Poorly compressed 1080p files often exhibit banding in the dark space scenes (e.g., the stars behind the Orion spacecraft) or blockiness during the “Jupiter Mission” title card. A properly encoded 480p file with a high bitrate (say, 2,500 kbps) can look remarkably clean, as the downscaling process averages out compression noise.
Purists often argue that watching Kubrick in anything less than the highest available resolution is a disservice to the director's meticulous vision. The intricate textures of the lunar surface, the subtle control panels inside the Discovery One , and the psychedelic hues of the "Star Gate" sequence are inherently compromised when crushed into a 480p resolution matrix. 2001.A.Space.Odyssey.1968.480P.Bluray.English.E...