and will be available in black and white color options. Though NEC hasn't provided any information on the monitor's retail pricing, they have confirmed that it will begin shipping beginning October 25, 2013.

Tarun Iyer
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8 Comments Comment from the forums
  • soldier44
    Being NEC I'm guessing $1299 at least. Wish they would make 120hz 30 inch displays. I'm tired of waiting on them so I'm going for a 4K one next year.
    Reply
  • ioconnor
    I'm still trying to get the drivers to work my two 2560x1440 monitors seamlessly.
    Reply
  • jasonpwns
    At least NEC is trying to increase the resolution. Unlike these 2560x1080 monitors. Why exactly are we trying to lose over 300 pixels again?
    Reply
  • back_by_demand
    2560 x 1600 makes it 16x10 aspect ratio. Seeing as the forums are full of people moaning about 16x9 then this is a boss move by NEC
    Reply
  • 10tacle
    You pay an insane premium for those extra 300 vertical lines of resolution and an extra 3" in a 30" 2560x1600 vs. a 27" 2560x1440 monitor (insane premium to the tune of the cost of a high end video card). I've used both at work, and the 27" 2560x1440 is the sweet spot for the money. Then again, if you have unlimited funds, then the 30" is the way to go. IMO spending over $1,200-$1,500 on a WQXGA monitor is moot when 4K monitors (UHD) are likely within a year or two of being the same price.
    Reply
  • mcgee101
    Wait I just looked it up and holy crap that new 4k Acer monitor is only 1500 more at 32" with higher resolution and higher DPI with Newer technology.
    Reply
  • lfeagan
    @soldier44 The price will likely be around $2200 for a PA302W without a SpectraView calibrator and around $2500 with one. At least that is what I paid for my PA301W monitors a few years ago.

    @ioconnor Not sure why you are having driver issues. I run two PA301Ws @ 2560x1600 off of 2 Mini DisplayPort outputs from a MacBook Pro all day.

    @back_by_demand The predecessor to this monitor, the PA301W, was also 16:10 aspect ratio (2560x1600).

    @10tacle There is a whole lot more to a PA monitor from NEC than just 300 vertical lines. And folks who are buying monitors like this aren't going to stop their business for 1 to 2 years to wait for 4k monitors. For a business expenses like this are tax deductible.

    @mcgee101 Once again, there is a lot more to a PA monitor than just resolution. Go read a few reviews of the PA301W and you may start to understand. Regardless, the features that make these monitors so unique and valuable to a graphics professional are largely irrelevant to the average home or business user. For those that need the features, the price is justifiable. For those that don't need the features, buying a PA301W or PA302W would be a waste of money.
    Reply
  • lfeagan
    From looking at the NEC webpage, it appears that the MSRP for the PA302W is $2400 without SpectraView and $2650 with.

    http://www.necdisplay.com/p/PA302W-BK

    Additionally, it looks like they changed the port layout from the PA301W. A 301 had 2xDVI-I Dual Link (capable of both DVI-D digital and DVI-A analog input) and 2xDisplayPort 1.1. The reason for the 2x on each was so that you could hook up each of two computers to either pairing. And because of course HDMI can be converted to DVI, you could also input HDMI (and HDCP is also supported). The new monitor forgoes the 2x strategy and instead gives each of 4 different input types: DisplayPort, Mini DisplayPort, HDMI, and DVI-D Dual Link. I can't say that I am entirely a fan of the new layout, especially the inclusion of Mini DisplayPort when the box already includes a Mini DP to DP cable. I understand why including an HDMI port was a good idea--it makes it easier to hook up for monitoring an HDMI feed--though personally I could care less.

    In other news, the power consumption dropped precipitously (155W for PA301W, 87W for PA302W). Running two PA301Ws is like having a small space heater going.

    The Adobe RGB coverage remains largely the same (98.2% for the PA301W, 99.3% for the PA302W). My personal PA301Ws have consistently been able to achieve 99.5% of Adobe RGB so potentially no gain there for me.
    Reply