Planet Earth - Complete series announced for DVD and HD formats

With an unprecedented production budget of $25 million, and from the makers of Blue Planet: Seas of Life, comes the epic story of life on Earth. Five years in production, over 2,000 days in the field, using 40 cameramen filming across 200 locations, shot entirely in high definition, this is the ultimate portrait of our planet. A stunning television experience that captures rare action, impossible locations and intimate moments with our planet's best-loved, wildest and most elusive creatures. From the highest mountains to the deepest rivers, this blockbuster series takes you on an unforgettable journey through the daily struggle for survival in Earth's most extreme habitats. Planet Earth takes you to places you have never seen before, to experience sights and sounds you may never experience anywhere else.

BBC has announced that they'll release Planet Earth on DVD, HD-DVD and Blu-ray on April 24. This is another of David Attenborough's productions, and it promises to be an absolutely amazing series, shot entirely in HD.

The series has already aired on the BBC in the UK, and CBC in Canada, but is due to premiere on the Discovery Channel on March 20. The DVD set will contain 5 discs - all 11 episodes, as well as Planet Earth - The Future, a 150 minute companion series that looks at what the future may hold for Planet Earth:

Disc 1
1. Living Planet
2. Mountains
3. Fresh Water
   
   Disc 2
4. Caves
5. Deserts
6. Frozen Worlds
   
   Disc 3
7. The Great Plains
8. Forests
9. Jungles
   
   Disc 4
10. The Shallow Seas
11. Ocean Wide, Ocean Deep
    
    Disc 5
    Planet Earth - The Future

These are the original, uncut versions of the episode - Discovery Channel will cut approximately 90 minutes out of the television airings, and the DVD set also includes 110 minutes of behind-the-scenes footage. The 5 disc set will retail for $79.98.

The HD-DVD and Blu-ray releases will feature stunning HD transfers, but won't include the 5th disc containing Planet Earth - The Future, or the behind-the-scenes material. The 4-disc sets will retail for $99.98. Here's a shot of the DVD packaging: