Well, if you encode to mpeg2 at HD resolution, it will lose quality, but still be HD. HD has nothing to do with quality, just resolution.
If you want it to play on a DVD PLayer, then you have to encode it to DVD Resolution MPEG-2, so then it will no longer be HD. However, since you probably got it from a good quality source, the DVD can have the potential to be similar quality!!
A little off topic but the program Ashampoo Burning Studio can burn to Blu-ray discs/create Blu-ray movies. So if you ever want to burn the HD content as-is it might be worth giving it a shot.
sure it can but you first have to shell out mega bucks for the burner and then shell out like $25.00 for a blank disk and by that time you might as well just buy the movie, also i don't think that anyone has broke the encrepction yet for bluray, i use ashampoo for burning my dvd's, iand i am sure you have a bluray player to go with the hd tv, i would wait till the prices get a lot lower before i would start thinking about doing any burning of bluray disks
