How important is average bitrate?

[okyup]

I was looking on DVD Beaver at this film (http://www.dvdbeaver.com/film/DVDCompare5/solaris.htm). They recommend the Criterion Collection version with 5.6 mb/s average bitrate over the versions with 8.14 mb/s. I'm just curious why there would be such a big difference and how the high bitrate versions could be worse. How much can be said about quality based on average bitrate?

[Blue_MiSfit]

Very little. Quality varies highly depending on the encoder used, and the settings chosen.

Criterion usually does a very good job.

The recommendation may have more to do with content than compression. Criterion is usually meticulous about getting the original, uncut versions of films.

~MiSfit

[Slogra]

If you just look at the screenshots of the Criterion edition you can see it is sharper, the colors are better and there is less cropping.
You don't need to know the bitrate to see that.

In theory a higher bitrate gives best potential picture.
But have to agree with Blue_MiSfit, encoding quality heavily depends on the actual encoder and settings they used.
And you can never fix a bad master with a high bitrate.

Although the Criterion edition has a lower average bitrate, it does have a high peak bitrates in the 9Mb/s, which is slightly higher than the other versions' peak bitrates.