To reiterate, HDMI uses digital signals. Digital signal are comprised of 0's and 1's and aren't effected by outside sources unless the copper itself was coroding. Gold plated ends, nitro-whatever injected cables, turboderp werptaherp rejangled $250 hdmi cables perform exactly the same as $5 cheapos. You just became a victim of false advertising and lost money.
now the 1.1, 1.2, 1.3, 1.4 standards, those you can get the better of. If you have the choice between getting an hdmi 1.3 and an hdmi 1.4, you should go for 1.4 as long as it's under $3 per foot. But I guess in your case 1.3 may be the best for you.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HDMI it's about halfway down the page.