The BBC High Definition Natural History Collection (Planet Earth / Wild China / Galapagos / Ganges) [Blu-ray]

So interesting and the content is stunning.

This set, the Planet Earth portion in particular, is easily the most breathtaking sequence of high definition footage I've yet seen. The 70mm cameras manage to pick up shots with so much in them that it seems impossible that it can all fit within the frame, and yet everything is rendered in perfect detail. If you're looking to push your new technological toys to see how pretty a picture they can get, this is the best way to do it right now.Not only have I put it through lots of use for just myself, it's a constant source of amazement for guests. Even those that have seen the episodes on tv are blown away by how incredible the blu-ray picture is. A perfect combination of eye-popping color, masterful cinematography, conceptual simplicity.My only grief, and it is a major one, has nothing to do with the program, but the Planet Earth packaging really grips discs 1 and 4 tight. The first time I tried to remove disc 4 from the case, without any undue amount of pressure, the disc snapped in half. It seems in the feedback that this has happened to several others also. Luckily for me Amazon replaced my set and this problem must not have gone unnoticed by the manufacturer because the interior packaging was slightly different and less troublesome in the replacement (now having 2 double-sided flaps inside instead of 1 flap and a nub on either side of the cover). Either way, these discs are a gem, so take care with them.

I had heard alot about planet earth, but had never had ocassion to watch it. It definitly lived up to all the hype. All of these films are broken down into one hour segments, which works well on a weekday when you need some time to wind down after work. The most impressive of the series was planet earth, which basically highlights many places in the world, but never focuses too deeply on any particular location. If I had a complaint, it would be that sometimes it would touch so lightly on a location it felt like I was watching a trailer for a much more detailed portrayal that was never given, but apparently that was the producers intent. Planet earth condenses, I can't imagine how much footage of nature, into a best of each area overview. Most nature films try to go into some depth about a particular area and its wildlife. Planet earth takes a different approach by giving a broad overview of the entire world. It is a best of nature video for the entire globe. It does this by dividing the world into climatic regions; deserts, deciduous forests, rain forests, artic... etc. All of the cinematography is done excellently and it was filmed in high definition, so the colors of the flora and fauna are vivid and seem to come to life on your screen.The other films are also very good, I would rate them as being as good as most national geographic films. None of them are as long as planet earth and they were not filmed in high definition, but they are well done. Unlike planet earth, they do focus exclusively on one region of the world. Interestingly, two of the films focus on the most well populated areas in the world, India and China. These films are as much about the people of these regions as they are about wildlife. I guess it is difficult to seperate wildlife from people in countries that are so well populated that even in very rural areas wildlife must share space with humanity.If you are someone who enjoys nature (which you must be if you are bothering to read this review), these films will definitly be worth the money spent. If you want to save money just buy, or at least borrow, planet earth, it is definitly the best of the bunch.

The media could not be loaded. These programs are obviously second to none; the shots are breath-taking, the cinematography is outstanding, and the narration is informative and engaging. They have so much repeat-watch potential and are single-handedly why I invested in a bluray player and HDTV.However, the other reviewers' forewarnings about the packaging are NOT to be taken lightly. The discs for Wild China, Galapagos, and Ganges behave well enough, and even the 2nd and 3rd discs of the Planet Earth set are passable. The 1st and 4th of Planet Earth, though, I needed PLIERS to get out. The discs are snapped in so tightly that they were flexing to the point where they could've easily snapped in half before the packaging let up.I eventually had to pull out my Leatherman and use it to squeeze/deform the little snap-in protrusion by squeezing it with the broad part of the pliers (see video). It was pretty nerve racking as the discs were still inside and I was afraid I might scratch or gouge them by mistake!! After all of that I could get the discs out with a reasonable amount of force, and they still snap back in, too... it was really THAT tight to begin with!!

Last year I purchased all the DVDs in the BBC Natural History collection. When I watched them for the first time, they all performed perfectly. Today I was going to watch Wild China again; I was dismayed to discover that it would no longer load. Instead, I received a message to 'check disc'. I was dismayed even more to discover that none of the other DVDs titlles in the Natural History Collection would no longer load either. Altough none of them were dirty or damaged, I cleaned them, but it made no difference. Can anyone tell why this happened? I also have The Human Planet, and Civilization, both from BBC, and they continue to work fine, but I'm now concerned that they will stop working. I decided to stop buying BBC Blu ray DvDs until I learn what is happening here.I would appreciate any comments about this problem. I am using a LG BD390 blu-ray player and have had no problem playing other blu- ray DVDs, only those from BBC. I realize this is an old model, but I had no problem playing them a year ago when I first purchased them.

We bought this set on the strength of having seen the Planet Earth documentary series on DVD, which was great, but on Blu-ray it is even more impressive. The documentaries are interesting in themselves, but they are especially good for my mother, who has Alzheimers. There is just the moment by moment experience with no real plot to follow, but every moment of that experience is packed with fabulous cinematography. Mom can watch these over and over and enjoy them equally every time without needing to track what is happening for more than a couple of minutes at a time, but I think they are worth anyone seeing more than once. They are so packed with gorgeous photography and information that just once isn't really enough, and the organisation and agenda behind each show and series is also engaging.Galapagos is a fascinating exploration of the island chain geologicaly, biologicaly and historicaly. The China series covers the land, people and history with a focus on the present geography and sociology. It is a truly superb nature documentary. So far we have not seen the Ganges series, but we anticipate several engaging evenings if the others are anything to go by. In my estimation the set was well worth the price and is quite possibly the finest combination pack of nature documentaries available on Blu-ray today.

As usual the BBC has produced 3 stunning series with wonderful photography, and sensitive and informative narration. The high definition achieved with Blu-ray renders ultra-sharp images and vivid colours; a marked improvement over standard DVD's.In Planet Earth, Sir David Attenborough takes us on a tour of many different types of habitats, showing animals and behaviour which have rarely, if ever, been captured on film.Wild China shows China in a wonderful light with incomparable natural vistas and scenery to take your breath away. Animals are unusual and the relationship between them and people is brought into sharp focus.Galapagos loosely follows Darwin's travels and the genesis of his ideas.We haven't yet watched Ganges, but I see no reason to think that it won't be as good as all the other programs here.These are all worthy additions to a video library. The programs can be watched many times over without losing one's sense of wonder at the natural world. For most of us, these images are the closest we will ever get to seeing many rare and endangered animals.

This was my first Blue-Ray purchase and I am incredibly pleased. I learned new things about China, the Ganges, and the Galapagos Islands. I could spend years travelling the world to see such beautiful scenery and hear the stories. The stories are very interesting and add greatly to the scenery. A note about the Galapagos DvD, expect to hear a bit about Darwin and the theory of evolution. But, only a mention of Darwin and his theory of evolution. If you are an open minded creationist, you might enjoy hearing a little ditty on evolution. The scenery is great, the filming is extraordinary, not only on the Galapagos Dvd. But, on all of these DvD's. Kudos to the film crew and the producer. These DvD's just leave me wanting more and more of these stories and films.

I thought the video quality was great on the DVD version. When I played the first disk of Planet Earth I was amazed. Full high def images. WOW! The quality of the shows are what you would expect from the BBC. Only one draw back from this set... The extended making of segments on the DVD set I owned are missing! Maybe I shouldn't have given it away so soon. Well worth the purchase even without the extra making of segments.

I have just returned from a 70 day cruise that included the Panama Canal, the whole coast of South America, the Falkland Islands, the Antarctic down to 65 degrees South and 1000 miles up the Amazon River and back to Florida.Many memories to be treasured and others to be best forgotten. I am not exaggerating when I say that the BBC High-Definition Natural History Collection using Blu-ray technology delivers an experience that is so immediate as to compete in some ways with ALL that is entailed in "being there". It truly is a risk free,affordable mode of travel and a treat for the senses as well as for the intellect. I rate it ******! (I grant you that the food is not as good!)