Planet Earth - The Complete BBC Series [Blu-ray]. Now up at Amazon

[Deciazulado]

per HD Digest

My main reason for posting is to wonder if this BBC production was shot in 25fps and if it was, how is it gonna be handled by the BD players or the transfer.

[Maximus]

It would be filmed in 24fps, and broadcast with PAL speedup.

[Deciazulado]

So why is the DVD and Blu-ray being released in 4 discs in the US, while the PAL box set is five DVD-9s with 643 minutes? If it's speeded up, the NTSC/Blu-ray release should be almost 671 minutes (almost half an hour longer.)

[Maximus]

Originally Posted by Deciazulado

So why is the DVD and Blu-ray being released in 4 discs in the US, while the PAL box set is five DVD-9s with 643 minutes? If it's speeded up, the NTSC/Blu-ray relese should be almost 671 minutes (almost half an hour longer.)

Because the BBC is a UK company, that is just the way things are.

[Konrad]

I watched it in standard definition on Austrian television (PAL) and it is an outstanding documentary. While watching it I wished that it would become available on blu-ray. This is for me an absolute purchase I am looking forward to it!

[BriS2K]

I watched a bit of it on TV, CBC-HD, and it was absolutely amazing. I can't wait to get this on BD and see it to the full.

[56@Yamamoto]

Basically, "Planet Earth" series is a joint project BBC and NHK(Nippon Hosoh Kyokai, Japan Broadcasting Corporation).

Mainly, equipments are offered by Japanese side. Many of these equipments have been developped for this series. In many cases, HDCams which used in movie works are 1080/60p.

[DaveFi]

Watching them climb that dung hill in HD and hearing the crunch,crunch,crunch, is one of the grossest things I've ever experienced.

[Jodi]

Is anyone interested in or planning to buy the complete series of "Planet Earth" on Blu-Ray?
It is the 12 or 13 part documentary (shot ENTIRELY in HD) airing on Discovery (in US), the CBC (in Canada), and the BBC (in the UK where it was created and produced). It is narrated by Sir David Attenborough.
It looks like a super-cool program (especially for HD) and so I was wondering what your take is on it. This series comes out in the US and Canada on April 24.

Jodi

[DaveFi]

Originally Posted by Jodi

Is anyone interested in or planning to buy the complete series of "Planet Earth" on Blu-Ray?
It is the 12 or 13 part documentary (shot ENTIRELY in HD) airing on Discovery (in US), the CBC (in Canada), and the BBC (in the UK where it was created and produced). It is narrated by Sir David Attenborough.
It looks like a super-cool program (especially for HD) and so I was wondering what your take is on it. This series comes out in the US and Canada on April 24.

Jodi

Yes, I think a lot of us are planning on purchasing it, I know I am.

The US showing on DISC-HD a week before the BD release will not be narrated by Sir David Attenborough, for some strange reason they thought US audiences couldn't handle a British accent and decided to replace it with Sigourney Weaver. Thankfully the BD is supposed to have both Sir David and Sigourney (I think you can guess who 99.9% most people's preference will be).

For all 11 part set, plus extras not included in the broadcast for $99 MSRP, which should come in <$80 on Amazon after the 10% discount. I'll be looking forward to it.

[Blue]

It is narrated by Sir David Attenborough and produced by the BBC in HD. so I think safe to assume it's the same one. It's the same that was shown in Australia about 6 months ago. Although an excellent series that Great White leaping out of the water is just amazing.

[Deciazulado]

I wish people that posted a new thread about something used the Search feature first.



Anyway, my BondGirl and I watched this on PAL DVD last week courtesy of our Man in Great Britain, Dr. Who, and it looked simply amazing. Just made me drool thinking if it looked that good in 576 x 720 how it'd look in 1080 x 1920!

But as I'd suspected, it looked to me to be shot (mostly) and presented at 25 (Sir David Attenborough's voice sounded normal)


Now, I started this thread asking about the transfer, and Dr. Who came through and gave me this BBC Planet Earth article, which also confirms the 25p nature. The PAL DVD looking outstanding is a testament of what the article states for HD:

Originally Posted by Executive Producer Planet Earth, Alastair Fothergill

The detail HD gives is incredible. The Planet Earth footage is of the highest quality and totally unique. We wanted to be able to preserve the quality of the content

Now, I wonder what the Region A set will do with this. 25->24p? 25->60i?
Will it be 25p/50i? What about Region B? And how will the players and displays handle it?

I can't wait to see this on High Definition!

[WriteSimply]

Hopefully they'll encode it as 50i and deinterlace it as 25.

But Deci, how would you know how Attenbrough normally sounds like? Are you implying that Brits sound abnormal?


fuad

[Maximus]

Originally Posted by Deciazulado

I wish people that posted a new thread about something used the Search feature first.



Anyway, my BondGirl and I watched this on PAL DVD last week courtesy of our Man in Great Britain, Dr. Who, and it looked simply amazing. Just made me drool thinking if it looked that good in 576 x 720 how it'd look in 1080 x 1920!

But as I'd suspected, it looked to me to be shot (mostly) and presented at 25 (Sir David Attenborough's voice sounded normal)


Now, I started this thread asking about the transfer, and Dr. Who came through and gave me this BBC Planet Earth article, which also confirms the 25p nature. The PAL DVD looking outstanding is a testament of what the article states for HD:
Now, I wonder what the Region A set will do with this. 25->24p? 25->60i?
Will it be 25p/50i? What about Region B? And how will the players and displays handle it?

I can't wait to see this on High Definition!

All HDTVs must be able to handle 50i content, so they are built with a frequency changer, one for 100Hz and the other with a multiple of 24Hz (48,60,72). So the 50i signal will be put together into a 25p signal and then put out at 100Hz.

[degas]

I'm really looking forward to this!
I bought the 4-disc dvd set right before Christmas, before I knew it was coming in HD.
Fortunatly it's still sealed, and my sisters birthday is coming up, so I'll give the SD to her...and treat myself with some HD-love!

Win-Win

[DaveFi]

They've already started showing "making of" scenes from Planet Earth on DISC-HD and it looks amazing, so no worries.

[Deciazulado]

Originally Posted by Maxpower1987

All HDTVs must be able to handle 50i content, so they are built with a frequency changer, one for 100Hz and the other with a multiple of 24Hz (48,60,72). So the 50i signal will be put together into a 25p signal and then put out at 100Hz.

Err Maxie, you in the UK, no?

We in thee US.

I don't think all HDTVs here do 50Hz, ne?
The Panasonic Region A BD player doesn'teven play PAL DVDs

[Maximus]

Originally Posted by Deciazulado

Err Maxie, you in the UK, no?

We in thee US.

I don't think all HDTVs here do 50Hz, ne?
The Panasonic Region A BD player doesn'teven play PAL DVDs

It could indeed be a problem for you guys in the US .

[DaveFi]

Originally Posted by Maxpower1987

It could indeed be a problem for you guys in the US .

Guys, I already said they are broadcast previews of it on DISC-HD here in the US and in looks amazing. No problems.

[Deciazulado]

Well I think the Region A discs would then be done with a S & W standards conversion if the source is 25p, and be watched at 60Hz. Or maybe the players can do the conversion themselves for BD, the chipsets could do it. (Maybe kjack could illuminate us). I'm just wondering aloud since I like to know the particulars , and it makes me wonder if the Region B set would be the same or different from the Region A set, etc.
It's only from 56@Yamamoto's post that I'd thought it might been done a different way but the PAL disc looked smooth and the article specifies 25p so.

Originally Posted by Maxpower1987

All HDTVs must be able to handle 50i content, so they are built with a frequency changer, one for 100Hz and the other with a multiple of 24Hz (48,60,72). So the 50i signal will be put together into a 25p signal and then put out at 100Hz.

Because of that sometimes I think I need to buy more UK displays

Originally Posted by WriteSimply

But Deci, how would you know how Attenbrough normally sounds like? Are you implying that Brits sound abnormal?

Maybe I know him! . j/k


No, I wasn't implying that , I think Brits have great accents, I meant he didn't sound like he had inhaled helium as would happen if the film was shot and narrated at 24 and speeded up to 25 for the PAL disc (Of course they could have changed the pitch digitally, but being a BBC production shown in several PAL lands narrated by a British Sir I don't think so..)

Would speed down be why Sigourney narrates in the US?

Anybody knows the running time of the US versions?

Anyway here's an appetizer: