Best component cables silver or copper

I can't answer your question. But check out Synergistic Research Designers Reference component cable. Outstanding.

For a real surprise check into the JPS Labs cables - actually aluminum/copper alloy. I have their audio cables and they simply blew away any copper or silver I tried - the clarity of silver and warmth of copper.
I know. I know. When you think of aluminum you think of cheap storm doors and 1970s houses burning down. But do yourself a favor and check out their website, reviews and give the owner a call. I'd imagine their video cables would be as good as their audio cables.
Just my $.02

i have yet to be in a telecine facility that used anything but copper to do film to tape corrections or fixes for the final visual on any dvd.

From speaking with a cable manufacturer (the owner in fact), I learnt that the skin effect is far more pronounced (and beneficial) in video transmission than audio, so silver-plated copper is probably the best combo for video frequencies.

Having said that, Jaybo is right; having done some work years back with television studios, it's copper copper everywhere. Now that was for normal analog transmission, so who knows what TV studios are using for freeview HD digital? Perhaps it's worth finding out, since what the pro's use is a good guide for us.

Not sure what a "telecine" facility is but usually proshops are in it for the money and aren't gonna waste capital on cables. They'll simply buy from whoever their supplier is. Do you think they really worry about all that mass market quality media that is put out...

You'll get a vast amount of varying opinions so best to try for yourself and see what works in your system. Smart money seems to say best to save your money when it comes to cables.

Try renting a few different types from The Cable Company and try them at home yourself.

I gotta tell you, I've been really impressed with the Tara Labs RSC (Rectangular Square Core) component cables. They really do a phenomenal job.

Granted, they're a little pricey, but some exploration and a wanted ad on the 'GoN should produce a few offers that are appreciably less than retail.

The reason silver plated copper works so well for video and not so well for analog audio is that at video (and digital) frequencies, which are very high, nearly the entire signal rides on the skin of the conductor rather than through the core. This means that a silver plated copper conductor can effecively sound like a pure silver conductor but at a lower cost.

Silver, when done right, tends to outperform copper, but silver is not always done right. The purity of the metal, method of drawing or casting, grain and crystal structure, all make a difference. Also the dielectric can have as much of an effect on performance as the conductor itself.

DH Labs component video cables work very well for me, and the LAT International are excellent for video as well. Both are copper with silver coating, though LAT explains that their coating is applied under high pressure (or something) to "fuse" the silver into the copper creating a near alloy. Silver plated cables have never worked for me for audio, but these two are the best video cables I have used. Curiously, the LAT International digital IC seems to work well too.

"to "fuse" the silver into the copper creating a near alloy."

This is exactly my problem with the dodgy marketing of some expensive cables. They use pseudo-science phrases like "near alloy" to hopefully impress hifi enthusiasts into thinking their cables are something special.
I'm sorry, but a metal is either an alloy (a substance composed of 2 or more metals) or it isn't.

We need to stop thinking some cable companies have re-invented the wheel; by all means test and compare cables, but stick to tried and tested cable designs from trusted manufacturers and you're unlikely to go wrong.

PS. Davemitchell's answer is very accurate - take his advice!

Carl109, did you confuse the information I wrote about as I remember from the LAT website as a personal endorsement of any of the claims? Personally, my first reaction was about the same: it cannot be an alloy unless it is an actual mixture. These things or sciences are not something I am an expert on, however. Still, we are on the same website and may even have the same opinion regarding manufacturers claims: but you did not know and seem to denigrate my post as a whole. Fact is, those cables work well for me and that's about it. I did not intend to offend anyone's sensibilities.

Glenn, my post was not at all intended to denigrate you or your post, and I'm sorry if you took it that way. I was simply responding to your quote of the manufacturer's claim about a special bonding process to produce a 'near alloy', which I assumed you'd posted accurately.

My point is that such a claim, if the cable company made it as you stated, is a misleading use of the English language to sound impressive. It's like saying someone is 'nearly pregnant'; you are or you're not.

That's not to say LAT haven't come up with some excellent cables. It's just some of the marketing that goes on to try to impress us (especially those who aren't experts in the science & physics behind their techniques) is something I find insulting. It happens in all markets, not just hifi, where marketing stretches reality as far as possible to make consumers think their product is the best and we can't live without it.
Just think how many people out there have bought high definition panels and are only using them to watch normal analog TV and DVD's, and will do so for years. They were convinced they needed a new plasma or LCD, when their CRT was probably doing a perfect job for their needs.

Remember, if someone stands to make money out of you, then don't automatically trust everything they say.