Well.. that seems to affect the material bought from iTMS.
Does DVD player of the same generation of Macs do any of the same limitations?
If the legally bought movie DVDs would exhibit this same "genuine advantage" (throwing nice words to mask the crippleware part of it..) "benefit", then... well, VLC and avis sound more tempting again.
How often do they change the 'additional terms' of using iTMS?
http://www.apple.com/legal/itunes/uk/service.html at least on today that shows
(xvi) HDMI. An HDCP connection is required in order to view films (purchased or rented) and TV programmes transmitted over HDMI. Content in high definition resolution (HD) is viewable only on computers or TVs using your Apple TV and must be downloaded directly to your computer or Apple TV.