What is the best HDMI cable?

Expensive boutique cables like Monster Cable are ripoffs, but while cheap, bottom of the barrel cables will do the trick, but they can easily fall apart/break.

I would go with Monoprice. Their cables are pretty inexpensive, durable and Monoprice has great customer service.

http://www.monoprice.com/products/subdepartment.asp?c_id=102&cp_id=10240#1024004

Deep Surplus is also good, and they even send you a bag of Skittles with your purchase :)

http://www.deepsurplus.com/Home-Theater-Audio-Video_2/HDMI-to-HDMI-Cables-Type-A

Remember that you don't need the BEST HDMI cable for an Apple TV, as it doesn't do 1080p. A standard-speed cable will do just fine.

Don't go with the cheap cables but don't go with the top of the line expensive brand either. Depending on how long the cable needs to be if you go with a mid range price cable you will be fine. If you don't need a long cable then any brand will work fine.

Leo Laporte did a piece about this in a podcast. His view is, since it's a digital signal the cheapest cable will do the trick. It's either, yes or no.

He says the only time you should experience degradation is when running it over a long stretch. The "high end" cables only have extra shielding, which is not needed for a digital signal.

I'd trust him, myself, and go with the cheapest cable I could find. I've used cheap and mid-range priced cables myself and saw no difference. He's right, though, it's digital--all or nothing.

EDIT: He talks about it here. Link to the show notes: Leo's Tech Guy Show Notes.

I recommend these

6 feet, $2.21 and free shipping http://www.amazon.com/HDMI-Cable-2M-6-Feet/dp/B0002L5R78/ref=sr_1_2?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1283631563&sr=1-2

I use these cables (had them for a few years now and disconnect and reconnect them many times since I use it on both a xbox 360 and the DVR box).

Works perfectly and handles 1080P with no problem.

I have a 30 foot version of this cable (may not be from the same company as it is unbranded and came from china for around 7-9 dollars (forgot the exact cost) I use that with my desktop PC in another room to that way a gaming PC can double as a HTPC when used with a wireless keyboard and mouse. Handles 1080P perfectly.

Remember, expensive cables are generally a ripoff.

HDMI cables fall into two categories: 720p quality and 1080p quality. All other specifications are marketing nonsense (for example, all HDMI signals travel at 60Hz, regardless of the max frequency or bandwidth of the cable). Just make sure yours says 1080p, and don't waste your money. $15 will buy a great 1080p HDMI cable.

Really I would just go with a mid range price HDMI I own 10 HDMI cords and they all make the same picture and same sound. I have a 47'in LG 240hz tv and it all looks the same.