Is the Microsoft marketed Xbox 360 cable really any different from the standard HDMI cable? Is there any reason that I need to get the Microsoft cable or can I just get the standard ($3) cable.
For the record, I'm thinking about the newest generation of Xbox 360, the 4gb model.
You can just get the standard cable, there is no real difference between the $3 Amazon.com cable and the $800 Best Buy cable (make sure you read the reviews on that one).
With digital-signals (unlike analog), lower-quality signals give you the same quality audio/video. HDMI cables only carry digital signals, so using ultra-high quality titanium-shielded solid-gold cables is no longer necessary to get good-quality audio/video.
The Microsoft one comes with an audio dongle to plug into the back of your 360. This dongle has both analog and optical (digital) TOSLINK connectors on it so you can hook your 360 up to a surround sound system via one of those connections if your receiver doesn't support audio via HDMI (as mine doesn't :( boo).
Outside of that, any HDMI cable will work. Go cheap if you can. ;)
Just to confirm, you can use any HDMI cable. I use one from Monoprice.com (link) that I got for $2-ish.
Cables are where many retailers make money, just like with $50 printer ink cartridges and $2.50 sodas at restaurants. I recommend you never buy any sort of cable at a big-box store. Monoprice and other online stores have just about any cable you could want for less than $3. When I bought my last TV, the store wanted to sell me 6' HDMI cables for forty dollars each... unbelievable!
