Customer Reviews

The Universe: An Amazing Journey From the Sun to the Most Distant Galaxies

5 star:		(23)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I'm not an astronomy buff, but I found this DVD to be simply fascinating nonetheless. There is a ton of information packed into the narrative that accompanies the most beautiful space images you'll ever see. It's mind-bending when you stop to appreciate that every image and video on this DVD is of our real world, not some sci-fi special effect. "The Universe" is awe inspiring! Buy a copy today to see for yourself.

I bought this DVD after hearing about it on an internet talk show (Mac Show Live). I haven't seen it since it first arrived; my 7-year-old son grabbed it and has not let it go. A beautifully narrated and produced DVD with engaging dialog that kept me and my kids interested from the beginning. I highly recommend this for kids and adults alike.

This DVD is without a doubt the best of it's kind on the market, in fact this DVD should be required in every science class, grade school, high school and college that is studying this "little old" universe of ours, the care with which the facts are laid to us makes the comprehension of the incredible size of "out there" the best I have come accross, the music fits perfectly, the naration talks TO us, not down to us and the photography is mind blowing! I'm not going to try to explain the contents of the presentation because it is too much for the untrained human mind to do, my advice to those who's interest is peaked by my review is, buy it! you can't go wrong! universedvd.com

This new DVD, "The Universe" is more mind-bending than the best science fiction, and--amazingly enough--it's all science-fact.
This DVD should be required viewing for every citizen of the planet earth; it will make them realize that they're actually citizens of a much greater community: the infinite and fantastic Universe itself. This DVD will give you a whole new perspective on your own existence.
Featuring NASA images from the Hubble Space Telescope and other probes, "The Universe" takes you on a tour of the cosmos, staring with incredible time-lapse imagery of our own sun. NASA has been creating these images for years, but--amazingly--you hardly ever see them on TV, in newspapers, or anywhere! "The Universe" video puts them all together on one disc, beautifully and logically organized, with concise narration and music that perfectly suits the subject matter. There's also interviews with two astronomers who describe scientific facts that suggest that our own physical reality is more fantastic than any "Star Trek" episode.
Every home should have one of these DVDs, and everyone should watch this program annually to remind themselves not to get too caught up in the small details of life. We are all part of a profound existence. This may sound really "out there," but that's the reaction I had to it. "The Universe" is a must not only for amateur astronomers, but also for students, science fans, science-fiction aficionados, history buffs, and everyone else who's curious about what lies beyond their everyday life. In fact, once you see this disc, you'll have a new and better perspective on your everyday life. Seeing "The Universe" is almost a religious experience--and yet it's all science fact.
I don't usually write Amazon reviews--let alone one this long--but I am THAT impressed by "The Universe" that I think everyone should get a copy. It's about time someone took all these fantastic images--which constantly move in this video--and organized them for everyone to see. This DVD is indeed "universally superb" because it succeeds on so many levels: as entertainment, education, metaphysical mind-opener, and a show that confirms that infinite validity of our own lives. "The Universe" is a winner.

I have seen other documentary films on the Universe; this DVD by far explains the most clearly recent astronomical images. The narrator tells about star formation, arrangement, death and why astronomical pictures look the way they do. The production presents us with a profound sense on the shear immensity of scale of the most thought provoking images taken by the Hubble space telescope.

Alex Filippenko, reviews very recent observations about our expanding universe.

Karel Schrijver, comments about recent data from Solar Imaging satellites. With new data revealing how significant a role magnetism is within and around our sun.

Well worth the money spent, can be watched many times over.

Highly recommended for anyone that collects serious science DVD's

I received this DVD for Christmas. From the back of the box: "The Universe is a brilliant video tour of over 200 amazing astronomical objects, featuring images from Hubble, SOHO, TRACE, and NASA's other orbiting space telescopes. The Universe sweeps you past distant galaxies and through magnificent nebulae, zooms up close to the inferno of the sun, and flies deep within dense clusters of dazzling stars. each of eleven chapters showcases a different type of object, featuring a concise narration explaining every image. An original orchestral score beautifully complements the mystery and magnificence of these dazzling cosmic phenomena. There's never been a better way to see and study the mysteries of deep space. Special features include live interviews with Alex Filippenko, Professor of Astronomy, UC Berkeley, and Karel Schrijver, Astronomer, Lockheed Martin Advanced Technology Center."

In Alex Filippenko's interview, he spends about 15 minutes discussing the very recent discovery of evidence which shows that the expansion of the universe is not slowing down as we theorized, but rather is accelerating. He postulates the existence of "black energy", which is something entirely different than "black matter", as the cause of this acceleration. Karel Schrijver spends several minutes discussing the evolution of TRACE and sun imaging.

The still and moving images on this film are wonderful, colorful and clear. The narration is pleasantly intelligent, yet not too technical. You can choose to listen to the narration with the musical score in the background, or you can choose to listen to just the musical score in DD "5.1". In actuality, when you choose the music-only option, you are listening in 4.0 or 4.1, with no information in the center channel. The narrative audio track is just the 4.0 musical score with the center dialogue added, for a total of 5.0 or 5.1. In any case, the music score sounds fantastic, and utilizes the discreet rear channels better than most Hollywood films. My only complaint of the DVD is in navigating the "chapters", which are really each a separate title. It is hard to explain, but navigating is just plain cumbersome, but it is mastered soon enough to get you through the entire film. Other than that, this is a recommended DVD for cosmos buffs.

Very impressive visually, sounds wonderful on Bose system. I liked it, my kids loved it! I'll be looking for more offerings from this talented director.

If you think you've seen the Hubble telescope's images, you ain't seen nothing yet. This is a really cool and effective way of presenting them, with well-written, well-produced narration (which you can turn off, and just get spacey with the music!) The user interface is easy to move around, and you can spend hours soaking up all of the information on this disk, or just let it flow over you.
The range of images is extraordinary, and the music fits them to a "T". The 5.1 mixing is subtle, but very well done, and suits the music and pictures well--and it doesn't hit you over the head like some titles.
A terrific gift for a kid who's into space, or for an adult who wants to look at beautiful and utterly fascinating images. Unique, educational, and highly recommended!

Beautifully done, excellent narration. Should be in every public library and in every school library.

The title says it all. This video takes you on a journey from the Sun out to the farthest Galaxies. You can view the show narrated or with music only. The Chapters are as follows; 1) Telescopes in Space, 2) The Sun, 3) The Planets. Beyond the Solar System: The Milky Way 4) Star Clusters, 5) Stars. Nebulae 6) Reflection Nebulae, 7) Emission Nebulae, 8) Supernova Remnants, 9) Planetary Nebulae. Beyond the Milky Way: Galaxies 10) The Local Group, 11) Near Galaxies, 12) Distant Galaxies. Also has a special feature which I personally have not tried, Windows Screen Saver.

Most of the Hubble pictures, if not all, I have seen before. They are awesome. But the video, not still photos, that you will see of the Sun from SOHO and TRACE are worth the price alone for this DVD. I can only say purchase this DVD and see for yourself what an AMAZING UNIVERSE we live in! Overall running time 67 minutes. Also has Special Features with interviews of Alex Filippenko and Karel Schrijver.