Something like this might not do well to come from Toshiba, as WirelessHD is limited to line-of-sight transmissions and NFC is slower than Bluetooth, in addition to hardly being equipped on anything. The design concept is fantastic though, and this shiny almost-ball could sit anywhere in your room and look great (or at least interesting). The driving force behind the design is even more enticing: make the unbound device look like something you could put on your coffee table, shelf or counter, because, well, that's exactly where it might end up. [Ubergizmo]

Video-Editing Powerhouse
The VAIO RT High Definition Studio is a one-stop-shop handling all your high-definition video-editing needs on a single machine.
Its 25.5-inch (diagonal) LCD display, featuring XBRITE-FullHD LCD technology, and Blu-ray optical drive enables you to play, record and edit HD video in 1080p resolution.
In addition to the built-in digital TV tuners, an HDMI In port lets you connect compatible HD cable and satellite boxes to enrich your HDTV viewing experience. An HDMI output has also been included, letting you connect to an external LCD display or HDTV to expand your workspace (HDMI cable, LCD, and HDTV sold separately).
The RT series incorporates Intel® Core™2 Quad processors, up to 8GB of RAM and a terabyte hard drive. It is equipped with a high-speed eSATA port, for extra storage, and a CompactFlash® slot.
The unit comes pre-installed with Windows Vista Ultimate operating system. A wireless keyboard with integrated touchpad and mouse are included. It is also equipped with a built-in power supply enabling you to cleanly mount it to the wall.
The VAIO LV High-Definition PC/TV will start at around $1,600 while the VAIO RT High-Definition Studio PC will go for about $3,300. All three series will be available online at www.sonystyle.com/pr/aio. They will also be sold at Sony Style® stores and select retailers around the country starting this fall.

USB Type A Universal Serial Bus, the gold standard. The whole idea behind it is that this one interface will connect everything (except the stuff it doesn't), killing off the old guard, like parallel and serial ports. It moves data, and in the case of USB 2.0—which is pretty much the standard now—it does it faster, and with some extra specs for power. Clarification: USB 2.0 adds in the Battery Charging specification 1.0, which allows for dedicated charging and other power goodness. This particular connector is the type A variety. It plugs everything from your iPod to your digital camera into a computer, or whatever else. If you haven't seen this before, what are you reading this on?

USB Type B The USB Type B plug is basically a USB connector for peripherals—you've probably seen it jacked into a printer or scanner.

Mini USB It's a type of USB connector for smaller devices like cameras and phones—it takes up less real estate than a port for a Type A connection, obviously.

Micro USB Even smaller than the above Mini USB. Since it's, like, even smaller, we're starting to see it adopted by LG, Motorola and others—hopefully this is the last time they all switch power adapters on us, till wireless power makes adapters unnecessary. Update: Better pic via Mobile Burn.

IEEE 1394 (aka FireWire) An alternative to USB, Apple popularized the IEEE 1394 interface as FireWire (Sony called it i.LINK). You're probably most familiar with it on a digital camcorder (or an old school iPod), since it's really speedy for data transfers. You're looking at the four- and six-pin versions of FireWire 400. The six-pin version delivers power, the four-pin version (originally favored by Sony) doesn't.

FireWire 800 A revised, faster version of FireWire introduced in 2003, it doesn't use the same connectors as the original, making it rare for non pros—and an unnecessary pain the ass.

RJ45 The kind of plug you're used to seeing on the end of a Category 5, Cat5 enhanced or Cat6 (commonly known as Ethernet) cable, which is plugged into your router or computer's networking port. Cat5e is an update to Cat5 that supports faster Gigabit Ethernet. Cat6 is the next-gen standard that will handle speeds twice as fast as Cat5e, and has stricter rules about noise and crosstalk. Interestingly, the most recently approved IEEE 1394 spec (aka FireWire S800T) uses RJ45 connectors as well.

eSATA External Serial ATA is a branch off of the Serial ATA interface that connects your hard drive to your computer if it was put together in the last couple of years. As you can guess from the name, the difference is it's an external port, but it delivers the same insane data transfer speeds as the hookup to your hard drive. Faster than USB or FireWire, it's basically for external hard drives for quicker data transfers. You'll be seeing it more as more laptops include a port for it, usually one that can also be used with USB. There's even talk of bus-powered eSATA coming in the next year or two.

HDMI High-Definition Multimedia Interface is another one of those "it'll connect everything except all the stuff it doesn't" deals, but for high-definition audio and video. It basically replaces DVI (see below) plus S-Video and all that other analog crap. Laptops, desktops and even high-end cameras and other gadgets are getting HDMI. Besides fat bandwidth, another benefit is control: The Consumer Electronics Control (CEC) profile already lets machines send commands to other products over HDMI—that or something like it could be very useful in the PC space, too.

DVI The digital successor to VGA, Digital Visual Interface is a video connection you'll most likely see dealing with computers or computer monitors, at least until they're all replaced by HDMI. Older HDTVs have DVI ports too. It can have a few different pin arrangements, depending on whether it carries a digital (DVI-D) or analog (DVI-A) signal or both (DVI-I, for integrated). The analog deal on some types is to make them easy to adapt for use with a VGA monitor, but it's less and less noteworthy. There's also a dual-link version that carries more data for high-res displays. These are helpfully depicted at Wikipedia.

Mini and Micro DVI are dumb, shrunken, Apple-only versions of DVI. Why dumb? Because they're essentially proprietary formats. HDMI will make them obsolete before long.

DisplayPort is the newest video interface on the block, and its plane of existence is basically in the computer-to-monitor realm only. It's not even close to mainstream yet, but Dell is backing it, among others, so you might wanna know it. It can carry a whole lot of data, but it's got DRM built into the spec, so it's a double-edged sword. Update: Swapped pic out with a better one.

That's enough cable to strangle most of California, but by all means feel free to add in your own cable trivia down in the comments.

Something you still wanna know? Send any questions about cables, plugs, holes, bird or bees to tips@gizmodo.com, with "Giz Explains" in the subject line.

FlyWire is set for October, though those looking for the mildly cheaper in-room option will have to wait until early next year. Both of them are pricier than Monster's $600 wireless HDMI setup, which is also supposed to hit in October (though it cheats a bit by using UWB-over-Coax to nail whole-home streaming). Check out all the specs below to compare for yourself:
[Belkin]

NEW ACER® ASPIRE X1200 DESKTOP IS A SMALL YET MIGHTY PACKAGE

No-compromise solution boasts desktop power and value in a compact, expandable and environmentally-friendly design

SAN JOSE, CALIF., July 8, 2008 - Acer America, the third largest vendor in the PC market,(1) today announced the Acer® Aspire X1200, a truly dynamic and sleek entertainment center with prices beginning at just $450.

Offering powerful desktop components and expansion capabilities in a small box, the Acer® Aspire X1200 desktop enables users to enjoy high-definition movies, games and theater-like sound while maximizing space in the home. Featuring AMD dual-core processors, NVIDIA® GeForce® 8200 on-board graphics and PCI Express® 2.0, it's ideal for entertainment enthusiasts and space-conscious consumers desiring phenomenal performance in an environmentally-friendly design.

"Our innovative, low energy consumption desktop is a no-compromise solution providing desktop power, performance and value in a compact form factor," said Stephanie Hatchel, Senior Manager, Retail Desktop Product Planning for Acer America. "Aspire X1200 was designed to be an appealing, easy to use media hub for making the most of entertainment. From broadcasting MP3s in crystal clear acoustics to showcasing HD movies, this sleek system is a multimedia powerhouse and available at a price today's budget-minded consumers will appreciate."

Expandable and Elegant Space-Saving Design

Measuring just 10.6-inches (H) x 4.0-inches (W) x 14.4-inches (L), the stylish, compact chassis maximizes desktop real estate. Its high gloss coating and recessed venting sport an elegant look and feel. Translucent plastic knobs on the speakers are attractive and make it simple to adjust volume. Peripherals including the keyboard and mouse showcase subtle color differences that enhance the overall design appeal.

Providing room for expansion, the system offers two PCI Express slots (X1 and X16). For easy access and reach, five USB 2.0 ports, a multi-in-1 card reader, IEEE 1394 port and audio jacks are conveniently located on the front of the PC. Four additional USB 2.0 ports are positioned on the back for connecting to a wide array of peripherals and digital devices.

Dynamic Digital Media Powerhouse

Unlike similar small form factor PCs that leverage mobile components with higher costs and lower performance, the Aspire X1200 offers a choice of models that scale up to an AMD Athlon™ X2 5000 processor and up to 4GB DDR2 memory for taking on advanced multitasking. The AMD processors support downloadable AMD Live! applications for optimal recording, transferring, sharing and organizing of photos, videos, music and media. The energy-efficient designs employing the AMD Athlon™ X2 Dual Core 4850e processor, consume less power, resulting in less wasted energy, lower operational cost as well as cooler and quieter operation.

Boasting the NVIDIA® GeForce® 8200 Chipset with PureVideo HD Technology, the Aspire X1200 supports the hottest games with Microsoft® DirectX 10 for realistic, life-like images. The system also promises high-definition movie picture quality with supported formats including H.264, VC1 and MPEG2. Fully integrated high-definition audio with 7.1-channel audio support provides dynamic sound for games, music and movies. In conjunction with an HD display, the Acer Aspire X1200 delivers a superb home theater experience.

HDMI makes it easy to hook the PC to a big screen TV and gives users a full range of support for any high-definition format via a single cable. A high-performance 14-in-1 digital media card reader makes it easy to transfer video, music and movies from a host of digital devices. The mini-desktop also come with a large SuperMulti Double-layer drive, which provides enough room to record significant data, hours of DVD-quality video and thousands of songs.

Front- and rear-access audio jacks speed up connection of headphones, microphones and other audio peripherals. PCI Express 2.0 optimizes computer components, such as high-end discrete graphics cards and network cards for the fastest performance available.

Specifications, Pricing and Availability

The Acer® Aspire X1200 desktop PC is available now at major retailers nationwide. Prices range from $449.99 to $699.99 depending on configuration. See following for available models.

Acer® Aspire X1200-U1520A: Available now for $449.99

* AMD Athlon™ X2 Dual Core 4850e Processor
* NVIDIA® GeForce® 8200 On-Board Graphics
* 4GB DDR2 Memory
* 320GB SATA II Hard Drive
* 16x DVD+R/RW, DVD-RAM SuperMulti, Double-Layer Drive
* 14-in-One Media Card Reader
* Windows Vista® Premium 64 with SP1

Acer® Aspire X1200-U1510A: Available now for $459.99

* AMD Athlon™ X2 Dual Core 5000+ Processor
* NVIDIA® GeForce® 8200 On-Board Graphics
* 4GB DDR2 Memory
* 320GB SATA II Hard Drive
* 16x DVD+R/RW, DVD-RAM SuperMulti, Double-Layer Drive
* 14-in-One Media Card Reader
* Windows Vista® Premium 64 with SP1

Acer® Aspire X1200-B1581A: Available for $699.99 starting on July 13

* AMD Athlon™ X2 Dual Core 4850e Processor
* NVIDIA® GeForce® 8200 On-Board Graphics
* 4GB DDR2 Memory
* 500GB SATA II Hard Drive
* 16x DVD+R/RW, DVD-RAM SuperMulti, Double-Layer Drive
* 14-in-One Media Card Reader
* 22-inch Widescreen LCD Display
* Windows Vista® Premium 64 with SP1

Basically, on one end you have 2 HDMI ports, 2 component video ports and a composite port. Video from all your set-top boxes go in there, from the 480p Wii to the 1080p PS3. You select inputs the way you'd select them in a switcher—at any given time, the thing is only streaming one signal, upconverted to whatever resolution you choose. If you have an audio system nearby, you can send audio out of it via optical cable or digital coax. The system keeps the audio that goes out in sync with the picture that's distributed all over, so there's no lip-out-of-sync issues.

The video (and optionally, audio) is encoded and transmitted to a receiver unit with HDMI and optical outputs, so it can be the only thing next to your TV or projector. The transmitter also has a coax output, and the receiver has a coax input, to receive the signal. (When you're transmitting UWB through your house, it apparently doesn't interfere with your cable-TV signal.)

That means users could stream HD video content with full 1080p resolution between their HDTV displays, Blu-ray, DVD players and/or set-top boxes within a room or between adjacent rooms and transmit A/V contents up to 330 feet over existing coaxial cables. Monster expects their new wireless HD products to hit the market by this October. Check out the press release for full details.

Press release:

Monster Teams with Sigma Designs to “Go Wireless” in HD Home Entertainment with Exciting New Wireless HDAV and UWB-over-Coax Combination Solution

New Monster® “Wireless Digital Express HD” for HDMI Cable Replacement System Offers Both In-Room and Room-to-Room A/V Signal Distribution

New York City – June 12, 2008 – Monster, the world’s leading manufacturer of audio and video connectivity solutions, and Sigma Designs (NASDAQ: SIGM), a leader in digital media processing system-on-chip (SoC) solutions for consumer electronics, today announced a collaboration to create advanced wireless solutions for HDMI™ home entertainment distribution.

The first fruit of the Monster/Sigma Designs partnership will be the new “Monster® Wireless Digital Express HD” system, which will use Sigma’s Wireless HDAV™ for High-Definition (HD) A/V cable replacement as well as its UWB-over-Coax technology to offer consumers an elegant “wireless and no new wires” combination solution for enjoying HD content throughout the home. In addition to letting users stream HD video content with full 1080p resolution between their HDTV displays, DVD players (including Blu-ray), and/or set-top boxes within a room (or to an adjacent room), Monster’s Wireless Digital Express HD system will allow room-to-room HD entertainment streaming, transmitting A/V contents up to 330 ft. over a home’s existing coaxial cables. Monster’s Wireless Digital Express HD line of products was officially announced at Digital Downtown 2008, a CES showcase running June 12-14 in New York City. Monster® Wireless Digital Express HD products are scheduled to reach the market by October 2008.

“After evaluating other wireless solutions for A/V cable replacement, we chose Sigma as a partner for our entry into the wireless distribution arena simply because the company’s solutions proved to be the most reliable and because they meet Monster’s strict quality parameters,” said Noel Lee, The Head Monster. “In addition, Sigma’s UWB allows us to continue offering our customers the quality service levels they’ve come to expect. Together, we are achieving a “virtual wireless” solution for the whole home by combining wireless for in-room HD content streaming and UWB-over-Coax for room-to-room streaming.”

Monster’s Wireless Digital Express HD is powered by Sigma’s Wireless HDAV™ which features Sigma’s UWB Windeo® chipset and its Intelligent Array Radio™ (IAR) technology. Sigma’s IAR technology incorporates three antennas to deliver the industry’s most reliable wireless link that is uninhibited by walls, objects or people, also referred to as non-line-of-sight activity. Sigma’s Wireless HDAV solution will ultimately enable Monster’s customers to mount their HDTVs on walls without the need for multiple HDMI and A/V cables spread throughout the room or hanging across the walls. Meanwhile, users will experience the same advanced high definition signal quality they have come to expect via traditional wires.

Sigma’s Wireless HDAV and UWB-over-Coax combination solution also powers the Monster Wireless Digital Express HD product with long range capability to cover the whole home with wireless connectivity that achieves mobility and flexibility for in-room video streaming. At the same time, the solution maintains the highest quality of service that is required for HD content that travels from room-to-room. Finally, Sigma’s UWB technology is based on the most preferred WiMedia™ Alliance standard supported by many of the world’s leading technology companies. The WiMedia standard-based architecture and interoperability enables economies of scale and rapid market adoption.

“We are excited that Monster has chosen Sigma’s wireless HDAV and “no new wires” UWB-over-Coax solutions to power the new Wireless Digital Express HD product,” said Hung Nguyen, vice president and general manager at Sigma’s Wireless Products Division. “Monster’s selection of Sigma’s UWB technology further validates that advanced wireless home connectivity is here now, ready for our home high def products. We are delighted to offer Monster customers a simple way to set up and experience broadband wireless connectivity between their home entertainment products, and once and for all eliminate the need for any new complex wiring.”

More about Monster Wireless Digital Express HD

Monster’s Wireless Digital Express HD product includes transmitter and receiver elements inside box equipment that encodes older video formats to 1080P HDMI, can upscale all inputs to 1080p format, and offers in-room and adjacent room wireless connectivity, and 330 ft. plus range of coax connectivity room-to-room. In addition, the product offers a fully integrated Infrared (IR) distribution solution as well as inputs for two HDMI ports, two component, one composite video/S-video with audio, coax digital, optical digital with outputs of coax digital, optical digital F-connector for coax, 3 IR emitters and a serial communication input. The input switching is IR controlled for advanced whole home control capability. The Wireless Digital Express HD can be software updated through its included USB port.

More about Sigma’s Wireless HDAV Solutions

Sigma’s Wireless HDAV streaming is a technology for transporting HD multimedia using standard-based encoding technologies over Ultrawideband (UWB) to replace high definition audio/video cables. Sigma enables developers of home networking systems to eliminate cables between a television and set-top box or High-Definition DVD player using wireless HDAV, the first technology solution to support both the H.264 format and UWB based on the WiMedia® standard. Wireless HDAV streams high-definition content from device to device at distances up to 330 feet.

Sigma’s wireless solution combines the Fujitsu H.264-compliant MB86H52CODEC with Sigma Designs’ SMP8634 Secure Media Processor decoder and UWB Windeo® chipset, the only UWB chipset that uses Intelligent Array Radio (IAR) technology. IAR ensures the highest reliability in wireless connections between devices and also delivers through-wall and range extension capabilities. Using the MB86H52 to compress raw video allows wireless HD video streaming without compromising visual quality.

However, there are still plenty of pitfalls that the novice consumer needs to avoid before making the commitment to drop a serious amount of cash on a new HDTV. The list summary is as follows:

•Fake HD and Cable Satellite Channels: Did you know that a number of HD channels broadcast a lot of "fake HD?" Anyone who has ever watched some of TNT's HD broadcasts can attest to that.

•Dynamic Contrast Ratio Measurement Specification: The contrast ratio number is basically meaningless.

•Line Conditioners: They do nothing to improve the HDTV image.

•Deep Color: No deep color sources makes this a worthless feature.

•x.v.Color: Until Laser TVs and xv Color HD discs appear on the scene, this feature is not truly useful.

•1080p HDTVs below 42" (diagonal): If you own a HDTV under 42", chances are you won't recognize the quality difference over 720p—unless you are standing really close to the TV.

•Flat LCD HDTVs 26" and Smaller: The image quality of LCD HDTVs in the 26" inch range or lower is generally poor.

•120Hz HDMI Cables: As mentioned before, expensive HDMI cables are a huge ripoff. Case in point, decent HDMI cable for less than $2. I bought a few myself and they work fine.

•Off Brand Model HDTVs: No-name brands may cost you more down the line.

•HDMI: Horrible connector design can prove problematic. Always pretest your connections.

So there you have it. If you do your homework, you can save yourself a lot of problems (and money) down the line. For a full explanation on the items in this list, check out the HD Guru link. [HD Guru]

• The HT-S4100 is a 5.1 systems that seems to lack HDMI, has a 200 watt sub and that same iPod dock. $479
• The HT-S3100 sub is powered by the receiver and lacks a dock. $379.

UPPER SADDLE RIVER, NJ (04/17/08) — Onkyo has introduced three new packaged home theater systems, each consisting of a flexible HDTV-capable audio-video receiver, five or seven surround-sound loudspeakers, powerful subwoofer, and an included iPod docking station on two of the systems. These systems, popularly called HTiB for "Home Theater in a Box," can be combined with a video display, Blu-Ray or DVD player, and cable/satellite TV box to provide a complete home theater surround sound experience.

The 7.1 channel home theater receiver included with top of the line HT-S5100 offers an amazing range of capabilities at such a modest price point. The HT-R560 receiver has three 1080p compatible HDMI inputs and one output. The HDMI Pass-Thru provides optimal video quality with separate connections for the audio channels. For optimum sound quality, the highly regarded Audyssey 2EQ room correction technology automatically adjusts the sound character and time delay of each speaker relative to the listening positions. Additionally, Audyssey's Dynamic EQ adjusts sound on the fly to optimize sound quality for any volume, particularly at low listening levels.

The HT-S5100 includes advanced Dolby and DTS surround sound processing capabilities, a powerful 130-watts per channel using Onkyo's Wide Range Amplifier Technology (WRAT), seven loudspeakers with outstanding sound quality, and a powerful 290-watt subwoofer and is Sirius Satellite Radio ready. The HT-S5100 system also includes a new dedicated Onkyo iPod dock and charging station, plus the company's new Music Optimizer technology to enhance the dynamic range of MP3 and AAC files which are normally compressed for headphone playback.

The more affordable Onkyo HT-S4100 and HT-S3100 are 5.1-channel systems with HDTV-capable component video switching, DTS and Dolby Digital surround processing, and five loudspeakers. The HT-S4100 has a 200-watt subwoofer and included iPod dock. The HT-S3100's subwoofer is powered by the receiver, and there is no iPod dock with this system.

All three systems include full-function remote controls, and are available in either black or silver finishes.

The Onkyo HT-S5100, HT-S4100 and HT-S3100 will be available in April with suggested retail prices of $579, $479, and $379 each, respectively.

A few weeks back, I wrote up a piece on Vudu's high-definition video falling short of my expectations. Today I bring you a more thorough report of the three most compelling set-top boxes and their video-download capabilities. Apple TV, Vudu and Xbox 360 all have a lot going for them, but by looking at them side-by-side, you can see how their makers are all taking different paths to get to the ultimate desired end. Dive into the chart, then have a look at the screengrabs from three movies, to really get a feel for the progress, or lack of progress, in the world of HD downloads.

Just so you know, in addition to skipping everything that requires an actual PC (including HP's MediaSmart receivers), I omitted TiVo from the running for now, for two reasons: 1) the Amazon Unbox on TiVo doesn't yet offer HD movie downloads; and 2) TiVo itself is a subscription service, whereas these systems don't charge a monthly fee for the privilege of renting movies.You can see how frustrating it is to pick a winner when you look at the three systems on paper. Fortunately, things clear up a bit when you compare stills I shot at the same time, on the same Panasonic 1080p plasma TV.

Screens from Ratatouille—note that the Vudu shot is standard-definition only:
Screens from 3:10 to Yuma—note that the Apple TV shot is standard-definition only:
Screens from Transformers—here the three devices are all running high-def versions, and I've mixed in a screen from the HD DVD of it as well, for surprising comparison.
Keep in mind that the key here is to compare the shots with each other, as they were all shot the same way. (Note that the same perceived down-rezzing issue I noted before on Vudu's high-def is still obvious.)

Now that you've seen all the evidence I could gather. It's a toss-up to me, though I think for content I have to lean towards Vudu and for pure video quality (and most HD content) the Xbox 360 is hard to beat. Meanwhile, Apple TV is cheapest and lives up to its name with the best access to actual TV programming—though NBC is still painfully absent. How about helping me make the call here?

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While Monster cables are of good quality and engineering, when it comes to digital signals, specifically HDMI cables, we know that its a better idea to buy a $5 dollar HDMI cable today, and then when bandwidth requirements go up in future specs of HDMI, just buy another $5 cable then. It's a lot cheaper than $100 HDMI cables from Monster. The exceptions come when you are running long runs of cable through a wall, where swapping cables is annoying and the signal can degrade (yes, the digital signal can degrade, as proven here, here and here.)

When it comes to analog cables, like composite and speaker cables, I for one believe you can get a lot out of midrange (Monster is midrange compared to some cables I've seen and used) analog cabling that has a lot of shielding for interference. More than Radio Shack stock cable? I don't know. But I'm sure cable outlets like Monoprice have lower costs for similar cabling. Did you know Monster Cable has a garage with Lamborghini showcars and throws a huge celebrity bash at CES every year? Not cheap.

Not that Monster is alone in this industry. All cable makers who sell through home theater stores are going to have a big mark up.

According to analyst firm In-Stat, the DVI interface will drop from 112 million shipped products in 2007 to just 3 million shipped products by 2011. And that number is really startling when you realize that HDMI will be included in 143 million shipped products this year alone. That number includes 90% of digital TVs on the market.

So for those looking for the easiest compatibility going into the future, go with HDMI products. For those with DVI in their home theater infrastructures, HDMI to DVI converters are a simple solution. [extremetech]

Despite recording in MPEG 2 1080i, the camera uses a conversion engine to fire out a 1080/60p signal through HDMI to your HDTV. This is, according to JVC, a world first. To find out whether this improves your video viewing quality, you'll have to wait until mid-February to buy it in Japan and spend ¥170,000 ($1,600) on the HD6 or ¥150,000 ($1,400) on its 60GB sibling, the HD5. [Impress AV Watch]

A touted aspect of DisplayPort is its "security," comforting to those who create content but an unwelcome guest for those who can't stand even the thought of DRM (digital rights management). Carrying HDCP along with it, the standard is designed to protect content from those free-copying, eyepatch-wearing pirates. In addition to that, it also carries an additional DRM can of worms, DPCP (DisplayPort Content Protection).

That gives the standard an advantage over DVI in the eyes of content creators, who have sometimes been known to arm-twist various hardware manufacturers. Speaking of which, the standard has gotten rousing support from many of the usual suspects, including Dell, HP, Philips, Samsung, Intel and Lenovo, and also graphics cards manufacturers AMD and NVIDIA.

Those companies might like this standard better than HDMI for another reason, too: Unlike HDMI, DisplayPort's an open standard with no fees required to those who invented it. Other than that, besides the slight bandwidth advantage of DisplayPort, the two are almost the same and will be interchangable in some cases with an adapter. But not all cases. Such as...

What do we like about it? You can daisy chain multiple 2560x1600 monitors together, and the standard also supports fiber optic cable, able to blast tons of serious bandwidth for longer distances. It also has an advantage over DVI with its 15-meter spec length, compared with DVI's measly 5-meter recommended distance. We're also quite fond of that ability to support 16-bit color for each component, and hey, the damn thing is easier to connect than a DVI or VGA cable. With Dell and ATI first out of the gate, expect graphics cards and monitors to jump on board any day now. [DisplayPort Info Guide]

Now the company's added a back channel that lets you transmit infrared signals back to the source, controlling your components over coax, too. Neat. Maybe now that Gefen has teamed up with Pulse~LINK, a company that's pretty good at squeezing HD signals through various cables, this will move beyond vaporware and into the real world. It sure could be useful, sending HDMI signals all over a house that's already wired with coaxial cable. [Gefen Press Release]

One set enables uncompressed 720p and 1080i video to be transmitted over the 5GHz wireless band, using 20MHz of bandwidth and reaching distances up to 100 feet with the same quality as HDMI cable. Two of the chipsets ganged together send 1080p video wirelessly, using 40MHz of bandwidth.

Range is a theoretical 100 feet. Now we have no idea if these inputs are HDMI, component or other, but I'm guessing the WHDI interface is at least HDMI for the simplicity of handling AV through a single cable, and given the size of the box, you don't really have room for 6 sets of component cables using 5 jacks each. More as it comes, at CES. UPDATE: Looks like its an all HDMI affair. [Thanks tipster, previously on Giz: Belkin and Amimon]

The Price: $54.99

The Verdict: Fantastic. We tried it on both an upscaling DVD player and a PlayStation 3 and noticed no signal degradation between this and plugging the devices straight into the TV. It supports up to 1080p, and can be toggled by a simple remote that has the numbers "1" and "2" on two buttons. It takes a second or two to switch from one input to the other, but unless you're toggling back and forth rapidly between a basketball game and a game you're playing on the PS3, you won't really notice. You can get a totally cheap switch from Monoprice for about $20, or another no-name remote-enabled switch for $30. Belkin's, however, comes with a lifetime warranty and a name like Belkin. [Belkin]

The concept is simple. Plug this into the back of a Core or Premium machine—the ones that don't have an HDMI slot built in—and you'll get a brand new HDMI port of your very own. It's unclear how the image quality is going to be when it converts analog VGA-out to digital HDMI. We've contacted Madcatz for details and we'll update when we know more. If you really want HDMI, you can always just grab an Elite. The price difference between the two is just about the same as the $80 you'd spend on this. [Gamestop]

Think about it: you need an HDMI cable for your home theater equipment that carries audio as well as video, but now there's a new cable on the way called DisplayPort specifically made for computer displays. Or maybe you'd like to hook up your TV to your computer via VGA. Then there's the old-timey composite, component, and S-video connections.

Not digital enough for you? Let's use DVI, or if you want higher resolution, you'll need dual-link DVI. Then there's digital audio, connecting via fiber optic that can't even decide whether it's called Toslink or the eloquent S/PDIF. Or maybe choose a coaxial connector for your digital audio, the same as an RCA plug used to connect analog audio, not that cable TV variety of coaxial.

Want to connect hard drives? You could use USB 2.0, or FireWire 400 is just about as fast. Want FireWire 800? Oops, you'll need a different cable for that. What about the new FireWire 3200? Yep, it'll need new cable, too. Connecting faster SATA hard drives isn't simple, either, because if you want to hook them up internally, you'll need an "L" connector, but if you want to use the external SATA drives (eSATA), well, those use in an "I" connector, to keep you from using unshielded wires inside a PC. The confusion goes on and on.

Oh, and by the way, while you're dealing with this Tower of Babel, you'll have to sidestep all the ripoff artists trying to charge you ten times as much for a cable that does exactly the same thing as its cheapest counterpart.

It's a mess. Please, someone round up all the consumer electronics manufacturers, and somehow make them all use the same connectors. But that's like herding cats. We told you we were going into the world of fantasy, but anyway, that's All Giz Wants.

The HXC5 requires a double-run of standard CAT5/5E/6 network cabling and it is packaged as a complete, ready-to-connect system —including a compact "balun" transmitter and receiver. Could definitely be a valuable problem-solving tool for anyone setting up a serious home theater. Available now for $600. [Tributaries]

Their available products include Digital HDMI, Component Video, SCART, Optical Digital Audio, Coaxial Digital and Stereo Audio cables coming in 1, 3 and 5 meter lengths—or too short to notice in most circumstances, but mainly regarding that HDMI cord. Sony reminds home theater enthusiasts that 15% of their budget should be spent on wire—we're recommending you buy a really cheap home theater to accommodate. [sony via mobilewhack]

Says David Coleman of Honeywell's CE Cable Products division:

"We've made this cable intelligent by integrating a chip into the connector that performs two major functions. First, the chip's line driver 'cures' corrupted HDCP and EDID data that can lead to serious audio and video artifacts. Second, we added 'light' in the form of LEDs embedded into the connector that let installers monitor the most critical elements of the HDMI interface for problems."

Not only that, but the lengths of cable only go to 50 feet. That's a respectable distance, for sure, but in our testing, the possibility of problems lie in the longer distances, so perhaps Honeywell should forget about the shorter cables (there's even a 1.6 footer) and focus on 50 feet or longer.

That said, the LED concept is pretty cool: four LEDs indicate whether you have a live connection, whether there is actual video coming through and other situations that can occur. Neat, you know? But perhaps not worth the expense.

Honeywell Introduces First Self-Diagnostic & Self-Healing HDMI Cable — Revolutionary New Honeywell CURxE Light Technology Automatically Corrects A/V Signals for Corrupted HDCP and EDID Data —

PLEASANT PRAIRIE, WI, August 29, 2007— Honeywell (NYSE: HON) today announced the world's first HDMI digital cable with CURxE Light technology that automatically corrects corrupted HDCP and EDID data that would otherwise degrade high-definition picture and multi-channel audio performance.

Honeywell developed exclusive CURxE Light technology along with Spectrum Electronics' Jeff Bocaccio, one of the CE industry's most respected authorities on HDMI.

"We've made this cable intelligent by integrating a chip into the connector that performs two major functions," said David Coleman, Program Manager, CE Cable Products, Honeywell. "First, the chip's line driver 'cures' corrupted HDCP and EDID data that can lead to serious audio and video artifacts. Second, we added 'light' in the form of LEDs embedded into the connector that let installers monitor the most critical elements of the HDMI interface for problems."

"We are encouraged to see companies like Honeywell develop innovative HDMI products for the marketplace," said Les Chard, President, HDMI Licensing, LLC. "As HDMI proliferates and becomes the de facto standard for connecting home theater and PC devices, companies like Honeywell are leading the way with new applications of the technology to meet specific market needs."

AUTOMATIC SIGNAL CORRECTION
HDCP and EDID data becomes corrupted as a result of inconsistencies of hardware manufacturers' implementation of HDMI, or excess transmission distances. Working in the background, CURxE Light Technology automatically cleans the bad data to its intended dynamic range for the best picture quality. Left uncorrected this corrupt data causes dropout of the picture or audio signal, incorrect resolution, intermittent "snow" in the picture, or a pink or blue hued screen.

BUILT-IN DIAGNOSTICS
Four LEDs integrated into the cable's HDMI connector serve as self-diagnostic monitoring indicators. The four LEDs verify: Hot Plug detection, +5 Volts status, HDCP and EDID, pointing to either downstream, upstream or device problems depending on which LED fails to light. The fix may be as simple as switching inputs on the TV or can require a firmware upgrade of the DVD player, set-top box, AV receiver or other source. This first of its kind diagnostics should help installers save hours of time troubleshooting.

SUPERIOR CONSTRUCTION
To help ensure pure, crystal-clear digital audio and video signals, the new cables feature full-balanced line transition-minimized differential signaling (TMDS); 100% foil shield with 25% overlapping, combined with a 90% tinned copper braid shield; plus bandwidth-maximizing silver-plated copper conductors. The male-to-male cables are designed for HDTV 480i, 480p, 720p, 1080i and 1080p. Lengths range from .5 meters (1.6 feet) up to 15-meters (49.2 feet)

For more information, call (800) 222-0060, or visit www.honeywellcable.com

Although the information I just received shows all pricing for all of the different categories of Monster cable—a tangled web including core, THX and M-Series—I didn't want to bore you with the whole data dump. What I can tell you is that while there are 14 different grades of cable in all, they range from $40 per meter to $200 per meter.

You read what I said before, that I am certain the lowest priced Monster cable would be fine for any applications I could currently dream up. But I am a little shocked that Monster thinks $40 is the lowest price it can hit, when there's strong competition in the $5-per-meter range. [Monster Price Cut]

The five categories are bewilderingly named as follows:
Standard Speed - MC 500HD and U3 V500 HD
High Speed - MC 700HD and U3 V600 HD
Advanced High Speed - M650 HD, MC 800HD and U3 V850 HD
Ultra High Speed - M850 HD, MC 1000HD and U3 V1000 HD
Ultimate High Speed - M1000 HD

My guess is that these cables will all be of decent to high quality across the board, and more importantly, I will bet that even the "Standard Speed" cables will deliver 1080p video over short distances (3 to 6 feet) and perhaps over longer ones (35 to 50 feet) without trouble. Why? Because Gizmodo has already discovered cheap cables that can do this with no problem, so Monster's would have to be worse than the generics in order to prove the value of the high-end ones. This is my guess, let's call it my "educated guess," and I will be happy to test the theory out when Monster feels like sending over some test samples.

In the meantime, feel free to peruse the press release:

MONSTER INTRODUCES THE WORLD'S ONLY SPEED-RATED HDMI™ CABLES

— Monster® "Advanced HDMI" Cables Allow Consumers to Experience the Ultimate Quality and Performance of Their High-Definition Home Entertainment Components —

— New Speed-Rated Cables Verified by Simplay Labs Offer Demonstrable Difference in High-Def Image Quality

Brisbane, CA, August 28, 2007 — Monster, the world's leading manufacturer of high-end cables, accessories and power conditioning products, is proud to announce the introduction of the world's first and only speed-rated HDMI™ cables. The introduction of the new Monster® Speed Rated HDMI Cables is being accompanied by a consumer "Need for Speed" education campaign the company is launching in order to help clear up consumer confusion about the quality differences and benefits of speed-rated HDMI cables.

According to Noel Lee, Head Monster, much of the consumer confusion about HDMI cables stems from the advent of HDMI 1.3 Category 2 standards with even higher speed capabilities than conventional HDMI. Most important to understand, he notes, is that speed is dramatically affected by cable length. He says: "Consumers and installers alike have many questions about HDMI cables such as 'What speed of cable is necessary for the best of today's video displays and sources?,' 'Should I buy the cheapest cables or the highest performance cables?' 'What is the performance of long-length HDMI cables?' People also wonder whether their HDMI cable will have adequate bandwidth for their application, as well as what will be the requirements for higher bandwidth intensive components in the future."

Great Performance Even With Long-Length Cables
Lee notes that as HDTV displays get larger, people are positioning their flat-screens further and further away from source devices, and screen resolution and color depth can be degraded by using long lengths of low-quality HDMI cables. Monster is committed to staying at the leading edge of technology advances in cables and to creating products that exceed current specifications, providing great performance even at long lengths. This commitment reflects the company's 28-year history of building quality cables and its portfolio of over 100 cable and connector patents. Additionally, Monster's new speed rating and performance system makes it easy for consumers to know their cable will deliver the very best performance when used with today's most advanced home entertainment components as well as those of tomorrow.

Five Different Levels of HDMI Performance
To help answer these questions and bring a new level of quality to HDMI viewing, Monster is launching its new line of Speed Rated HDMI cables with five different levels of HDMI performance, including Standard Speed, High Speed, Advanced High Speed, Ultra High Speed, and Ultimate High Speed

As additions to the M Series® line, Monster's highest performance cable will be designated Ultimate High Speed and will feature advanced new technologies that maintain its incredible performance, even over long lengths. If you want to future-proof your system, there is nothing faster or better available. Model name for these Ultimate High Speed cable is: Monster's M1000 HD

The Ultra High Speed cable is ready to deliver not just everything available today but all the amazing technologies that are right around the corner. Model names for these Ultra High Speed cables are: Monster's M850 HD, MC 1000HD and U3 V1000 HD

Advanced High Speed cables are for those who want better performance from today's technologies, such as advanced color and lossless audio. Model names for these Advanced High Speed cables are: Monster's M650 HD, MC 800HD and U3 V850 HD

High Speed cables deliver today's high definition picture and sound at a price everyone can afford. Model names for the High Speed cables are: MC 700HD and U3 V600 HD

Standard Speed cables offer entry level high definition connection for HDTV buyers on a budget. Model names for the High Speed cables are MC 500HD and U3 V500 HD

All of the cables in the Core, Monster Ultra Home Theater and M Series line will be clearly identified with the Monster Speed Medallion System and Performance Bars on the package. The performance bars will identify cables as to their capability with higher refresh rates, advanced color, and other HDMI features, prominently on the packaging.

The new Monster cables offer a price reduction on the acclaimed performance of the company's HDMI 400 cables, which are being renamed HDMI 700. The price is being reduced from $100 to $80 for the HDMI 700 in 2 meter lengths.

At Retail: Need for Speed Education Campaign
In addition, Monster will be launching an educational Need for Speed campaign to educate retail salespeople and consumers. This program will be offered to every Monster HDMI retailer as part of Monster's M5 attachment selling program.

Speed-Rating Guarantees Optimum Audio and Video Performance
Monster HDMI speed ratings provide consumers the confidence that their HDMI cables will deliver a guaranteed level of bandwidth and high definition performance, verified and certified by the world's leading HDMI testing program, Simplay HD. In fact, Monster Advanced HDMI cables regularly and uniformly exceed the performance parameters established by Simplay HD tests.

Monster's Cable for Life Replacement Offer
Monster's advanced speed-rated HDMI cables are designed to bring out the best of today's high-definition home entertainment devices, as well as those of tomorrow. To back up this promise, Monster's 1000 level cable in all lines will carry Monster's Cable for Life replacement offer, so if the cable is ever outstripped by the technologies of the displays or sources, Monster will replace the cable at no charge.

ABOUT SIMPLAY LABS
Simplay Labs, LLC, based in Sunnyvale, Calif., is the leading provider of testing technologies, programs and interoperability design standards for the high-definition consumer electronics industry. The Simplay HD Testing Program is comprised of leading consumer electronics manufacturers and technology providers focused on delivering fully compatible products for consumers. As a result, consumers making home theater component purchases can be confident that Simplay HD verified systems are compatible and ready to receive and play premium digital content, regardless of manufacturer. Simplay Labs is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Silicon Image, Inc.

ABOUT MONSTER
Monster, under its Monster Cable® brand, is the world's leading manufacturer of connectivity solutions for high performance audio, video, car audio, computer, console and computer gaming, professional audio and sound reinforcement. Monster, under its Monster Power® brand, is also the leading manufacturer of high performance AC power line conditioning and protection products for audio/video systems.