Monster announced two additions to its cable products and a new home networking solution at CES this week. On the cable front, the “future ready” M Series M2000 Hyper-Speed Cable for HDMI is the world’s fastest at a blistering 21 Gigabits per second, while the near invisible 3.5mm SuperThin Cable for Mini HDMI has been specifically designed for use with the latest HDMI enabled digital cameras and camcorders. The Powernet 1G with PowerLine Communication (PLC) technology instantly turns a home's electrical wiring system into a high speed Ethernet network.
M2000 Hyper-Speed Cables
At 21 Gigabits per second (verified by Simplay HD) the M2000 is the world's fastest cable. This latest addition to Monsters speed-rated cables for HDMI features optimized conductors, dielectrics and connectors to deliver maximum picture and sound quality when used with high definition home entertainment components. Noel Lee, the Head Monster, said: “Today’s new HDMI 1.4 specification supports both 3D technology and larger higher pixel density (4K x 2K) displays, two advancements that will greatly impact data rate and cable bandwidth requirements. Delivering all of the capabilities of these new display technologies and others into the future will demand an even larger ‘data pipe’ than what is available today. To meet these bandwidth needs, Monster has increased the performance of its speed-rated HDMI cables, removing the fear of obsolescence once and for all.”
All Monster Cables for HDMI at the 1000 level and higher carry the company’s “Cable for Life” and “HDMI 1.4 Upgrade Program”. This means if in future you buy kit with HDMI 1.4 functionality, such as as the ethernet channel or digital audio return channel Monster will upgrade your cable.
The Hyper Speed M2000 MSRP is $200 - $1000 (4ft – 50 ft).
SuperThin Cables for Mini HDMI
The compact and lightweight SuperThin Cables for mini HDMI come with a handy cable tie that allows them to be neatly packed in a camera or laptop bag, so you can easily connect camcorders and high performance cameras to HDTVs and computer displays to show off your latest work. According to Noel Lee, the SuperThin Cables for mini HDMI is a completely new type of ‘magically thin’ cable that’s perfect for both flat-panel TV installations and on-the-go use.
"Our SuperThin lineup provides a much smaller and lighter connectivity solution than the world has ever known, and consumers can now enjoy a new level of freedom and flexibility with all their HD content while on-the-go."
Monster SuperThin cables are enabled by RedMere MagnifEye Active technology which equalizes the HD signals directly in the SuperThin cable itself so no external power supply is required. This eliminates the need for heavy-gauge copper, making the cables extremely light, thin and portable. Monster SuperThin cables measure just 3.5 mm in diameter, approximately 55% thinner than other High-Speed Rated HDMI cables.
The cables are virtually invisible making them ideal where aesthetics are important.
Installation of the SuperThin Cables is aided by the built-in LED indicator that instantly flashes when the HDMI signal coming from any connected source component is active. Once the source and display are in sync, the LED shines constantly, confirming the connection.
SuperThin cables are Monster Speed Rated “High-Speed” at 10.2 Gbps. SRP ranges from $89.95 to $169.95. Lengths include 4-, 8-, and 16-foot versions in the company’s Digital Life line of products, as well as t-, 2-, 3-, 4- and 5-meters in the company’s core lineup.
Powernet 1G
The Powernet 1G provides a reliable, secure and fast broadband connection for smooth movie streaming, glitch-free online gaming, and network file gata transfers. It achieves its "World’s Fastest" PLC status using the advanced Atheros AMP AR7400 chipset for Powerline solutions, enabling nearly triple the peak data throughput of existing competitors. Users can simultaneously stream and download 1080p content on demand to their Blu-ray Disc players, TiVos and other DVRs, network TVs, game consoles, and other devices. The PowerNet 1G also features proprietary PLC filters that help prevent noise on the home’s AC power lines, providing a cleaner data signal at much higher bandwidths enabling the speeds needed to deliver multiple 1080p file streams simultaneously.
The Powernet 1g has a SRP of $299.95.
