Apple TV 2.0 vs. Blu-Ray & HD Cable

Apple TV 2.0 is now available and many are wondering how the quality of Apple’s so-called HD downloads compares to what we are seeing via other high-def sources such as Blu-ray & HD Cable.

Charles Starrett over at iLounge has looked at the matter and has an in-depth article complete with screen captures exploring the visual and audio quality of Apple 2.0 movie downloads compared to Blu-ray discs, standard DVDs and High Definition Cable movies.

The conclusion is that Blu-ray was clearly superior in both picture and sound fidelity when viewed on their 40” Sony Bravia XBR4 display with 1080p at 120Hz. The Apple TV movie, despite being delivered over the Internet, generally looked and sounded better than HD Cable and DVD.

They point out that the potential superiority of the Blu-ray movie may not actually be experienced by many HDTV viewers who have displays that cannot display Blu-ray’s full 1080p resolution. Most HDTV sets sold before 2007 can only display up to 720p or 1080i.

The bottom line from iLounge is, “If you’re using a TV without the ability to display 1080p video—especially if you don’t have a receiver capable of decoding the Blu-Ray Disc’s DTS-HD signal—an Apple TV rental will be an almost complete substitute for renting the Blu-Ray.”

See the comparison pictures for yourself at iLounge.com.