I've just recently been through this (the research, the research, the selection, the indecision, the purchase .. )
You will notice the difference in the refresh rate - get at least 100hz (which is 120hz in NTSC-land?)
Get 1080 for the future of HD ..
Buy the cheapest HDMI cables .. there is no difference between a €10, €100 and a €10000000 dollar HDMI cable. It's digital information - it either works or it doesn't.
I bought a SONY lcd fwiw ..
Monster HDMI cables are a ridiculous ripoff that takes advantage of people's ignorance. There is no reason to spend 50 bucks on an HDMI cable, unless it is ridiculously long I suppose.
I am amazed that Radio Shack only seems to sell overpriced HDMI cables and Best Buys often have Monster displays, though they also have more normal priced HDMI cables.