Discover Channel's ebay store has quite a few copies of Planet Earth in HD-DVD listed for a buy-it-now of $29.99. THe ebay page states the shipping is $7.95, but when I checked out, you could get the media mail rate for $3.25. Pretty good deal if you already have an HD-DVD player and want to build you library.

Link?

I just wanted to note: it's the version narrated by Sigorney Weaver.

Huh? There's more than one HD DVD version? Because mine is narrated by Richard Attenborough and I don't think there are two versions.

Yes. There are two. Sig Weaver (the "Americanized Version") sounds very distracted in the narration--like she's playing with a facehugger or something. For $33, it might be worth it.

I just checked Discovery Ebay store ..there is no more Buy-It Now for $30. Only bidding starts at $29.95 and Buy It Now at $59.95... better get from Amazon since the BBC edition is much better.

Isn't the American version only available on standard dvd?

Keep checking in, they added some more with buy-it-now, but they have already sold.

Scott

No, its also available on HD DVD.

Change the sort to newly added/Buy it now.

I'm tempted to get this, as I do like the Sigourney narration better than that stiff Brit on blu-ray.

What sold me on the stiff Brit (admittedly I haven't heard Weaver's narration and I'm a big fan of hers) is not so much the narration but that the American version's episodes are edited for less time because of the demand for more commercial time Discovery had to accommodate on American TV. I don't want incomplete episodes.

^I've not heard Sir David Attenborough's narration on this but would *still* prefer it over Ms. Weaver's. I've yet to hear anything from Attenborough that was not done extremely well. However, I was unable to sit through a single episode of this when it was broadcast because of her very lackluster "reading" of the script. It was worse than a generic travelogue.

For those considering this item:

The *only* place to get the edited US version with Ms. Weaver is from Discovery Channel (it's the only one they offer) because they paid for the edited version to allow for more commercial content. They also chose Weaver because they assumed US viewers would not like a "stiff brit" on narration. All other vendors sell the superior, unedited BBC/Attenborough version.

There is no version narrated by Richard Attenborough. I'm sick of seeing ppl posting that in hd forums. It's David Attenborough.

Umm..none of the reviews that I've seen for either HD DVD or Blu Ray (including Adam Tyner's here on DVD Talk http://www.dvdtalk.com/reviews/read.php?ID=28590) mention the Sigourney Weaver narration, only Richard Attenborough.

I wouldn't trust the write-up for the auction to give you the right information since they use the same description of the standard defintion ones including showing the picture for it and mentioning the extras which are absent from either of the High Definition sets.

didn t someone mention only 1 or 2 posts back that the weaver hd dvd version is for sale only through discovery store..

This is one Hell of a deal. Just picked up one for:

Subtotal $29.99
Shipping $3.25
Estimated Tax $0.00

Grand Total $33.24

Are there any bonus features on the Sigourney Weaver HD DVD? The Discovery Channel listings say there are, so I was wondering if that's correct. There aren't any on the unedited Attenborough version of the HD DVD.

The Discovery Channel version is available on HD, BD and DVD. I have seen the HD version played in my A2 HD player and I too prefer the Attenborough version.

http://shopping.discovery.com/product-65763.html

I've seen/heard both versions. Sig Weaver's was on HD last year when I had HD cable and trust me, her voice was monotonous and put me to sleep. It seemed like she was extremely unenthusiastic about the entire series. She's a great actor, but for this type of series, you need a particular voice. She don't have it.

Since this thread has so many conflicting answers..

BOTH VERSIONS are available on DVD, HD DVD, and BD??

Yes.

FYI, HD means High-Def, not HD DVD.

I like David Attenborough a lot, but I have to confess that I prefer Sigourney on this one, so I'm considering getting it for $40. I know some of the episodes are edited, but how much? And are there any US exclusives?

Well, the episodes are near 50 minutes with an additional 10 minutes for each episode on some aspect of its filming. American TV typically runs about 41-42 minutes of content in a one hour slot. Assuming they cut the extra, that is still a sizable chunk cut out of each episode.

http://dvdcompare.net/comparisons/film.php?fid=11563 - for comparison purposes