DigitalLife 2007 - Gateway Steps Up

Gateway is not exactly what we would call a textbook gaming company. Their latest products, however, make one hell of a splash.

[[ ADVERTISEMENT=34 ]]Gateway
is not a name that comes to mind when you think of gaming. It used to
be that Gateway computers and monitors dominated the home computer
scene. When companies like Dell and HP came to prominence, Gateway sort
of took a back seat and, apparently, lost money. The company has come
back strong in the past two years - even releasing an answer to Dell’s
XPS in the FX530. Considering the company was just acquired by Acer, it
would seem that this attempt at breaking back into the market was too
little, too late. But Gateway didn’t let that get them down, they have
just released two exciting new products that, ideally, will put them
right back on the map.

Suffice to say that today was a real eye opener.

DigitalLife 2007 witnessed the launch of Gateway One.
This is the computer for everyone with an eye for Apple, but a heart
for Windows. Gateway is heralding this line as their most elegantly
designed PC to date and a successor to the Profile series of personal
computers. Some press organizations are comparing it the iMac while
stating that it’s most definitely not an iMac killer, and all I have to
say to these statements is: “Duh.” iMacs are for people who enjoy the
Apple operating system and its line of software. The majority of the
world, as you all know, uses Windows and this is the PC consumer’s
equivalent to the iMac. It packs a decent punch and will definitely
please anyone looking for an all-in-one PC. I won’t go into detail
because we are gamers and this baby can’t be easily upgraded or perform
to the level that we require out of our machines.

For us gamers, there is the Gateway FX line that includes high-end
desktops that are factory overclocked and unlocked for the home
enthusiast. That’s right, the FX line of computers, according to a
Gateway engineer I met today, contain factory overclocked CPUs and
GPUs. What’s more? They remain unlocked with some limitation to help
keep you from breaking your warranty. They are eager for us to test
their systems so expect to see the Gateway FX line reviewed here at
FPSLabs in the future.

The FX line and the new Gateway One were not the most impressive
products Gateway had to offer at the show. While walking through their
booth, I laid eyes on one of the more impressive displays I have seen
to date. The XHD3000 is one of the largest, fastest, and versatile
displays I have seen in the gaming arena and just may be the best of
show here at DigitalLife 2007.

[[ =PAGE= ]] Gateway’s XHD3000
The display offers a gaping 30″ of incredibly clear and bright screen.
With a resolution of 2560×1600, it’s big enough to fit everything you
do on the screen without overlapping. I can’t begin to describe to you
everything this display has to offer. Take a look at the specs:
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Resolution: 2560×1600
HD Video Support: 1600P Quad-HD
Video Inputs: Dual-link and Single-link DVI, VGA, HDMI, Component, S-Video, Composite
Device Support: All PC and CE devices
Video Processor: HQV
Brightness: 400 nits
Contrast: 1000:1
Response Time: 6 ms
Remote Control: Universal plus IR Blaster
Audio Support: Fully Integrated
Audio Outputs: Analog, Coaxial and SPDIF
Speakers: 8 Driver High-Performance Sound System (included)
Audio Inputs: One each for DVI, VGA, Component, Composite, S-Video

Yes, you read that right; the resolution is larger than High Definition
and is what they are calling 1600P. Of course 1600P isn’t supported by
anything right now, but they have a fantastic solution. They are using
a powerful image processor made by Silicon Optix called the Realta HQV
processor. The HQV processor doesn’t just process pristine high
definition images, but actually up-converts any HD feeds to 1600P for
clearer and more visually stunning detail. The Realta processors are
widely known for their use in outboard video processing boxes that are
very expensive. All the audio support is built in with the options to
feed the audio out via analog, coaxial, and SPDIF connections.

The monitor has connection in the back to support Dual-link and
Single-link DVI, VGA, HDMI, Component, S-Video, and Composite. For the
demo I was shown today, one of the FX desktops hooked up via Dual-link
DVI (required for 2560×1600) along with an Xbox360 with attached HD-DVD
drive via Component. Of course, you could also hookup a cable box
through the S-Video or Composite, a PS3 via the HDMI, a second computer
through the VGA connection and a Wii via the S-Video or Composite
(whichever you didn’t use for the cable box).

The first thing they wanted to show me was the FX Desktop running
Bioshock in 2560×1600. Now the desktop was running an 8800 GTX and it
was not only amazingly clear, but there was no ghosting and the 30″
screen seemed to be right in my face, completely immersing me in the
game. I, of course, asked what happens when your video card isn’t
powerful enough to run a game at this massive resolution. Their answer
was very simple. Thanks to the HQV processor, there is an internal
scaling technology that automatically takes a lower resolution and
scales it to fit the LCD without too much quality loss. The scaling is
optional and you could choose to render just the resolution you can
play at, but I would have to say that scaling did not cause any
noticeable loss in quality other than the obvious resolution
difference. To prove what they were saying, they loaded up the
Bioshock settings and changed the resolution to 1680×1050. When the
screen refreshed to the new settings it scaled the full size of the
monitor and didn’t appear to lose any quality.

Next, they showed me the High Definition capabilities by playing the
Willy Wonka HD-DVD on the Xbox 360 via Component. It was clear as day,
but what was even cooler was the fact that it was up-converted to their
so called 1600P and you could clearly see a difference over the 1080i
resolution, which they showed me before. I don’t want to give the idea
that it was leaps and bounds better, but there was a noticeable gain
from the up-conversion. Then I loaded up Burnout Revenge on the 360
and, after seeing the HD-DVD, wasn’t really surprised at how fantastic
it looked.

Lastly, they demonstrated the Picture-in-Picture (PIP) capabilities of
this monitor. While having three browser windows tiled across the PC’s
screen, they activated the PIP so that we could see the 360 screen in
the top left corner area. Now, they said that I was probably thinking
about having to arrange all my PC windows around that PIP display so I
could still work on the PC and view the 360. I, of course, agreed
because what else would you do? I was really impressed when they moved
the mouse to the area the PIP was covering and the opacity of the PIP
area went to about 5-10% so that you could see clearly everything
behind it. As soon as they grabbed what they needed and moved to the
other area of the screen the PIP came back to 100% opacity. That was
just plain awesome and a fantastic implementation of PIP for PC users.
The PIP will work with any of the inputs so that you can do more things
simultaneously on the screen. With a 2560×1600 resolution and 30″ of
display, there is plenty of screen real estate to work with even while
enjoying the PIP feature.

We didn’t get into the audio much except to say that there are 8
speakers in that bar beneath the monitor and that they can support
quite a loud volume with very little distortion. While playing
Bioshock and Burnout, I was impressed with the audio clarity and the
volume. Not much more I can say until we are able to test it under
controlled conditions.

Overall, I am thoroughly impressed by this display and can’t wait to do
a thorough gaming review. One of the more impressive specifications
from the list above is the fact that his baby can run at a response
time of 6ms. Being as large as it is, I expected a higher number.
From what I experienced so far, there is no comparison between the
Gateway XHD3000 and any other brand’s 30″ display.

All in all, Gateway made a great showing at this year’s DigitalLife and
I can’t wait to meet up with them again. Truly, an impressive showing
this year.

Information taken directly from the product brochure can be found on the next page.

[[ =PAGE= ]] Gateway XHD3000 30-inch Extreme HD Display

The new Gateway XHD3000 30-inch
Extreme HD Display delivers advanced display technology for those who
want a truly remarkable, cinema-quality experience. It features
state-of-the-art technology that makes it uniquely suited for both
entertainment and computing needs. With a stunning
ultra-high-resolution 1600P wide screen image, this Quad-HD display is
capable of over four times the resolution of standard 720P
high-definition. The integrated Silicon Optix Realta HQV video
processor takes video to an entirely new level of detail and clarity.
The display also provides world-class convenience and usability as it
can be easily connected to virtually any video device via its range of
inputs including HDMI, dual-link and single-link DVI-D, VGA, component,
s-video and composite interfaces, with1600P upsampling of all video
sources.

The Gateway XHD3000 takes a dramatic step forward in expanding Gateway’s award winning line of HD displays by incorporating several new features:

Extreme HD Widescreen Performance

The Silicon Optix Realta HQV “Hollywood Quality Video” powered by Teranex video processing chipset powers the Gateway XHD3000
with amazing 1600p HD video for optimal clarity, smoothness and
accuracy with 16.7 million colors. The video processor performs one
trillion operations per second for enhanced image quality and offers
advanced capabilities, such as deinterlacing, film cadence detection,
noise reduction, and detail enhancement for unparalleled image quality.

Universal Functionality

Support
for up to six simultaneous video inputs, such as desktop and notebook
computers, Xbox 360, Sony PlayStation 3, Nintendo Wii, Blu-Ray, TiVo,
DirecTV, HD-DVD and more.

Incredible Gateway DXP Audio

Advanced
3D sound with 8 high-performance speakers, remote IR control capability
and 2 headphone outputs. Eliminate clutter and use more valuable desk
space with an integrated high-performance sound solution.

Sleek, Feature-Rich Design

Contemporary
design has small desk footprint, reduces clutter, manages wires and
cords with integrated cable management and looks stylish with blue LED
lights and brushed metal frame —ideal for any space-constrained
environment.

Affordable, Future-Proof Technology

Experience
cutting-edge display technology for an incredible value. HDCP, support
for future widescreen applications, integrated EzTune software
Microsoft Windows Vista capable, VESA compliant, easy swivel/tilt
adjustments and HQV video processing.

Speakers

To
further boost the entertainment experience, the XHD3000’s dxp powered
speaker system delivers incredibly rich, detailed sound using eight
high-powered, low-profile neodymium transducers which contribute to the
sound system’s ability to generate amazingly clean and high-volume
sound with exceptional dynamic range.

Ports

The Gateway XHD3000
includes discrete audio inputs for each video input and allows for
automatic audio switching. If a more expansive audio experience is
required, the XHD3000 has separate analog and digital audio outputs for connection to home theater systems.

Gateway XHD3000 Specifications
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Resolution: 2560×1600
HD Video Support: 1600P Quad-HD
Video Inputs: Dual-link and Single-link DVI, VGA, HDMI, Component, S-Video, Composite
Device Support: All PC and CE devices
Video Processor: HQV
Brightness: 400 nits
Contrast: 1000:1
Response Time: 6 ms
Remote Control: Universal plus IR Blaster
Audio Support: Fully Integrated
Audio Outputs: Analog, Coaxial and SPDIF
Speakers: 8 Driver High-Performance Sound System (included)
Audio Inputs: One each for DVI, VGA, Component, Composite, S-Video
Retail Price: $1,699