[schoudha]

5mbps, encoded at 720p, with a decent h264 decoder will far exceed DVD quality with audio and video. Apple TV is a good example of this.

10mbps will approach blu-ray.

[joezydeco]

I'm curious what the satellite broadcasters are using for their HD streams. I've read anywhere from 8 to 10 mbps for a "good" stream (e.g. HBO), but since they encode variably I bet it cranks way down for other channels (like news channels or comedy central).