159 of 166 people found the following review helpful:
Remarkable achievement with minor limitations
Documentary: 5/5, Picture: 3-5/5, Extras: 4/5
The Documentary
Planet Earth takes a rather different approach to Sir David Attenborough's previous Life series: instead of taking a species or phylum, it explores a particular habitat. This is not so much a geological study of the Earth but rather a broad survey of the rarely seen or visited habitats and...
8 of 10 people found the following review helpful:
Hmm... Cut corners here :(
I recieved the original DVD box set for Christmas a couple of years ago and loved it so decided to purchase this Blu-Ray version. However, a couple of corners seem to have been cut.
While running this on my Blu-Ray player I noticed that some scenes, while in high definition, were considerably jerkier than before. I don't know if thats down to the Blu-Ray...
The Documentary
Planet Earth takes a rather different approach to Sir David Attenborough's previous Life series: instead of taking a species or phylum, it explores a particular habitat. This is not so much a geological study of the Earth but rather a broad survey of the rarely seen or visited habitats and their inhabitants, with an emphasis on how they adapt to the forces of nature. At times it looks more like showing off spectacular scenery than a systematic study. Coverage is by no means exhaustive but what is presented is truly remarkable. Episode one takes you from the South to the North Pole, passing the various forest ecosystems and desserts in between and is a preview of later episodes.
If you have watched the Life series and the BBC's Blue Planet you will notice some familiarity in Planet Earth. There are recurrent themes on survival and adaptive behaviour. I am constantly reminded of and impressed by the resilience of life.
Memorable shots are too many to mention but polar bear cubs exploring the snowy slopes, the great white shark leaping out of water (with footage slowed down 40 times) and snow covered mountains come to mind. I particularly like the aerial views.
Picture: VC-1 1080p 16:9
The main feature IS "1080/24p", as indicated by my Pioneer BD player. The production for broadcast is mastered in 25p from various framerates (details on bbcresources.com); the PAL DVD is in 50i (equivalent to 25p) and each episode runs for 48 minutes (excluding the extras) compared to 50 minutes on Blu-ray. So the Blu-ray runtime is in keeping with a 25p to 24p slowdown. The 1080i v. 1080p feud has been blown out of all proportions. For the material shot on video the HD cameras used in the early 2000s were mostly 720p; note it says on the back "some footage was not captured in full HD". While a lot of scenes are spectacular there are occasional artefacts. People who find Blu-ray to be softer than HD broadcast have incorrect set-up somewhere in the video signal chain: it is not the fault of the Blu-ray.
The Narration and Sound Track (Dolby Digital 5.1)
The background narration is occasionally too soft. The script is very well written, full of interesting statistics and entirely appropriate without being verbose. The music when present adds to the serenity of the magnificent scenery or the drama of hunting scenes. Subtitles are in English only.
The Substituted Extras (1080/60i)
Regrettably this release does not have the original DVD extras: the 10 minute "Diaries" at the end of each episode and the 'Planet Earth - The Future' feature (2h56') and people felt let down. The "Dairies" are interesting and the message on the state of the planet is of course important and the BBC underestimated the viewer's sentiment. But the extras included here, Dessert Lions and Snow Leopards (the subject of DVD episode 2 "Diaries") from the BBC's Natural World in HD are interesting programmes in their own right and more amenable to repeated viewing. The biologist who tagged collars on the snow leopards died recently so that makes it even more valuable to watch. But it would be better to give us the original extras and have Natural World on a separate release.
Which version to get?
The US Discovery Channel version is truncated and has an American non-naturalist narrator so that is a non-starter. This UK version has the same encoding as the US BBC/Warner four-disc version (both region free) but has the extras on a fifth disc and hence the best value. If you cannot live without the original extras then borrow the DVD.
A must-have for every Blu-ray library
Just marvel at the contents: once you understand the technical issues you will realise that whatever technical limitations there are they are really of no great significance here.
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Watching this release on a Full HD set is, for lack of a better word, astonishing. I watched this series with my jaw open, and at times was actually moved to tears by the stunning beauty of the images of our planet on show here. This is what I invested in Blu ray for, and time and time again, hi def proves not be a marketing gimmick but a genuine next-step experience in home entertainment; the amount of pin-point detail, dimensionality and scale takes you into the images, so that you feel as if you are there, and in this regard Blu ray is involving in a way DVD cannot match. The wonderful thing about Planet Earth on Blu ray is that the stunning image actually makes clear the filmmakers intentions-not necessarily to give an in-depth education, but to remind us of the beauty and awe inherent to our troubled planet, and the vast open vistas, mountains, plains on show here are enough to make anyone remember why our planet is so very special and worth saving. If that isn't reason enough to invest in this set, I don't know what is.
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It is outstanding.
I rented it but then bought the USA import version because of Amazon Reviews. This was a costly mistake and 1 disc less.
My Panasonic Blu Ray player info when playing picture reports this as 1080p. I have a full 1080p 37inch Panasonic TV.
The "extra" disc is 1080i so the packaging reports the whole as 1080i
Some people say the USA import is so much better. I think this is a case of " The Emporers New Clothes" fairy tale.
I have read all the arguments regarding buying the US import version and found this report on an AV forum which I believe to be correct.
Quote
ALL versions of Planet Earth, on both HD DVD and Blu Ray, are 1080P. IT DOES NOT MATTER WHERE YOU BOUGHT IT OR WHAT IT SAYS ON THE BOX, THE MAIN PROGRAMMES ARE ALL IN 1080P, WITHOUT EXCEPTION.
The video files (as in actual size in MB) are exactly the same size on both versions (US/UK); just try both versions in your player, you will not see a difference.
The UK version mentions 1080i on the box because the 'extra' programmes are in 1080i, but this is at 30fps so the motion looks much better than the main programmes anyway. The 1080i on the box is merely the BBC trying to cover themselves against accusations of false advertising.
Whats worse than people on forums talking nonsense is that if you look at Amazon or Play..com there are people posting 'reviews' which are saying it is 1080i and that they are disgusted with the BBC etc and telling people to buy the US version. There people should ask themselves WHY the BBC would release a lower quality product in the UK - this would cost MORE money, and they would gain nothing in return. The answer is THEY HAVEN'T. It's all 1080p. Use yer loaf!
So please lets stop this nonsense, any lack of image quality in Planet Earth is due to the original recording technology used (24p film / early HD cameras) and not the release format.
If you want the best demo 'nature' disc then just get BBC's Galapagos, it's not as interesting but you'll have no complaints about PQ. (and YES it's 1080p, AND 30fps.
<end rant>
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Lots of people here arating this box set badly on the grounds that some parts aren't in high-res or not full 1080p. They don't seem to understand that this series was filmed on many many different cameras and was shot in real world environments in many many locations and not in a controlled studio environment. So not all the footage is in full HD or even 720p in some cases. It's as good as you're going to get for some time and besides, it's a great documentary with or without 1080p so stop your whinging.
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What better way to show off your HD TV with this ground breaking series covering our entire planet! The picture quality is 1080p and gives amazing results on my Samsung LE40M86 1080p LCD TV - the range of colours and the amount of detail is amazing - you will have never experienced this before on a TV.
For PS3 users, ensure you have the v.1.9 firmware update, to enable forced 24Hz output (this will avoid judder on the fast moving landscape shots) if you have a 24Hz capable TV.
If you can't wait till October, as this is a multi-region release, you can buy the US version, which has been available since April. It is on Amazon.com for $66 (that's £33 as current exchange rates go), which is where I bought my copy from. It works great with no problems. I would only say shame on the BBC for releasing it in the US before the UK.
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To respond to the point made in first review, the UK blu-ray release includes the fifth disk available in the standard definition box set which is not included in the US high definition versions. I personally would wait for the release of the UK version.
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As Mr Bradford already said in a previous review I also believe this is 1080p intead of 1080i. And here is why :
When I play the disc and check the info my tv is being feeded, it first says 1920x1080i@60hz and then switches when the documantery actually starts to 1920x1080@24hz.
So I really think it is 1080p and not 1080i as stated on the cover.
I can't believe some people compare it with the 480i dvd version ?? Where are you playing it on ?? I think you better buy a new tv because on my Samsung F86 I get a fantastic image.
Not all shots are razor sharp, but mostly they are and if I use the motion flow option (low) on my Samsung it sometimes looks like looking through a window instead watching television. A friend who's not into HD didn't believe his eyes watching this and was highly impressed by this image.
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This is a truly landmark documentary series. I am a big fan of documentaries about nature and like to watch a lot of Discovery/Nat Geo films so I guess I can say that I do know something about the "genre".
Planet Earth is by far the best film of its kind I've ever seen: stunning visuals, brilliant direction and narration - it has everything to make you watch pretty much every second with astonishment and admiration. The sheer effort and time it took to produce it is nothing short of amazing (the "diaries" after each episode is arguably as exciting as the film itself) Even non-enthusiasts are guaranteed against dissapointment.
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You just have to see these jaw-dropping images to believe them.
It is also a humbling experience for human beings like us. There are a lot of lives goiing on out there without our knowing anything about them.
Hats off to the production team that has conceived and realized this awe-inspiring porject.
Sir David is a great plus as well. His narration convines seriousness with humour that helps us get through each episode and leaves us wanting for more.
Each episode does fall into the recurring predator/prey pattern but it doesn't matter. It is definitely worth the money.
It is one of the best high-def. experience you can every have.
Highly recommended.
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