New York — Monster unveiled its second-half lineup and introduced its “Cable for Life” upgrade program at a press conference, held here today.
The “Cable for Life” upgrade program applies to select upcoming Monster Advanced HDMI cables: the Home Theater Ultra 1000, M Series M1000HD and Monster Cable 1000HD cables. According to the company, “If a cable offered with the Cable for Life program ever fails to support a component incorporating future generations of HDMI, Monster will replace the cable at no charge.”
Monster also announced various new products at the press conference, including three products for custom installers: the HDMI to Dual Cat5 system, the HDMI 90 Degree adapter and the Monster HDMI coupler. The HDMI to Dual Cat5 System enables custom installers who are familiar with CAT-5 terminations to easily run HDMI. It has a $199 suggested retail.
The HDMI 90 Degree adapter features a gold-plated connector in an ultra-low loss design for maximum signal transfer and has a $24.95 suggested retail. The Monster HDMI coupler ($24.95) is engineered to allow the joining of two HDMI cables together for simple length extensions. All three products will be available in September.
Monster’s Mini HDMI digital camcorder connection is engineered to link a digital camcorder or camera with a flat-screen or rear-projection TV. HDMI transfers high-definition video and stereo sound in one digital connection, and HDMI video and audio are uncompressed, for maximum clarity — the high-bandwidth signal can have more than 2 billion bits per second, said Monster.
Features include an ultra-flexible cable, dual-layer shielding, gas-injected dielectric and high-purity copper conductors. It has a $99.95 suggested retail price and will be available in September.
Developed to meet the needs of flat-screen TV retailers, Monster introduced two FlatScreen Performance Packs. Both kits include the Monster Power AVFL 200, which features two AC outlets for AC surge protection and one pair of coaxial cable connections for surge protection, and ScreenClean.
The Monster FlatScreen High Definition Performance pack ($99.95) includes a sleek 2-meter HDMI cable, an AVFL 200 PowerProtect and a FlatScreen ScreenClean. The Monster FlatScreen TV Performance pack ($59.95) is an F-pin starter kit that included a 2-meter F-pin cable, an AVFL 200 PowerProtect and a FlatScreen ScreenClean.
The company announced its HDMI Performance Maximizer, which is designed to extend a 1080p signal up to 200 feet.
“It just isn’t feasible anymore to expect 2- or 4-meter HDMI cable to be long enough for all home applications,” said Head Monster Noel Lee. “There are applications where HDMI cables need to be 75, 100 or even 150 ft to meet the needs of today’s high-definition enthusiast. Yet cables that long will not carry the signal at a high enough resolution. Over long runs HDMI cables need an extra boost.”
The Maximizer will include an optional external 5-volt power supply, and will have a $149.95 suggested retail when it begins shipping next month.
Meanwhile, the company’s Advanced HDMI switcher, also announced today, is reportedly able to connect three more 1080p high-definition sources to anHDTVand control them with an existing remote. A mountable external infrared receiver hides the switcher from view, but still controls it with a remote. On-board jitter-reduction circuitry “ensures that HDMI signals are bit-for-bit accurate,” said Monster. It has a $149 suggested retail.
Seven mounting products were announced, including two FlatScreen wall mounts, three FlatScreen PowerMount products and two cable management kits. The FlatScreen PerfectView 450S PowerMount is an articulating mount with two built-in AC outlets. It fits 10-inch to 24-inch LCD TVs, and has a $119 suggested retail.
The FlatScreen PerfectView 450M PowerMount is also an articulating mount with built-in AC outlets. It has Z-fold extending swing arms, fits 24- to 37-inch LCD TVs and retails for $349.
The FlatScreen PerfectView 450L PowerMount fits LCD TVs from 37 to 60 inches, and has a $699 suggested retail.
Designed for LCD TVs from 26 to 37 inches, the PerfectView 400M FlatScreen mount has a 100-pound weight capacity and retails for $249. The PerfectView 400L FlatScreen mount, meanwhile, fits LCD TVs from 37 to 60 inches and has a 150-pound weight capacity. It retails for a suggested $599.
Details about the cable management systems were not available at press time.
Jumping on the iPhone accessory bandwagon, Monster announced a partnership with men’s fashion designer L-R-G for an iPhone case. The case features several different carrying options and detachable keychain, and it comes in nine different styles for $49.95.
Monster also introduced three iPod accessories: the iSlimCharger USB charger for the Shuffle, the iCarCharger 200 and a wireless audio bridge. The iSlimCharger is meant to replace the “bulky” dock and cable that comes standard with the Shuffle. It features 24k gold contacts and a rugged housing for $14.95. The iCarCharger 200 ($79.95) features a hardwired minijack cable that is designed to offer better sound quality than cassette adapters and FM transmitters. The two-piece wireless audio bridge ($99.95) integrates an iPod into a home stereo system, and features a 30-foot range with 2.4GHz technology, said Monster.
Monster said that it will be exhibiting the CI Pro line of PowerCenters at CEDIA — held Sept. 5-9 in Denver — including the AVS2000, Pro Power 7000 PowerSource UHC, Pro Power 5100 PowerCenter UHC, Pro Power 3600 PowerCenter with Clean Power Stage 3 v.2.1, and Pro 2600 PowerCenter.
Finally, Monster is releasing “Home Theater Made Simple,” a guide to home theater installation and viewing. Written by Barb Gonzalez, known as the Simple Tech Guru, the guide is meant to “break down technology and communicate the ‘how’s’ and ‘why’s’ in plain English,” said Lee. The book will be sold online and in CE retailers for $19.95.
