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Gennum develops in-wire technology for 100-foot DisplayPort cables


Now that DisplayPort is becoming more of a household name (like it or not), we're thrilled to see someone making sure we can run an external monitor from more than a stone's throw away. Gennum has stepped in with its ActiveConnect DisplayPort solution, which embeds a small semiconductor within a DisplayPort cable to actively push signals up to 30-meters (around 100-feet) without the need for a costly, cumbersome extender box. There's no word yet on which interconnect companies have signed on to produce these sophisticated strands, but we'd expect to hear more by the time CES 2009 gets underway. Full release is after the break.

Ask Engadget HD: Which cable / interconnect brand should I rely on?


We've heard this question so many times that we've taken for granted the answer, but given the recent increase in competition in the cable market, we figured we'd pass along Josiah's question on the matter:

"I'm not going to pay hundreds of dollars for those cables sold in Best Buy and Circuit City, but I want the best possible audio and video quality. I've got a pretty basic setup, and I just need a few HDMI cables, a set of component cables and a few optical audio cables. Where would I go to get the best for my money? Is there a particular brand I should look for? What has worked out for your readers?"

Unload your experiences with cables -- however expensive (or cheap) -- below, and be sure to elaborate on which brand / store / etc. you found to be the best for the price. Oh, and make no mention of Furutech, we're trying to keep the cost-per-cable under a grand.

Got a burning question that you'd love to toss out for Engadget HD (or its readers) to take a look at? Tired of Google's blank stares when you ask for real-world experiences? Hit us up at ask at engadgethd dawt com and keep an eye on this space -- your inquiry could be next.

Honeywell offers Crystal series subwoofer cable

Honeywell subwoofer cableOkay, it's not "self-healing" or anything like that, but Honeywell has added subwoofer interconnects to its Crystal Series of HT cabling products. Subwoofer cables are pretty standard fare, but we've got to give credit to Honeywell for not over-inflating the marketing hype. With the low bandwidth requirements and run lengths that tend to be on the long side (and often next to power cords), shielding is probably the most important design consideration for subwoofer interconnects; and true to form, that's exactly what the press blurb emphasizes. The 100-percent foil shield combined with a 95-percent tinned copper braid should do a good job of keeping the hum out. The cables come complete with the requisite 24-karat gold plated RCA terminations in 5- and 10-meter lengths. No info on pricing -- hopefully the lack of marketing hype around the product nets some savings at the register.




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