off2cjb,

Don't get defensive. The best way to test inexpensive and expensive cables is to buy both and use each.

When I purchased my high def tv I did exactly that. I bought the $160 Monster HDMI cable from Circuit City and the $40 Philips HDMI cable from Wal Mart. I went home and watched the actions scenes from Saving Private Ryan, Terminator 2, Top Gun and Fast and the Furious. I rated the quality from 1 to 10 for each scene and then performed the same exact test after swapping the cables. I was surprised that the cheaper Philips cable from Wal Mart performed just as well as the more expensive Monster cable from Circuit City. Needless to say, the Monster cable went back to Circuit City the very next day.

After selecting the Philips HDMI cable I purchased a Philips component cable from Wal Mart for $30 and did the same exact test using the different types of cables. I noticed a slight decrease of noise in the picture when using the HDMI cable. Overall, the difference wasn't that drastic but for $10 I just decided to stay with the HDMI cable.

off2cjb, you stated that you went directly to the experts when getting your information. Well, so have I. I have researched the whole "cable quality" issue for many years, both in car audio and home audio. You will find differing opinions from different sources but the common denominator is insulation and installation. If your cable has adequate insulation and you route them correctly the amount of noise that degrades the signal is very low to non existent.