Spectacular Panoramic Views of Planet Earth

I saw parts of the original US broadcast of 'Planet Earth' about one year ago on the Discovery Channel. Even in standard-definition "regular" TV I thought that the series was spectacular. Little did I realize how much better it would look in nearly-panoramic, full high definition. The following review will describe my experience with the HD DVD version of 'Planet Earth: The Complete Collection'.

'Planet Earth' should no doubt be seen in HD, as it was filmed using the highest quality cameras available at ultra high speeds, from almost every conceivable vantage point and angle. It is about as close to IMAX in your own living room as you are likely to get. This is what HD was made for, after all.

This collection offers four HD DVD's, with 50-minute narrated videos depicted thematically, as follows:

Disc 1
'From Pole to Pole'
'Mountains'
'Fresh Water'

Disc 2
'Caves'
'Deserts'
'Ice Worlds'

Disc 3
'Great Plains'
'Jungles'
'Shallow Seas'

Disc 4
'Seasonal Forests'
'Ocean Deep'

'Planet Earth' is the only video series that I know of that takes you to almost all of Earth's ecological and climate zones with a quality that rivals IMAX and National Geographic. The narrator- Sir David Attenborough (the US versions are narrated by Sigourney Weaver)- takes you on a sort of 50-minute "safari" or nature expedition, describing both the physical/ecological environment as well as the predominant flora and fauna in each zone.

Do not expect, however, to learn everything about these environments (it is, after all, a big planet, and 50 minutes does not do any one part justice). But the time is just right because the intent is not to bore the viewer with a pedantic lesson in the academic minutiae, but rather to achieve as much breadth as possible by encompassing as many of the major elements in just the right amount of time. The intended effect is to take the viewer on a journey, and while we do slow down here and there to catch a glimpse of a hunt, or to see spectacular time lapse photography of trees and flowers in bloom, or leaves changing color, we are mostly in this for the adventure ride.

If you have ever seen nature documentaries on channels like Discovery or National Geographic, you know that detail is often the key. This video, however, achieves a balance between detail and generality in order to allow the viewer to take a step back and not miss the proverbial "forest" for the trees. In a sense, it shows the viewer that everything exists in a larger context and therefore cannot be separated from it. Although there are some political undertones to 'Planet Earth' in regards to conservation and even a hint about climate change, we are not force-fed these issues as in some other nature documentaries.

Rather, this series allows the viewer to see what this planet is really like- from the deepest oceans to the highest Himalayan peaks, and everything in-between- and to make up one's own mind about our planet's condition. I have no doubt, however, that most viewers will come away with a greater respect for our environment after seeing it in its full splendor in this series.

'Planet Earth' combines the best in photography and video to give a very detailed, panoramic glimpse of how the natural world looks. It also describes the types of plants and animals that live and interact in the major ecological and climate zones, although it does not span the entire flora and fauna, nor does it delve into deeper topics like animal behavior.

Although this video series is relatively expensive- I have seen prices range anywhere from $60 to upwards of $80 for the HD DVD versions, slightly less for regular DVD- it is well worth the money if you highly enjoy nature and wildlife videos. If you already have a high-def TV, I think this is probably the only video out there right now that truly does this technology justice (Much better than watching, say, "Mr Bean's Holiday" on it, if you know what I mean). Most of us will never have the opportunity to scale Mouth Everest, dive hundreds of feet below the ocean's surface; see the Sahara Desert, African savannah, and Siberian taiga, or visit Antarctica, but this video will take you to all of these places and more, giving you both a bird's-eye and down-to-Earth perspective, making you feel almost like you are there.

A trip around the Earth for about $60 is a bargain any which way you look at it.