I doubt it on all counts.
First off, most of the time the only real difference between HDMI cables is the amount of markup and the packaging. You can usually get a cheap cable from Monoprice that is every bit as good, if not better, than some $100 Monster cable. Of course you can also get some very poor quality cheap HDMI cables, so it's not a cut and dried issue.
As to it shorting things out. That's a risk with ANY cable really, and a very small one at that. So small it's about as close to impossible as you can get without actually being impossible.
And the warranty thing I wouldn't worry about. Sony has a $150 no questions asked repair system. Basically they just ship you a new unit that is as close in spec as they can manage. The PS3 also has a relatively low defect rate compared to the 360. It's under 20%, but even assuming you get one of those defective ones, I highly doubt that the HDMI cable you have connected to it will ever come up in the conversation if you're making a warranty claim. The extent to which I would expect it to come into play is them asking you to verify that the connection is solid between the TV and PS3, and that the cable isn't loose in the socket.
You really have nothing to worry about here. Just get yourself a cheap quality cable from Monoprice and enjoy your console.
So I'm finally getting a PS3 (yaaa price drop!), and I've hit a bit of a wall with which HDMI cables to get.
I keep seeing all over the 'net that the cheap HDMI cables are just as good as the high-priced, Sony-made HDMI cables. I get that, but I'm still concerned about a couple of things...
First, is there any chance at all that a cheaper HDMI cord can affect the PS3 hardware itself? Like, shorting anything out or something? I'm okay with having to replace it sooner than I might with a more expensive cord, but not if there's the slightest chance it will bug up the rest of my system in the future (especially after the warranties all run out!).
Secondly, is it really true that if something does go wrong with my PS3 and I let it slip to the Sony rep that I'm using a third-party cord, my warranty is voided? I'm guessing a simple lie would keep that from being a problem, but still. Anyone have any experience with this?
Sorry if this has been discussed ad nauseam, but I didn't notice anyone explicitly addressing these two questions in my search of the forums.
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