Which version of Planet Earth is better, US or BBC?

Well one major difference is Sigourney Weaver narrates the US version and Sir Richard Attenborough the BBC's...choose your pick..

I like David Attenborough (BBC) better as narrator over Sigourney Weaver (US version).

I keep seeing this horrible mistake. The UK narrator is NOT the old guy from Jurrasic Park! It's another old guy but named DAVID.

I agree too. I'll take Sir David over what's her name anytime.

I've watched almost all of the episodes of the BBC version and have seen a few of the US version. They seem to be cut/edited a bit differently, and as wish mentioned, the narrators are different. It very well may just be me, but the BBC/Attenborough one seemed to be done in more of a "classic" documentary style with regards to the wording of the narration. The US/Weaver version felt to me like the narration was aimed at middle school kids. (Paraphrased example - BBC: "After a long winter of confinement, the polar bear slides down the snow-covered hill--possibly to clean her fur; possibly for the joy of it." US: "After being cramped up for the winter, the polar bear takes a chance to play and sleds down the hill.")

I did not think it was sold in the US version, but I saw the US on Discovery HD while I received the HD-DVD as a gift. Attenborough is many times better in my opinion. Weaver's voice ruined it for me the first time. I found it to be much more enjoyable on HD DVD. Oh, and I think the BD uses identical encodes, so get whichever one is cheapest.

The Attenborough narration sounds very british. I like the documentary style of it.

+1

and in breaking news, grant is still buried in grant's tomb...

another vote here for david... it just sounds "right"...

The US version is slight edited. Get the BBC version.

I've read in one of the reviews that the actual video quality is better in the BBC version. Is there any truth to that?

I think the video quality is the same. Both are wonderous. Only seen short clips of the American version, but it was better than the HD cable. The BBC version is amazing but it seems to be the same PQ of the US version.

The Briitish narration just seems better to me, although I liked it when I watched the Dicovery HD with Ripley, I like the Sir David narration better. YMMV.

David Attenborough is THE voice for this stuff

Another "Planet Earth" thread? The BBC version is arguably better, since it's longer and allegedly has a better video encode. They are different. (FTR, I prefer Weaver's narration.)

http://hddvd.highdefdigest.com/planetearth_us.html (Discovery)
http://hddvd.highdefdigest.com/planetearth.html (BBC)

The cheapest (not list) Discovery version usually costs more than the cheapest (not list) BBC versoin.

Slight OT: "Galapagos" and "Relentless Enemies" have better PQ IMHO.

Yes, that must be where I read that. Thank you.

I'm pretty sure I'm getting the BBC Planet Earth for Christmas. Looking forward to seeing it. I recently rented Galapagos from Netflix. There were several jaw dropping PQ moments on that disk!

David is the younger brother of "the old guy from Jurassic Park" (Lord Richard Attenborough).

Give old Sir. Richard "Dickie" a break, as Sir. David is only his younger sibling

+1 to the David Attenborough BBC version.

Planet Earth is a beautiful bookend to, "The Living Planet" series which was in itself another great nature series and was written and narrated by David Attenborough (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Living_Planet) . Removing Attenborough's narration from Planet Earth was more than just stupid.

I actually prefer the US Edition, mainly due to the musical cues used. Especially the opening theme music, which everyone loved and it sold several hundred thousand copies on iTunes, where it was released exclusively. The music is much better IMHO.

So is there a plug about global warming and the evils of man at the end of each segment on the UK version?

Don't think so as far as the end of "each segment," but they definitely get a little preachy at the end of the final episode. That said, it's not really abrasive and only the REALLY picky will get miffed about it.

So who narrates the HD DVD version? Is that the BBC version?
*edit* Never mind, I just checked. It is the BBC version, so David Attenborough.

Imo the UK editions are far better.Whether the HD-DVD or BRD version is superior to the other is in the eyes of the beholder imo.

David Attenborough, has he been around for ever, I swear I remember his voice in old school films in the 70's, yes I'm old and prefer the geezer narration, it just feels right, and I do like Sigourney Weaver, just not narrating.

Correct

no. they are equal.

BBC Version, Hands down!