A few months ago I decided to take the plunge and cough up the extra dough for high-definition television. For a few years now I've had a nice HDTV that was perfect for movies and Xbox 360 but I hated the idea of paying more for a television signal. Then Discovery Channel's Planet Earth hit the air waves and I can't imagine watching this series in anything other than the highest definition available.
When I was in grade school I always looked forward to the times when we got to put the books away and watch a National Geographic filmstrip. A baritone voice would blare form the mono-speaker, taking us through a visual journey many, many miles away from our small town in Alaska. Mind you, this was before VHS became the dominant format for educational presentations but the photography and narrative was nothing short of amazing. So as I'm watching God's opera presented before my eyes, through a clarity that makes me feel like I'm there, I'm in complete jaw-dropping awe.
This is all to say that if you're not inspired by watching Planet Earth then you should probably reconsider having a food tube installed.
I love, love, love, all of the shots from the International Space Station (glorious!). Other favorites, so far, include the segments of the birds in New Guinea, the Great White Sharks (jumping coming completely out of the water! Amazing footage!), the Sequoias, and the entire show on mountains. I haven't had a chance to see each show but the Rocket Scientist has made it clear that we will own the DVD library when it becomes available.
I just wish that something(s) didn't have to die in every episode. I understand that these things happen in the wild but watching baby animals become another's Happy Meal just isn't something I enjoy watching.
Join the fray by reading through and commenting at the end.
Planet Earth has been pretty amazing, about 2 weeks ago a friend came over on a night where not much was on. We watched a couple hours of the show, the shark jumping out of the water was pretty incredible. Then about a week later, I went to another friend's place and got to truly enjoy the show in HD, simply amazing! Now I need to get myself an HDTV sometime soon.
The best sequence in that series is in the mountain episode, when we see a (rarely glimpsed, let alone filmed) siberian snow leopard sneak up to, and then chase a mountain goat down a rocky cliff face. Absolutely incredible.
The music that accompanies that sequence is so well matched, it blows the mind. That series is BY FAR the best nature documentary I have ever seen.
I don't have an HDTV yet. But after watching Planet Earth I said to my wife, "That is why we need an HDTV. This show is going to have even more impact once I can see seahorses with such amazing detail that my brain melts." This sort of comment never works when I tell her about needing to upgrade software, buy a new powertool, or watch some manshow. However, she's been eyeing HDTVs with me now :) We've got the DVD's on our Netflix cue.
You mean the BBC's Planet Earth? The Discovery Channel just bought the rights to it and dubbed Sigourney Weaver over David Attenborough. You can get the DVD already.
It is a truly great series, some of the best photography I have ever seen. I didn't understand what the fuss about HDTV was until I watched Planet Earth on a suitably enabled TV.
> You mean the BBC's Planet Earth? The Discovery Channel just bought the rights to it and dubbed Sigourney Weaver over David Attenborough. You can get the DVD already.
Ah, mybad.
> You can get the DVD already.
Hmmm, the lack of Bluray or HD-DVD makes me sad. I'll wait until I can buy it in high-def.
The HD versions are available, just not the Discovery ones with Sigourney Weaver. These are the BBC versions.
Here they are: Blue-Ray and HD-DVD
They dubbed over David Attenborough? Sacrilege! I mean, nothing against Ms Weaver, but to remove the voice of the guy that made the series and actually knows what he's on about and replace it with an actress, man, that's some dumbing down.
Oh, oops, meant to include the link to this. HD DVD of the series, from the US Amazon store too:
http://www.amazon.com/Planet-Earth-Complete-BBC-DVD/dp/B000MRAAJW
I agree, the BBC Planet Earth series is absolutely amazing, but I have yet to see it on a HD screen. Here's an interesting link to how they filmed some of it:
http://www.wired.com/wired/archive/15.03/view.html
BTW, why would Discovery Channel feel the need to replace David Attenborough? That was english he was speaking wasn't it?
I downloaded the original BBC version from BitTorrent, complete with David Attenborough's soothing grandfatherly tones. Those birds in the Amazon are crazy.
Unfortunately its the way life is in the wild, and in life. Like the old saying, its a dog eat dog world. Things die to keep the balance.
@Juan, that's no way to talk about Sir David Attenborough.
What I love is the fact that reality TV, Leno, According to Jim, or other lukewarm offerings by human kind haven't made the collective want to switch to HDTV. What did? A beautiful masterpiece about our world. The real world that we never see. The fact that watching this inspires us to look through a clearer lense gives me hope we haven't followed Paris Hilton over the cliff quite yet.
That part about the bacteria that infects the ants brain freaked me out.
I also loved the part about the birds in New Guinea, especially seeing all of their odd and unique mating dances. I wonder where in the evolutionary chain humans lost that.
My favorite part would definitely have to be what bkpr said with the snow leopards. Simply amazing...
anyone have good recommendations on which HDTV to get?
> I also loved the part about the birds in New Guinea, especially seeing all of their odd and unique mating dances. I wonder where in the evolutionary chain humans lost that.
Dude, don't you watch Soul Train on Saturdays? All kinds of unique mating dancing going on.
> anyone have good recommendations on which HDTV to get?
I love my 37" LG.
I'm with Blake. It's been the artistry in Planet Earth, along with just a few other programs (largely on Discovery HD), that has made me finally happy with my HDTV purchase. In fact, my parents were first motivated to buy one themselves after coming by while I was watching Planet Earth.
I saw the first episode on a standard-def set, and I was thinking "wow, that's some serious dedication to sit out for two months waiting for a single shot." After seeing the second one on my HD set, that thought was augmented by "...and it was SO worth it!"
Interesting that the highest of high-tech (HDTV) was lacking oompf until we added a large dose of nature to it. ;0)
(I agree...there are really only two things that make most people 'get' HD: Football and the nature programming.)
Ah, sigh, I was a big fan of Zoobooks back in the day.
> Ah, sigh, I was a big fan of Zoobooks back in the day.
I had the whole set of Zoobooks, I remember after I was done reading one, I couldn't wait until I received new. Eventually, you had to let them go, but I wonder if they're still in some box at my parents?
I agree, the BBC Planet Earth series is absolutely amazing!
Reading this sort of makes me with I had a tv. Greg, what did you do with my last tv that I traded you for a bike? I've still got the bike in storage in my parents' garage.
To get my nature fix I drive a couple of hours to Pilanesberg or Kruger national park where elephants, lions, etc are in the highest definition possible. I don't usually camp out for two months to see the most dramatic stuff though. Mostly I just see the lions sleeping and the giraffes eating leaves. Though I'll bet the commentary from the front seat of the land rover by real live game rangers beats the British or American voice-over.
> Then Discovery Channel's Planet Earth
> hit the air waves and I can't imagine
> watching this series in anything other
> than the highest definition available.
oh, the bittersweet irony of purchasing a device that has a huge environmental impact in order to observe the beauty of the environment.
Greg, i'm curious if you consider the environmental impact of your consumption prior to purchasing things? especially things that have large impacts?
if you did not consider this prior to purchasing your display for watching Planet Earth, please offer any thoughts that arise now that i've brought this to your attention.
peace,
david
btw, the above is an honest inquiry (lest you think i'm just trying to be an asshat).
i have a real concern for the state of our planet. an i'm genuinely mystified by the lack of awareness most individuals display wrt this issue and where it intersects with personal purchase decisions. especially in light of the fact that when queried most folks express heartfelt appreciation for the natural world.
peace,
david
> Greg, i'm curious if you consider the environmental impact of your consumption prior to purchasing things? especially things that have large impacts?
Are you referring to the new Hummer I just bought or the three I have parked out back?
>> Greg, i'm curious if you consider the
>> environmental impact of your
>> consumption prior to purchasing
>> things? especially things that have
>> large impacts?
>
> Are you referring to the new Hummer
> I just bought or the three I have
> parked out back?
i'll assume that is a no. if that assumption is incorrect let me know.
do you find any contradiction between
your love for the earth and your hummer
purchases?
@David
I'm quite sure Greg is engaged in sarcasm. Although I do think it's important to do what you can to balance the carbon you create, both directly and indirectly.
My family owns a few acres of trees, a few hundred acres of native prairie, and a few thousand acres of land under conservation tillage, all of which sucks up carbon.
So my own business and extended family is carbon neutral by a large margin. Still, we should also try to live simply, have one vehicle of you don't really need two (drive a hybrid if you can), live in a house that's not bigger than you really need, etc.
Not taking a shot at your HDTV or carbon neutrality, but here in Canada the whole change you lightbulb thing has gotten a little bit nuts with talk about BANNING incandescant bulbs. Not a word though from our politiicans about banning big screen telelvisions, dishwashers or home computers or making regulations to make sure these new conveniences are designed to consume less energy than their predecesors.
Look at the front load washing machine. Great success. Much more efficient design. But we're not getting around to banning top loaders just yet.
I think the idea that by regulating the design of a light bulb we're going to save the world when everyone is opting to consume so much more power in other ways is a little silly.
So does anyone know which takes more juice? HDTV or CAT? PLASMA or LCD?
@Sean
I'm not that opposed to the government regulating and/or taxing certain things that aren't great for the environment. Guess that's a characteristic we Canadians share :)
We put those mini fluorescent light bulbs all through our house a while back. They're pretty cheap, and hopefully they live up to the claim of lasting for years. They also have a very nice light, I prefer them. And being 13W instead of 60W or 100W, it's a no-brainer.
Also, I don't own a flat screen or HDTV yet, we get by with a tube 30 inch that's almost 20 years old. I think with TVs, the old tube style is best on energy, then LCD, then Plasma. But I could be wrong.