@Macdadtexas stated: "OK, BluRay is better, but I don't see a big enough difference to change from DVD's....Anyone who has an AppleTV and has downloaded HD movies that I have talked to has the same impression that I do. The HD content looks so good off of the downloads, not as good as BluRay yet, that the logical next step in downloading to 1080p seems just on the horizon."
What you're stating here is not a difference between AppleTV HD movies and BluRay movies, but a difference in downloading HD movies either filmed originally in that format or CLEARLY a better DVD transfer to Blu-Ray/High-Def format that you're noticing. Blu-Ray is only visibly better when the content on the media is using its bandwidth and storage capabilities fully. What I mean by that is that cheap-ass publishing studios often times cut corners to not properly do a good transfer from DVD > Blu-Ray and sometimes the consumer is just better off buying a nice upconverter for their DVD collection, but even then you'll notice a BIG difference as it's one thing to upconvert a video and another to see a higher bitrate video with more "content" on a 780p or 1080p blu-ray title. Like another poster said, Blade Runner in 1080p (correct transfer to Blu-Ray) is absolutely beautiful compared to the DVD version.
Again, all of this is because awesome compression standards like H.264 and MPEG-4 Part 10 or MPGE-4 AVC is pushing higher resolution video at better compression which allows it to be delivered either as a streamed product (ala AppleTV) or download via H.264 movies. I agree with you that disc based media will go the way of the CDs as MP3s and the iPOD did for audio, high-def content revenues will be downloaded or streamed through other means. Blu-Ray discs will remain, but the future is in delivery of content not retail.
What you're stating here is not a difference between AppleTV HD movies and BluRay movies, but a difference in downloading HD movies either filmed originally in that format or CLEARLY a better DVD transfer to Blu-Ray/High-Def format that you're noticing. Blu-Ray is only visibly better when the content on the media is using its bandwidth and storage capabilities fully. What I mean by that is that cheap-ass publishing studios often times cut corners to not properly do a good transfer from DVD > Blu-Ray and sometimes the consumer is just better off buying a nice upconverter for their DVD collection, but even then you'll notice a BIG difference as it's one thing to upconvert a video and another to see a higher bitrate video with more "content" on a 780p or 1080p blu-ray title. Like another poster said, Blade Runner in 1080p (correct transfer to Blu-Ray) is absolutely beautiful compared to the DVD version.
Again, all of this is because awesome compression standards like H.264 and MPEG-4 Part 10 or MPGE-4 AVC is pushing higher resolution video at better compression which allows it to be delivered either as a streamed product (ala AppleTV) or download via H.264 movies. I agree with you that disc based media will go the way of the CDs as MP3s and the iPOD did for audio, high-def content revenues will be downloaded or streamed through other means. Blu-Ray discs will remain, but the future is in delivery of content not retail.