Planet Earth - The RIGHT Version? (1 Viewer)

[Ric Easton]

I've seen some short making of docs with the camera folks on the HD Discovery channel. Anyone know if any of these are included in either version? I thought the stuff with them crashing into trees in the hot air baloon was pretty good.

 

[Jon Martin]

I caught part of this show this afternoon on Discovery.

All I can say is WOW.

I'm not one for nature documentaries, but it was the whole sequence with a polar bear, and the walruses. I was hooked. The photography was amazing.

Unfortunately, there were so many commercials, I stopped watching and will probably just order the DVD set.

Looks to be a great set.

 

[ErichH]

Jon

The first time for me was a few weeks ago, it was Mountains & one other chapter, but they kept doing reruns of the 2 for the next week and I gave up trying to catch a schedule for the others.

You're right, nature docs come and go, but this is one I gotta own.

E

 

[Sumnernor]

I have the PAL Region 2 Version as given on the Amazon-UK. So I would assume that the US version ought to be very similer. The UK set does indeed have David Attenborough. There are 5 DVDs. All with english subtitles. With the UK version, the documentaries are:

Disk 1 - "Pole To Pole"; "Mountains"; "Fresh Water"

Disk 2 - "Caves", "Deserts"; Ice Worlds

Disk 3 - "Great Plains"; "Jungles"; "Shallow Seas"

Disk 4 - "Seasonal Forests"; Ocean Deep"

Each program is about 59 minutes (PAL) long which includes the circa 10 minute "Diaries" which is a small "Making of". One poster stated "WOW"! There are alot of "WOWS" in this set such as a very rare Panther chasing a mountain goat on the side of a mountain which is mostly vertical. Very interesting is "Caves" where there are thousands of Bats residing at the top of the cave and their droppings are food for the millions of cockroaches residing on the floor in case one wants to raise cockroaches as pets!

Disk 5 - "Planet Earth - the Future"

This disk contains 3 circa 59 Minute (PAL)documentaries:
"Saving Species";"Into Wilderness"; "Living Together".

There are a number of experts commenting including David Attenborough. About 30-40% shows various peoples talking. It show many pictures shown in Disks 1-4 but disk 5 in very informative. Topics were about the climate change; man and animal; ways of life. One person stated that if anyone in the world wanted the same way of life as in the US, one would need three earths to support that!
I have just looked at these 3 docs again. I consider that, from the BBC viewpoint, the topics discudded is the meat. It deals with the problems of the planet and what to do. For the HD people, missing the 3 docs is a big loss.

I can highly recommend this set. I don't have "HD" but have a very good quality tube widescreen TV (26" x 14.5") by "Loewe". I really don't see how HD will greatly improve the pictures which are very spectacular.

In Germany, there is a 2 volume set of 5 DVDs which has german and english but no subtitles. Also missing is the contents of the UK disk 5 "Planet Earth - the Future". All the makings are on the 2nd volume. Much better when they follow the particular documentary. It also turns out that the UK set is slightly cheaper than the german version!

 

[Arnie G]

Shouldn't this go in the TV Forum?

 

[MarkHastings]

Considering the title (i.e. the RIGHT version), we're obviously talking about the DVD's since the TV broadcast isn't the 'right' version

 

[Sumnernor]

I did not bring this up in my above post BUT the 5th DVD about "Planet Earth - the Future" is on the PAL version circa 3 x 59 minutes (circa 3 hours) yet according to Amazon.com it is on the NTSC version it is 90 minutes. I know that the timings of PAL and NTSC are different - could the US version be cut!

 

[ErichH]

The US R1 I ordered from Amazon mentioned 150 minutes on disk 5. I get the impression it's a match to your R2, but 2.5 hours vs your 3X59 minutes. Same 10 minute Diaries, etc.
I don't have it yet. Normally I'll go local, but my fav B&M was 16 bucks higher on this one.

E

 

[ErichH]

And it's a Documentary, yes?

 

[MarkHastings]

I just noticed something VERY interesting...

I assume you (Jon) didn't watch the HD presentation of the show? The HD presentations are 45 minutes of footage (with one commercial break in the middle), followed by another commercial break and a 15 minute documentary piece.

The SD presentation is just the 45 minute segment (i.e. without the 15 minute documentary) which makes for a TON of commercial breaks.

 

[Sumnernor]

I wrongly stated above that the US/R1 version of the 3 part program "Planet Earth - the Future" on Amazon.com was 90 minutes. As stated by ErichH who stated 2.5 hours.

I believe when a movie is converted from NTSC to PAL - there is a "speedup" of about 4 or 5 %. Therefore in the other direction - there is a "speed-down". As example, I have both the NTSC version of the "current" ET (1:59:45) and the PAL version (1:54:24). So, if I have for the PAL version of "Planet Earth - the Future" 3 x 59 min, the NTCS version must be longer. IF it isn't, it appears the US version is cut???! Could someone who has obtained the non-HD version post the timings of the 3 docs.

 

[EricSchulz]

I just cracked open my set...there is no individual time listed for any of the items on the packaging, but the first program on the "The Future" (disc 5) does run at 59 minutes. I am assuming that will be true of the other two on that disc.

 

[Jonny P]

Can someone with this miniseries please tell us how the picture quality looks?

Thanks in advance.

 

[Sumnernor]

I am not sure what you mean by "miniseries". I am now speaking of the UK PAL non-DH release but I find the on my very good tube TV, a very good picture quality. I can't really see how HD types are that much better. I am speaking about the 11 docs not the Planet Earth Future. It uses some of the material from the 11 docs. Here the quality for me is acceptable.

 

[ErichH]

I'm midway through the 3rd disk. First, the content is amazing and the approach is the best yet of any series I can recall. Audio is subtle, but good use of surround when needed. The section on Rain Forest sounds is really great.
LF kicks in nicely whenever there are Elephants or Whales - any large event with water, etc.
Wow, the colors, the birds and fish, the caves!

The quality is excellent on my humble system. I'm still 480 here - well, a Pioneer DV79 to a 52 JVC, so ...

This has to be spectacular on BD or HD. Straight HD video with no treatment - shooting the most colorful stuff on the planet. The long high shots are the only place I noticed a big difference from the Discovery HD and the DVD. There will be plenty of 1080 reviews popping up on this.

E

 

[Sumnernor]

Yes - this on the 10 minute making of following the doc "Seasonal Forests". This is on the PAL R2/UK version and should be in the USA R1 standard DVD set.

 

[Robin_B]

Oh it be better, believe me.

 

[Mike~Sileck]

Hey guys..

This seems to be the only open thread on the matter, so I'll post it here. I have a PS3 and an HD-DVD player, so I'm gonna buy either the Blu Ray, or the HD-DVD set...the thing is, I can't figure out which to buy.

Has anyone heard anything one way or another?

Also, on Amazon, they are 66.67 right now, is that the best price I can get on the high def versions?

Thanks so much for your help!

 

[Corey]

sucks for you guys. luckily i'm not in the HD craze so i'll settle for standard version packed with extras.

 

[Cees Alons]

Do you mean us HD DVD version buyers? We have the best looking version there is.


Cees