Let the hive mind of Engadget get that for you.
"I've found myself using my PC for a lot of conversations lately, and I'm also considering recording a podcast to share with anyone who will listen. There are tons of USB headset / microphones out there, and I'm hoping someone has some solid recommendations based on experience. I'll consider both headsets and standalone mics, by the way, but I'd like to keep the bill under $100 if possible. Help!"
I'm trying to imagine scenarios where my already thin HDMI cable would benefit from being thinner.
Can't think of any.
Same here.
But I'm not clear on the concept of a "smart" hdmi cable.....what's smart about it?
But you're gonna upgrade anyway, just in case, right :-)?
From what I can gather, there's a tiny chip on each end that converts the HDMI signal from the 10 pairs (or however many pairs HDMI has) into something that can be sent over a 1 copper pair. So it's a bit like the HDMI-Optical converters, except that it's built into the cable, it doesn't require any external power, and it costs 40,000 times as much. Just kidding with the last bit - no idea how much these cables cost - we'll see. I actually have a need for a long, thin HDMI cable, so I'm quite interested, depending on cost, whether these cables can go 15 meters or not, and whether the cable can be manually terminated. I'm sceptical about the last bit, but if I could get an HDMI plug through the pipe I have, then I wouldn't need a thin cable, so it's pretty much imperative if these cables are going to be of any use.
Hell no, Carl. I'm a monoprice customer. spending any more is for suckers.