When we first heard about the Kanex HDMI + digital audio converter a few weeks ago, I was eager to give it a trial run and see if it managed to deliver on the promise of integrated audio with HDMI video. I've been playing with the $70 unit for a few days now, and the answer is a qualified yes: it does the job, but depending on your home theater setup you may be able to get by with a less expensive option.

The digital-audio Kanex unit ships without a manual and is largely self-explanatory (although the company has now posted a basic user guide and FAQ) -- a female HDMI port on one side of the roughly iPod-sized unit, and three male cables coming out the other side. The cables connect to the mini DisplayPort, optical audio out, and USB port of your Mac; while Kanex does sell a $60 unit that handles audio over USB, this version only uses that connection to power the adapter and does not provide a USB audio interface. If you're running short of open powered USB ports you might opt to plug it into a USB power adapter instead.

In operation, there's not much to worry about: I plugged in all three ports to a unibody MacBook Pro and connected an HDMI display, then went to the normal Mac OS X Displays preference pane, where I found a full assortment of resolutions for my enjoyment. The top few 'television' options may vary with your connected gear; on my test set (a Vizio 42" 720p display) I was able to choose 720p and, oddly enough, 1080i and 1080p. Below that you have resolutions ranging from 640x480 up into the 1600x1000 range.

Apple's LED Cinema Displays, announced at a special event in October, are finally available on the Apple Store online, and at Apple retail locations, which should make Cory happy.

The LED Cinema Display, which is more suitable as a laptop docking station more than another monitor for your desktop Mac, sells for $899. Shipping is free from the Apple Store online.

I went to the San Diego-area UTC Apple Store on Sunday, and saw a display model. The color was sharp, and looked identical to the display on my 24-inch iMac. Compared to the MacBook Pro next to it, the pixel density is looser (making objects of the same pixel size seem larger on the Cinema Display than on the laptop), typical for Apple's desktop displays. Unlike the iMac, the stand for the display had a tapered foot that was thinner at the front than in the back: Something I hadn't noticed before.

Additionally, adapters that connect the new Mini DisplayPort to DVI and VGA are also available, and will ship within 24 hours.

An update from the commenters: The Mini DisplayPort adapters are for MacBook Air, and won't help connecting a Mac Pro (for example) to this new display. Sorry, my mistake. Also, not all retail stores have the displays, so you might want to give them a call first before heading over there.