I have a quick question. Are expensive HDMI cables worth it?
I bought a $5 HDMI cable 2 years ago and it was fine but I tripped over it and bent one end. I went to Best Buy and the employee I talked to said more expensive HDMI cables ($30+) are worth buying because they have solid copper wires which have a more reliable transfer. After I got home I read online that there is no point buying an HDMI cable that costs more than $10.
That guy at Best Buy was an asshole salesman trying to get you to buy something more expensive.
I worked at Best Buy one winter season, and the employee discount on HDMI cables is about the same for all HDMI cables. A $20 HDMI cord costs an employee about $3. A $60 HDMI cord costs an employee about $4.
There is no difference between the expensive ones and the cheap ones. Buy a cheap, long one, and you'll be fine. Well, not too long, per signal degradation. You'd need a booster as noted. Before my time there was done, I loaded up on HDMI cables, and bought 2 or 3 9-foot cables for something like $5 a piece (these were $60+ cables in-store).
Why are cables so much? Because that's where the biggest profit margin lies. Best Buy, for instance, makes no money on a PS3, but they do make a little on the games and a lot on the HDMI cables, particularly if it's a Best Buy brand like RocketFish or Insignia.