By Bruce Bicknell

NEC (http://www.necdisplay.com) has upped the ante with their new, US$2,299 ($2,549 with the SpectraView calibration systems), top-of-the-line MultiSync PA301W 30-inch Widescreen LCD Monitor.

After reviewing the NEC MultiSync PA271W-BK 27-inch model, I thought that they had a pretty amazing monitor, so when they asked me to be one of the first to review this product I had to see what they could do with more real estate. Well, they didn’t disappoint. If you’re a photographer, designer, videographer, or a serious gamer, then this is a monitor that you’ll want to take a good look at.

The 30-inch, widescreen LCD display with a 2560×1600 resolution incorporates many of the same features as the PA271W. Just like the PA271W, this monitor is ready to go right out of the box, as it’s set up and even calibrated at the factory before being sent out. Other features include a USB hub and a KVM built-in for those of you who run multiple machines or like to switch between your laptop and desktop. It also has the same picture-in-picture features and the capability to calibrate the monitor without a computer set up.

The MultiProfiler Software enables you to change between multiple profiles on the fly. This is fully customizable and allows you to have profiles set up for specific areas of your business—such as print, Web, animation and video, and photography profiles—and switch to see how something will look in print as opposed to the Web, etc. This is a huge timesaver and a great workflow asset.

The NEC PA301W really is a game changer for those of us who need to have the most accurate representation onscreen of our work that we possibly can. Simply put, this monitor is designed for any environment where color accuracy is critical to your success, and if that’s the case for you or your business, it’s time to take a closer look.

Rating: 10 out of 10

(This review is brought to you courtesy of "Layers Magazine": http://layersmagazine.com/).