Useless ExpressCard slot, good for what?

Anubis · Post by **Anubis** » Thu May 15, 2008 3:07 am

So I made the mistake of buying a notebook PC with an HDMI port which is useless because I can't afford a 25 foot HDMI cable -or- I won't sit 3 feet in front of my home theater.

So, all that did was rob me of an additional USB port... that I now realize I desperately need.
Now what about that ExpressCard slot? Nothing! For pete's sake, why can't somebody make a soundcard for that useless hole?

Tone Deft · Post by **Tone Deft** » Thu May 15, 2008 3:12 am

cheap ass HDMI cables
http://www.monoprice.com/home/index.asp
you're welcome.

coworker did a composite to HDMI comparison, HDMI does look better, but not much.

fuck Best Buy and the like, they sell HDMI cables for like $80, which, after you just dropped $1500+ on a TV is chump change. what assholes.

I just went HDMI, nice to have 1 cable that carries audio and video, GTA IV is farking sweeeeeeeeeeet!!!

adventurepants_ · Post by **adventurepants_** » Thu May 15, 2008 3:15 am

there is one!

creative make a soundblaster expresscard. so um yeah, no one makes a ex-card soundcard worth using.

Anubis · Post by **Anubis** » Thu May 15, 2008 4:42 am

adventurepants_ wrote:there is one!

creative make a soundblaster expresscard. so um yeah, no one makes a ex-card soundcard worth using.

Yeah, I saw that one too but it's prolly barely useable even with ASIO4ALL. I wonder why Echo didn't jump in the game?

It's also very frustrating that I can't access the digital audio streaming from the HDMI port and convert it to an useable analog signal. ASIO4ALL reports the bandwith as 32 bit 44.1/192 KHz! It would be nice to be able to tap into that. I've scoured the net and have only come accross klunky solutions that do the exact opposite. Such as:

grimleyj · Post by **grimleyj** » Thu May 15, 2008 5:03 am

http://www.rme-audio.de/en_products_hds ... sscard.php

http://www.apogeedigital.com/products/s ... mobile.php

grimleyj · Post by **grimleyj** » Thu May 15, 2008 5:04 am

duplicate post sorry

railheads · Post by **railheads** » Thu May 15, 2008 11:32 am

Has anyone used the expresscard slot for USB (eg dongle etc) expansion?

say this

http://www.maplin.co.uk/module.aspx?ITA ... y=15m5#faq

nickw · Post by **nickw** » Thu May 15, 2008 12:44 pm

yes - I don't have that actual one (but its probably the same with a different companies sticker on) and its great for dongles, memory sticks, midi devices, I've also run an audio interface through it quite happily