Monster Moves to the Next HDMI Level

Monster Cable has partnered with Irish silicon chip developer RedMere and will release sometime in September its first models in a new line of self-powered, ultra-thin HDMI cables.

The high-performance Micro HDMI line is currently in development, said Head Monster Noel Lee, and, at about a fifth the diameter of standard HDMI cable, will be ideally suited for super-flat TVs, because of its svelte profile and right-angle connectors that simplify corner turns. “These are ‘smart’ cables – they automatically calibrate to the application – and will also be able to be run to longer lengths while maintaining extremely high performance,” said Lee. He added that they will work for a broad range of applications beyond flat-panel TV, like portable video and audio, home theater components, camcorders and computers.

The cables feature RedMere’s MagnifEye Active chip technology that triggers a light which flashes at the connection point once a connection is achieved, much like a USB jump drive.  Lee said the pricing on the models will be along the lines of the company’s current premium-priced high-performance cable. He added that Monster is planning several permutations of the cable, including an in-wall version for custom installation applications.

While he discussed the product introduction, Lee also cited a Monster initiative designed to help custom integrators maximize their profitability every time they roll a truck.  With Monster’s “Just What the Doctor Ordered” training, he said, “we aim to encourage installers to put goods in their delivery trucks that answer three needs: ‘Connect it; protect it; clean it.’  We think when they go on a client call, they should have the products to accommodate all types of situations. They should have all the right connectors to accommodate legacy products in a home. They should be doing power quality testing in a home. They should be offering cleaning products and cable management solutions. The approach, once in the home, should be oriented to providing ‘service from the experts.’”
 
Lee said part of the program includes teaching integrators truck planning and inventory management.  “They’re in customers’ homes already,” Lee said, “Why not be ready, once there, to provide additional services?  For example, less than 50 percent of the time, HDMI cables are being sold along with new TVs. There’s such a great opportunity for extra profit.

“It’s a huge cost to run a truck out to a home. It makes sense to offer more, so that you can make more money. After all, that’s the last mile in the customer experience. The journey shouldn’t end in the store.”