8.9 | / 10 |
Users | 4.4 | |
Reviewer | 4.5 | |
Overall | 4.4 |
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.
Narrator: David Attenborough, Nikolay Drozdov, Thomas Anguti JohnstonDocumentary | 100% |
Nature | 92% |
Video codec: VC-1
Video resolution: 1080i
Aspect ratio: 1.78:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.78:1
English: Dolby Digital 5.1
English SDH, French, Spanish
25GB Blu-ray Disc
Four-disc set (4 BDs)
Region free
Movie | 4.5 | |
Video | 4.5 | |
Audio | 3.0 | |
Extras | 0.0 | |
Overall | 4.5 |
A baby elephant is separated from its mother in an arid stretch of the African plains. The baby's form, in remarkable definition and clarity, marches slowly as the camera pulls back. And back. And back. Until the elephant is just a spot in the middle of a vast, lifeless stretch of land. This spectacular feat of camerawork is just one example of the dramatic shots in BBC's remarkable nature series, Planet Earth. Using helicopter-mounted stabilization technology, the documentary's camera crew worked for five years to capture Earth's most hidden and awe-inspiring views and bring them into our living rooms. Their work culminated in this documentary, now available as a complete collection on Blu-ray. Each one-hour episode includes breathtaking scenes of landscapes, animals and naural phenomena that leave you awed and amazed.
The technical merits of Planet Earth's picture are impressive. Featuring the VC-1 codec at 1080p
and a 1.78:1 aspect ratio, the contrast, black level and definition approximate reference quality.
No pixellation or digital artifacts are observed. The only reasonable criticisms have to do with dark
scenes that obviously aren't resolved as clearly as daytime footage. That is to be expected, but a
flaw has been observed. The dark areas show a very subtle strobing effect. For this reason, Planet
Earth does not earn a perfect video rating, even though the strobing effect is almost
imperceptible and not visible to most viewers.
The most notable feature of the documentary is its striking aerial footage. Many of the
documentary's landscapes are best viewed from the air and so the camera crews take to the skies
for bird's eye views. Nowhere is this exemplified better than in the "Mountains" episode with its
rock steady footage of the Andes and Himalayas. The solid picture is stunning even compared to
other documentaries like Blue Planet, which features mind-blowing views, but a
noisy picture that trembles in many scenes.
So why doesn't the picture tremble in Planet Earth? After all, much of the footage comes from
helicopters and cameras battered by wind, using incredible zoom magnifications sensitive to the
slightest movement and vibration. The camera crews use an advanced stabilization technology
called Cineflex. It involves floating the lens and a sensor inside a gyro-stabilized, immobile ball.
The Cineflex bubble is impervious to movement, no matter what motion comes from the
helicopter or the wind. To deliver the best possible picture, much of the documentary uses a
$90,000 high-definition camera with a telephoto lens capable of 84 times magnification. But
resolution and zoom strength mean little if the camera is unstable and subject to airborne
vibrations, and that is why the Cineflex technology is so important. It allows us to enjoy the most
dramatic views and most exotic creatures on the planet with a depth and definition that is lifelike
and vivid.
The most prominent audio is the voice of David Attenborough and the somewhat shelved
orchestral score. Only occasionally are the sounds of the animals captured and included in the
mix. With a low-resolution audio track, one is left wondering how much better the sound
definition could have been. Frankly, Attenborough's voice sounds crisp and detailed, and the
strings sound warm and palpable, though not gorgeously defined. The rear channels may as well
never have been used and therefore, audio is the greatest room for improvement in the
development of future documentaries.
One scene in particular reveals much about the audible merits of Planet Earth, when
Attenborough is filmed in a tropical rainforest during the evening in the episode entitled
"Jungles". The audio engineering isn't bad, but having recently returned from treking
in the Guatemalan
rainforest, I realize that the documentary is incapable of resolving the complex cacaphony of
creature's
calls, cries, croacking, clicking, creaking, cackling, and chirping. In Guatemala, I heard the sounds
of a unique
species of frog that is not unlike the revving engines of cars at the Indy 500. Intermingled with
all
manner of insects and
nocturnal creatures in an orgy of feeding and sexual activity the "live performance" is far beyond
what I should expect from a documentary on Blu-ray. And yet I have heard content that comes
close. Warner will need to do far better
than low-resolution, Dolby Digital mixes if it expects to deliver lifelike audio that convinces
audiences they're hearing the real thing. While we can't expect perfect recordings and encodings,
hopefully higher aspirations are within reach, now that
Warner's days of dumbing down HD content to produce both HD DVD and Blu-ray are nearing an
end. Starting in May, Warner will be able to stretch out and fully utilize BD's 50 GB capacity
without worrying about exceeding HD DVD's 30 GB limit. This may mean lossless PCM
audio tracks.
But Planet Earth's sound quality is much better than other documentaries, like Blue
Planet. The mix of the latter was all over the map, with various sounds mixed in
gimmicky manner to the rear speakers when they did not belong there. Thankfully, Attenborough
remains anchored in the center channel and the minimal use of surrounds is actually very
tasteful for this kind of documentary. The real showcase is the picture, and that is rightfully
allowed to take center stage with no distractions in the soundstage.
Although the Blu-ray version of Planet Earth includes 90 minutes not shown in the broadcast version, no supplementary or "making of" material is included. It would have been nice, but 11 hours of viewing material is enough to wade through. I'm not sure I would have been in the mood to watch bonus features beyond the excellent footage provided.
From the deepest cave to the highest summit, across the oceans and the ice of the polar regions, into the jungles and deep underwater, Planet Earth takes you places that you will likely never go. But who needs to go, thanks to the impeccable camera work and 1080p presentation of the Blu-ray set. Obviously, what puts Planet Earth in a class of its own is the camerawork and the picture. While not the most educational documentary, it offers many new places to see and animals to meet. And Attenborough is a world-class host, with an authoritative delivery and relaxed style--the perfect guide to take you places you've never been. Very highly recommended.
US Discovery Channel Edition
2006
The Complete Series | Special Edition
2006
The Complete Series | Limited Edition
2006
BBC / Narrated by David Attenborough
2009
BBC
2011
2016
2006
2007
2007
The Original UK Series
2011
2009
2008
2008
2009
IMAX
2008
Double Feature with The Dream is Alive
1990
2017
2010
IMAX
2009
2008
1992
Disneynature
2007
2003