Planet Earth: The Definitive Thread

[blackhawktraffic]

So by now I assume most people own Planet Earth on Blu-Ray. I mean some ways how could you be a real Blu Ray Fan without it? Each episode I watch the more amazed I am about the Planet we live in. I'm sure everyone agrees that it is perhaps the best if not one of the best nature documentaries ever made.

With that being said which episodes are everyones favorites? I am curious to see which ones rank higher than others and for what reason you like them. Also what do you think they could have done better to enhance it? Feel free to make and comments just curious to see what everyone thinks



Planet Earth Blu-ray

Planet Earth Blu-ray Review

[Waiterguy]

I absolutely loved the Planet Earth series, and was really looking forward to it coming to blu-ray, and then they changed the narrator. I know he is an award winner, etc. I just really enjoyed Sigourney Weaver's narration, and wish they would make another set with her narration.

[blackhawktraffic]

Originally Posted by Waiterguy

I absolutely loved the Planet Earth series, and was really looking forward to it coming to blu-ray, and then they changed the narrator. I know he is an award winner, etc. I just really enjoyed Sigourney Weaver's narration, and wish they would make another set with her narration.

So you got the Discovery Channel version not the BBC one?

[Lepton]

I love PE. But I think the image quality suffered due to the shared encoding with HD-DVD.

VC-1 does a terrible job with lower quality footage. For instance the "caves" scenes used low-light (i.e., high-noise) digital and film. VC-1 dumped tons of the noise and took some of the detail with it. Blacks and shadows were flooded with this non-Gaussian "filtered" looking noise.

I would instantly buy BD-50 high-bitrate versions where noise is more natural, and detail is preserved.

[majorlos]

you can get the one with Sigourney Weaver's narration from the discovery channel website

[blackhawktraffic]

Originally Posted by Lepton

I love PE. But I think the image quality suffered due to the shared encoding with HD-DVD.

VC-1 does a terrible job with lower quality footage. For instance the "caves" scenes used low-light (i.e., high-noise) digital and film. VC-1 dumped tons of the noise and took some of the detail with it. Blacks and shadows were flooded with this non-Gaussian "filtered" looking noise.

I would instantly buy BD-50 high-bitrate versions where noise is more natural, and detail is preserved.

Yeah some of the Cave shots were horrible looking, but other than that i was pretty impressed.

[blackjackmark]

Originally Posted by majorlos

you can get the one with Sigourney Weaver's narration from the discovery channel website

Is it the same video quality as the BBC one? (i.e. they simply took the encoded video from the BBC version and stripped out Attenborough's narration and replaced with Sigourney's voice?)

[richteer]

Originally Posted by Waiterguy

I absolutely loved the Planet Earth series, and was really looking forward to it coming to blu-ray, and then they changed the narrator. I know he is an award winner, etc. I just really enjoyed Sigourney Weaver's narration, and wish they would make another set with her narration.

Umm, David Attenborough is the ORIGINAL narrator of Planet Earth; it's Sigourney Weaver who is the replacement!

But if you insist, you can purchase the version with Sigourney's narration from Discovery's web site. This version is also shorter than the original, to make way for commercials...

[blackhawktraffic]

Originally Posted by blackjackmark

Is it the same video quality as the BBC one? (i.e. they simply took the encoded video from the BBC version and stripped out Attenborough's narration and replaced with Sigourney's voice?)

I believe that is the only difference is that along with a seprate case for each disc of it as well...covers are a bit different as well but audio/video i don't think i have heard of a difference.

[Deciazulado]

Actually there will be 3 versions of Blu-ray Planet Earth

1) Region A BBC/Warner - Attenborough narration (out now) 24p
2) Region A Discovery - Weaver narration (out now) 24p? 60i?
3) Region B BBC/2 Entertain - Attenborough narration, with a couple of extras on a 5th disc (October) ?




Since I don't have the Discovery version I can't confirn if there is a diference in content but I have the idea that it might seem shorter because it's could be running at 50i standards converted to 60i as the US broadcast could have been. The BBC/Warner Region A is at 24p (I compared the running times and the content to the PAL DVD version which I have, and content wise nothing was missing in the Warner Region A from the program itself)

[lch]

us version is 1080i, bbc version is 1080p
right ?

[Deciazulado]

The US Region A released (the discs are region free) Warner/BBC version is 1080p24 <-- I have this

I don't have the US Discovery channel version. All my other Discovery programs on BD are in 1080i60. If anyone has the Discovery version of Planet Earth maybe they can chime in if it's in 1080p24 or 1080i60.




I would think the UK Region B BBC/2 Entertain version would be in 25p/50i as that is the format it was broadcast there, but it hasn't come out yet.

update: ^ Is in 1080p24

[blackhawktraffic]

Originally Posted by Deciazulado

The US Region A released (the discs are region free) Warner/BBC version is 1080p24 <-- I have this

I don't have the US Discovery channel version. All my other Discovery programs on BD are in 1080i60. If anyone has the Discovery version of Planet Earth maybe they can chime in if it's in 1080p24 or 1080i60.




I would think the UK Region B BBC/2 Entertain version would be in 25p/50i as that is the format it was broadscast there, but it hasn't come out yet.

Discovery Channels website doesn't list the specs on it, but i cant see why they would downgrade it visually but Deciazulado is right about all the other Discovery Channel blu rays being 1080i

[glenn22]

I know this box set has been out for EVER, but I just recently got interested in picking it up after talking to a friend who had watch it on his PC. What do you guys think about it? worth getting? the price is now $66 instead of the rahter high $100 is was before.

[skubrick]

This is the most impressive documentary I've ever seen. The picture quality is amazing in most scenes. I don't buy many, but I've been looking to find a good deal on this one.

I'd get it!

[SS316SRV]

It is worth every penny. It is the BEST picture quality I have ever seen on blu. The audio isn't anything special. But it is worth having in your collection. It looks amazing and it is really interesting. You might actually learn something.

[alain turgeon]

If you like documentary it's a must have and at this price it's even better. I have it and i paid it 89.99 cdn$

[tiger roach]

Buy it. Buy it now.

We've watched the first three episodes so far - it is spectacular. Just one amazing shot to the next - nonstop sensory overload.

If you search the board for this topic you will be hard pressed to find a negative comment on this release.

HTH

[DavePS3]

Visually, I felt the most impressive episode was Shallow Seas but the episode that blew my mind was Seasonal Forests. That fungus out of the Ants' dead brains still freaks me out!

[tiger roach]

Originally Posted by DavePS3

Visually, I felt the most impressive episode was Shallow Seas but the episode that blew my mind was Seasonal Forests. That fungus out of the Ants' dead brains still freaks me out!

Hey, no spoilers!!!

(j/k)