Although it is in the process of being acquired by Taiwanese company Acer, former computer glory Gateway has had time to develop one of world’s most advanced LCD monitors.

Dubbed XHD3000, the LCD screen has a 30 inch diagonal and an astounding maximum resolution of 2560x1600 pixels (I really don’t know if two powerful 8800 GTX video cards, even linked in SLI, can “sustain” that resolution…).

Priced at $1,699.99, the “quad-HD” monster derives its name from its capacity to render four times as many pixels as a “classic” 720p display, according to information provided by Gateway. As if that wasn’t impressive enough, the company integrated a Silicon Optix Realta HQV processor into the monitor, which will automatically upscale any 1080p HD movie to 1600p.

Categorized as a high-end LCD panel, the XHD3000 boasts with a 1000:1 contrast ratio, 400 cd/m2 brightness and fast 6-ms refresh rate. Gateway’s engineers have also worked hard to improve the connectivity of the device, and this is one of its strongest points.

It includes an HDMI interface, single and dual-link DVI, component, S-video, composite and VGA connections, and Gateway has even looped in picture-in-picture support for those with dual tuners.

Inside XHD3000’s pack happy owners will also find a four-device universal IR (infra-red) remote control that is compatible not only with the monitor itself, but with three other devices, such as a Media Center PC, a cable or satellite set-top box and a DVD player. 

With a view-angle of 178 degrees both horizontally and vertically, the new Gateway XHD3000 is definitely the best choice, however its price might determine some customers to think twice before buying it.