How to read large size excel files in matlab?

I have a file of 30000 rows and 1026 columns. If I use "xlsread" matlab functions then it takes about 6 to 7 minutes to read. Please suggest me any other functions or techniques in matlab to handle large size excel sheets.

[dpb]

While xlsread is no speed demon, I've never had that kind of slowdown even with large worksheets on that order. Which Matlab release/OS/Excel version out of curiosity; mayhaps somebody will know something that might be release-specific.

Other than that, "rolling your own" to do direct COM interaction with Excel or save the data from Excel in text format (CSV, say) and reading it that way would be the alternatives. I'd personally try to eliminate Excel entirely from the equation if possibly could and generate the data for Matlab in much more amenable form.

[Vandana Ravichandran]

What is the version of MATLAB you are using? Please share a sample code you are using and finding it to be slow