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Planet Earth - The Complete BBC Series [HD DVD]
Actor: David Attenborough
Rated: NR (Not Rated)
Retail Price (not our price): $99.98
Release Date: 2007-04-24
Studio: BBC Warner
Run Time: 550 minutes
Format: Array
Format: Box set, Color, Widescreen
Aspect Ratio: 1.78:1
Discs: 4


Editorial Reviews (supplied by Amazon.com):

1) Amazon.com
As of its release in early 2007, Planet Earth is quite simply the greatest nature/wildlife series ever produced. Following the similarly monumental achievement of The Blue Planet: Seas of Life, this astonishing 11-part BBC series is brilliantly narrated by Sir David Attenborough and sensibly organized so that each 50-minute episode covers a specific geographical region and/or wildlife habitat (mountains, caves, deserts, shallow seas, seasonal forests, etc.) until the entire planet has been magnificently represented by the most astonishing sights and sounds you'll ever experience from the comforts of home. The premiere episode, "From Pole to Pole," serves as a primer for things to come, placing the entire series in proper context and giving a general overview of what to expect from each individual episode. Without being overtly political, the series maintains a consistent and subtle emphasis on the urgent need for ongoing conservation, best illustrated by the plight of polar bears whose very behavior is changing (to accommodate life-threatening changes in their fast-melting habitat) in the wake of global warming--a phenomenon that this series appropriately presents as scientific fact. With this harsh reality as subtext, the series proceeds to accentuate the positive, delivering a seemingly endless variety of natural wonders, from the spectacular mating displays of New Guinea's various birds of paradise to a rare encounter with Siberia's nearly-extinct Amur Leopards, of which only 30 remain in the wild. That's just a hint of the marvels on display. Accompanied by majestic orchestral scores by George Fenton, every episode is packed with images so beautiful or so forcefully impressive (and so perfectly photographed by the BBC's tenacious high-definition camera crews) that you'll be rendered speechless by the splendor of it all. You'll see a seal struggling to out-maneuver a Great White Shark; swimming macaques in the Ganges delta; massive flocks of snow geese numbering in the hundreds of thousands; an awesome night-vision sequence of lions attacking an elephant; the Colugo (or "flying lemur"--not really a lemur!) of the Philippines; a hunting alliance of fish and snakes on Indonesia's magnificent coral reef; the bioluminescent "vampire squid" of the deep oceans... these are just a few of countless highlights, masterfully filmed from every conceivable angle, with frequent use of super-slow-motion and amazing motion-controlled time-lapse cinematography, and narrated by Attenborough with his trademark combination of observational wit and informative authority. The result is a hugely entertaining series that doesn't flinch from the predatory realities of nature (death is a constant presence, without being off-putting). At a time when the multiple threats of global warming should be obvious to all, let's give Sir David the last word, from the closing of Planet Earth's final episode: "We can now destroy or we can cherish--the choice is ours." --Jeff ShannonMore Planet EarthPlanet Earth on Blu-rayPlanet Earth on DVD More BBC DVDsStills from Planet Earth (click for larger image)

2) Description
With an unprecedented production budget of $25 million, and from the makers of Blue Planet: Seas of Life, comes the epic story of life on Earth. Five years in production, over 2,000 days in the field, using 40 cameramen filming across 200 locations, shot entirely in high definition, this is the ultimate portrait of our planet. A stunning television experience that captures rare action, impossible locations and intimate moments with our planet's best-loved, wildest and most elusive creatures. From the highest mountains to the deepest rivers, this blockbuster series takes you on an unforgettable journey through the daily struggle for survival in Earth's most extreme habitats. Planet Earth takes you to places you have never seen before, to experience sights and sounds you may never experience anywhere else.

Customer Reviews (supplied by Amazon.com):
Average Customer Rating: 4.5 out of 5

1) Looks great, but missing material...   [Rating: 4 out of 5]
The series looks absolutely stunning in HD, but I can't give it a 5 star review due to missing material.Each episode on the DVD is 10 minutes longer than the HD version, adding up to 110 minutes of missing material. It's lovely that the Blu-Ray and HD-DVD versions look so much better, but there's no excuse for them to be missing segments that appear on the standard DVD.The standard DVD package also includes a 5th disc which is missing from the Blu-Ray and HD-DVD versions. This disc contains 3 one hour episodes entitled "Planet Earth - The Future", that's another hour and a half of missing material.So in the end, HD customers are billed more for the series and presented with around 4 hours less material.

2) X-Box 360 problems   [Rating: 3 out of 5]
Bought it, but it didn't play all my discs on the X-Box 360 HD-DVD. Just read reviewer who said you can download patch from x-box live. Only question is; why did some of the discs work without the patch and some didn't? Brilliant series though.....pity about the tech problems.

3) Planet Earth HD-DVD   [Rating: 4 out of 5]
Most of the photography is GREAT! However, too many shots seem to be less than High Definition. I would have preferred a higher-quality sound as well. Overall, I'd still recommend this DVD.

4) Jaw-dropping celebration of life!   [Rating: 5 out of 5]
After having purchased this set, I must say that I am awestruck with the beauty and depth of content here!The documentary contains both animals and views of nature that most people will never experience in real life. I found the quality and narration both to be top-notch.If you have HD capability, this is the first set of discs you should buy!

5) A must have for all HD DVD collections   [Rating: 5 out of 5]
There are two nature documentaries that stand head and shoulders above the rest: Blue Planet and Planet Earth. These two documentaries are so well made, you will constantly be wondering throughout the documentary how it's possible to get such great shots. BBC was given unprecedented access to areas of our planet I never thought existed and I was in constant awe of the masterpiece this documentary is. If you own an HD DVD player, this set of DVD's is a requirement for any collection.