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Whistle Stopper - Galapagos [HD DVD]
![Galapagos [HD DVD]](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51wen9wYwnL._SL160_.jpg)
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List Price: $28.99
Our Price: $14.95
Your Save: $ 14.04 ( 48% )
Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours
Manufacturer: BBC Warner
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Average Customer Rating: 
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Aspect Ratio: 1.66:1
Audience Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Binding: HD DVD
EAN: 0794051413826
Format: Closed-captioned
Label: BBC Warner
Manufacturer: BBC Warner
Number Of Items: 1
Publisher: BBC Warner
Region Code: 0
Release Date: 2007-10-02
Running Time: 150
Studio: BBC Warner
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Spotlight customer reviews:
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Customer Rating:
Summary: Can Not Believe the Views
Comment: The video is without a doubt the best I have seen yet so far in this type of media.
Ms. Weaver only adds to the seriousness of the awesome video. She too must have been ah wow struck while narrating.
My kids love it. Highly recommend.
Just a peeve but am I the only one who thinks history repeats itself with Blue-Ray being the winning versus HD-DVD.
The whole Beta-max versus VHS battle of the early days. I will say that HD-DVD is the format I would choose for best picture and sound but I am too small to count. Blue-Ray does beat old school DVD but doesn't hold a torch to HD-DVD (IMHO)
Lucky for me and others who have both readers in format. We get to enjoy HD-DVD the finest and the Blue-Ray second rated buyout deal someone decided on.
If you can view HD-DVD I would highly recommend this video as it draws you into the islands, like you are the dude who was watching the dude who was filming it, e.g. the introvert!
Customer Rating:
Summary: Galapagos [HD DVD]
Comment: I wanted to see good quality of pictures and saw the views that I didn't have chance to meet them. I found that the Galapagos [HD DVD]gave me more than I expected.
Customer Rating: 
Summary: amazing photography, glorious in HD
Comment: A remarkable documentary that is a joy to view. The only reason I didn't go five stars is that the producers diminished the stature of the presentation by bringing in Mr. Darwin's religion. They would have gained stature by staying with the pure science of creation. The facts, ma'am, only the facts!
Customer Rating:
Summary: One of the best nature documentary in High Definition
Comment: After viewing BBC's Planet Earth, I did not think that any other title would ever match that title. I was wrong. This Galapagos HD DVD is at least equal to Planet Earth. In some respect, its narrow focus makes it even better.
Lets start with the technical details. This 30GB HD DVD was shot in 1080p and encoded in VC-1. The 1.78 aspect ratio makes it perfect for use with the 16:9 HDTV screens. The audio is rendered in Dolby Digital Plus 2.0 Stereo. It does not have any supplements but none is needed.
There is nothing exceptional about the audio but it gets the job done. The video quality however is second to none. The video quality is on par with Planet Earth. There is probably none better out there as of this writing.
The impact of Charles Darwin short visit to the Galapagos continues to reverberate till today. This video allows us to visit and experience Galapagos far better and far deeper than Charles Darwin ever did during his stay.
We view the Galapagos from the sky with satellite like shots, breath taking rushes from helicopters, panoramic views from mountain tops, incredible underwater shots. We are able to see Galapagos in ways that even a visit to Galapagos itself will not provide unless one is willing to spent as much resources and time as the producers of this feature.
Narrated by Tilda Swinton, the features provides tremendous educational and entertainment value. The feature is visually very engaging and with little effort, imparts a great deal of scientific information in an entertaining manner for all people from all ages. I highly recommend Galapagos.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Absolutely gorgeous on HD DVD
Comment: I've always been very interested in the Galapagos...primarily the Giant Tortoises. So I eagerly snapped this HD DVD up, because I'm a new HD DVD player owner (and VERY disappointed in the death of the format...although my player is an OUTSTANDING upconverter...anyway, back to the subject at hand).
The visuals are absolutely stunning. No other word will do. The HD detail is magnificent and the beauty of these islands probably could never be captured better. Obviously, going there in person would be unbeatable...but until then, this disc will serve.
I also thoroughly enjoyed the discs from an educational level. I learned a lot about the geology and biology of the place, and "met" many creatures I was only glancingly familiar with. The footage of the Marine Iguanas diving below the choppy ocean to eat was a true high point in my lifetime viewing...no exagerration. That acts of such awkward beauty take place regularly on our planet is pretty amazing to me.
Newly minted Oscar-winner Tilda Swinton provides suitable quiet, respectful, "vedy British" narration.
Only gripe: because this disc is actually several episodes, there is some repetition of material presented. You get to hear the geologic history of the islands a few times. It's a fairly minor quibble...and absolutely does not deter me from recommending.
When I watched episode 1, my 20 year old son was around. He was fixing to leave for the evening to hand out with friends...but ended up glued to the sofa for the whole episode. The next night, my 15 year old daughter griped and moaned about watching an episode...but sure enough...five minutes later she was entranced. This is really good stuff...made even more remarkable by HD.
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Editorial Reviews:
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While its title may be superfluous, Galapagos: The Islands That Changed the World is a beautifully filmed journey into "the islands of the tortoise." Located due west of Ecuador, the Galapagos islands are full of gorgeous scenery and exotic wildlife. And this 150-minute documentary shows it all, thanks to stunning cinematography shot from all viewpoints--the air, sea and, of course, land. The collection is both soothing and exhilarating as it allows viewers to peek in on mating albatrosses (which are monogamous), penguins fishing, and surprisingly graceful giant tortoises swimming in the ocean. The filmmakers also manage to capture a ferocious volcanic eruption that is amazing in its clarity. The problem with many documentaries lies in the narration. A documentary filmmaker hits the jackpot when he is able to get someone like Sigourney Weaver, whose crisp narration fits in beautifully with the sweeping footage in Planet Earth. While Tilda Swanton lends a relaxing quality to Galapagos, her voice at times is a bit too lulling to hold the viewer's interest. The writing also borders on melodramatic, with talk of the simmering sea and such. With visuals as stunning as this, hyperbole is unnecessary. Charles Darwin has described the Galapagos as a world within itself, and it is said that the islands were one of his inspirations for his book The Origin of Species. While the film doesn't clearly explain why the Galapagos are unlike any other place on earth, it does showcase a destination that is unlike what most of us know. --Jae-Ha Kim
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