Electronics : It's just a f***ing cable

So you went and got yourself a 40 inch plasma TV and you paid $700 for it. Now the sales person is trying to convince you that you need a $200 HDMI cable to take advantage of all that HDTV resolution.

Don't be an idiot. If it seems wrong to pay 1/4 of the value of a 40" TV for a cable, it's because it is wrong. First, the exact same cable purchased online will likely be 25% of the local store price. Second, you most likely don't need that cable to begin with.

While for analog connections the quality of the cable can make quite a difference, especially for video, for digital connections (like the HDMI cable) it's MUCH less of an issue.

So, whatever you do, DO NOT BUY CABLES from the store that sold you the TV. That is how they make a profit! Here is an example :

Monster Cable - M Series M2000HD 4' HDMI A/V Cable at BestBuy for $200
Monster Cable - M Series M2000HD 8' HDMI A/V Cable at Amazon for $48 (and it's longer!)

What what you could be buying :
Mediabridge Ultra Series - High Speed HDMI Cable (6 Feet) for $9.99