![]() ![]() More so because I genuinely wanted to know more about this ground breaking production. I've seen a brief "making of" following the Disco HD broadcasts, which were excellent, and it's a bummer they weren't offered here on this $70 set. The single disappointment in this otherwise superlative set is a lack of any extra features of any kind. It doesn't get in the way by a long shot, but also doesn't match the grandeur of the video but perhaps no audio presentation could fill such a tall order. The 640kbps DD audio is serviceable and nothing more. Because the Disco HD broadcasts are so good this is some of the most compelling evidence yet that disc-based HD is a big step-up from broadcast and amust for discerning enthusiasts. These disc-based HD presentations are sharper and clearer and completely devoid of artifacts of any kind, compression or otherwise. I was very impressed with the episodes of PE I saw on Discovery HD, but they literally pale in comparison to the Blu-ray and HD DVD presentations. Any shortcomings in the image (like noisy, low-res nighttime shots) are clearly a result of the source material not the transfer. And the transfer is certainly sharp enough to easily spot the few sequences that appear to upconverted from standard-def. It's still the best-looking nature footage I've seen in terms of quality and content. If it falls just ever so short of that, it's understandable given that this photography took place far from controlled conditions. Most of the sequences throughout the four-disc set are at the precipice of the "looking through a window" gold standard that only video-based HD can seemingly provide. Most of the footage here is near-perfect and pristine- bold colors, strikingly sharp images with excellent detail- I was especially stricken by clarity of the aerial photography and above earth shots. ![]() There is nothing I'm aware of to choose between the two formats on this one. PLANET EARTH 3D BLU RAY 1080PThe 1080p video is presented in identical VC-1 encodes on Blu-ray and HD DVD, with identical 448kbps Dolby Digital tracks. Would have been nice for a little change-up every now and again or even an audio option for both. On Discovery HD's broadcast of Ocean Deep (and reportedly others), Sigourney Weaver narrated to great effect. One note- the narrator in all these episodes is David Attenborough, who sounds strikingly similar to John Cleese. This material would hold my interest even it weren't captured gloriously in HD. I was left gaping at many of the creatures and much of the footage here. Planet Earth was shot over a five-year period, almost exclusively in HD, and features some of the most stunning, how in the heck did they get that footage nature photography I've ever seen. ![]() And I should know- my two-year old son has us watching several of these episodes (especially Shallow Seas and Ocean Deep) several times a week. PLANET EARTH 3D BLU RAY SERIESNot only is the BBC's Planet Earth series spectacular hi-def eye candy, it's so well-made and narratively compelling that it holds up to an insane number of repeated viewings. ![]()
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