Nature’s Journey (Blu-ray + HD-DVD)

 

Picture: B     Sound: B     Extras: C-     Main Program: B

 

 

R&B Films are following up their dual HD releases of Chronos (both reviewed separately elsewhere on this site) with Nature’s Journey (2007) which offers 67 minutes of various shots of nature, interesting/scenic locations and even has four chapters devoted to showing the effects of four seasons of weather and how they push nature around.  Thus, the title of this new release.

 

This is a special interest, nature and even new age release, but it is also one of the few HD demos on the market shot in HD that show how good the format can be when it is left to its own capacities.  Up there with the BBC release of Planet Earth (in both formats elsewhere on this site) as one of the best examples yet.

 

The 1080i 1.78 X 1 VC-1 @ 37 MBPS digital High Definition image has a slight softness throughout because of its interlaced source, yet the picture is colorful and rich enough to enjoy in both HD-DVD and Blu-ray more than most HD shoots because yet again, the color being left alone to show us the true colors translates into a more watchable picture despite detail and some depth limits.  The DTS HD 96/24 @ 5.3 MBPS 5.0 mix is also very nice, though it is not the most surround-active, richest or more enveloping soundstage you might here in a 5.0 mix.  It is still decent and better than the Dolby Digital 5.0 48/24 @ 448 kbps and Dolby 2.0 Stereo 192 kbps mixes.

 

The only extras are a few trailers for similar product, but these discs are entertaining and worth a look if you are interested in the content.  A paper pullout inside gives you all the tech info you could want on the disc and its production.

 

 

-   Nicholas Sheffo