Product Details

• Actors: History Channel
• Directors: Douglas Cohen (II)
• Format: Box set, Color, DVD, NTSC, Closed-captioned
• Language: English (Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo)
• Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only. Read more about DVD formats.)
  
• Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
• Number of discs: 5
• Rated: NR (Not Rated)
• Studio: A&E Home Video (New REleaset)
• DVD Release Date: October 14, 2008
• Run Time: 846 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (36 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B0016OKQOO
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #66,534 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)
• For more information about "The Universe - The Complete Season Two" visit the Internet Movie Database (IMDb)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

With the DVD release (on five discs) of this, the complete second season of The Universe, the History Channel has now devoted a combined total of more than 25 hours, not including bonus material, to its documentary study of that combination of time, space, and matter that we call our universe. That’s a lot. But then you consider the mind-boggling age and size of the universe itself: 13.7 billion years old, and big beyond our comprehension; infinite, in fact, and expanding rapidly. By those measures, it’s apparent that this fascinating series could probably air for longer than The Simpsons and Gunsmoke (the two longest running shows in TV history) put together and still not run out of things to talk about.

The 18 episodes from Season Two cover an appropriately wide range of topics, from "Cosmic Holes" to "Cosmic Collisions," from supernovas to gravity. There are episodes about the weather in space, the largest objects in space (hint: they’re really, really big, like the so-called "cosmic web" of galaxies, which is a hundred million billion times bigger than Earth), and traveling to and colonizing space. The amount of information and data provided is enormous. Jargon abounds, including terms like "lunar transient phenomena," "pulsar planets," "hot Jupiters," "dark matter" and "dark energy," "collisional families," the "heavy bombardment period," and many, many more. And the numbers are mind-boggling: for instance, it’s estimated that the impact of the asteroid that landed on the Yucatan Peninsula some 65 million years ago, wiping out the dinosaurs, was equal to that of dropping a Hiroshima-sized atomic bomb every second for 140 years! Still, some may find the episodes that involve informed speculation more interesting than those that deal in facts. We know that the Moon affects ocean tides, but does it also have an effect on human behavior? If the Big Bang was the beginning of the universe, what came before it? Instead of using rockets to go to space, can scientists actually build a "space elevator" that will reach from an orbiting satellite some 60 thousand miles down to Earth? All of this is delivered by way of very convincing computer-generated imagery and other effects, along with dozens of interviews with astronomers and other experts, photos, film footage, and so on. Best of all, while it can get a bit dense, technically speaking, by and large The Universe will be readily accessible to most viewers. --Sam Graham

Product Description

We once considered ourselves to be at the center of the universe now we know that we are just a small spec in a giant cosmos. This season, HISTORY® ventures outsides of our solar system in another epic exploration of the universe and its mysteries. With strikingly realistic computer re-creations, you ll feel like you ve traveled to the edge of the unknown: visit strange and unfamiliar worlds in Exoplanets, prepare for the worst in Cosmic Collisions, and uncover the secrets of our own galaxy, the Milky Way. And that s just the beginning... learn exactly what Dark Matter is and how it takes up 95% of the universe; take a front-row seat for the ultimate light show with Supernovas; and while most people have heard of black holes (which swallow all matter that they come in contact with), find out more about White Holes which actually create matter.

Episodes Include:
Alien Planets
Cosmic Holes
Mysteries of the Moon
The Milky Way
Alien Moons
Dark Matter
Astrobiology
Space Travel
Supernovas
Constellations
Unexplained Mysteries
Cosmic Collisions
Colonizing Space
Stills from The Universe: The Complete Second Season (Click for larger image)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

26 of 28 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great series!, November 4, 2008

By 

Lulu (Doh, Qat) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Universe - The Complete Season Two (DVD)

I ordered this series with the thought 'what more can they do?' I seen it all in season one, it cannot top that. Was I wrong!
It was even better.

To realize that the universe is about 13.7 billion years old, and so vast, that it's totally beyond our comprehension and still expanding. A truly unimaginable thought, that.
There are so many amazing episodes, one of which shows the largest objects in space. They are seriously big, like the so-called "cosmic web" of galaxies, which is a hundred million billion times bigger than Earth. Then there's the fascinating Lunar transient phenomena, the pulsar planets, the hot Jupiters, the weather in space, dark matter, dark energy, and much more. Really mind-boggling stuff, this!
For instance it's estimated that the impact of the asteroid that landed on the Yucatan Peninsula about 65 million years ago, wiping out the dinosaurs, this was equal to that of dropping a Hiroshima-sized atomic bomb every second for 140 years!

And another mind-boggling thought, where did we really come from...hmmn. Still, I'd like to go to heaven eventually:)

This series had me riveted to my screen. The computer-generated imagery and other effects is so realistic. It makes one feel as if one is truly there experiencing this phenomenal aspects. And it's explained so simply that anyone can understand it.
My favourite episodes are:
Alien Planets, Dark Matter, Astrobiology
Space Travel,Unexplained Mysteries &
Colonizing Space.

A truly awesome series! Enjoyed every bit of it.

19 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars NOT Anamorphic, October 13, 2008

By 

Dan the Man - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Universe - The Complete Season Two (DVD)

First of all, let me start out by saying that this is an excellent collection of documentaries about the universe. However, for those of us with widescreen televisions, we should be aware that this collection, much like season one, is NOT optimized for our widescreen televisions. It is presented in 'Letterbox' format, meaning that on widescreen televisions it will be presented with large black bars on all sides, with the feature occupying a window in the middle of the screen. For those with 4:3 televisions, it will appear as all widescreen features do, but for 16:9 screens it is a major disappointment.

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Edutainment at its best, September 18, 2009

By 

J. Salzenstein "Style Editor" (Boston, MA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Universe: The Complete Season Two (History Channel) [Blu-ray] (Blu-ray)

The History Channel knows science, and they're good at making complex systems and ideas easy to understand - and approachable - for the everyday observer. The Universe, Complete Season Two on Blu-ray is no exception. This four-disc set features all 18 episodes, nearly 15 hours of content, including covering topics like Dark Matter, Exoplanets, Cosmic Collisions, Supernovas, and more. And while episodes are only loosely tied together by the fact that the subjects covered are part of - or take place in - our universe, it doesn't seem overly odd or disjointed- especially for the younger viewers.

Fantastic phenomena and alien worlds are re-created through extremely realistic computer animation, which is shockingly detailed and stunningly beautiful. The visuals take viewers inside wonders that man has only viewed from afar, giving a close-up look at the fascinating inner workings of the cosmos around us.

The series also includes documentary style interviews with experts in the field, as well as footage from both past and current scientific exploration programs and an introduction to some of the tools and devices these scientists use to explore the universe. A nice contrast to the computer re-creations, this live-action documentary aspect of the series does a good job of providing balance, grounding the concepts and reminding viewers that there are actual people working to find answers and discover new information about the space around us- it's not simply Star Trek.

Whether used as an educational tool or simply for entertainment value, The Universe - Season Two on Blu-ray is interesting and enthralling.

Special Features

There aren't a lot of "extras" on The Universe, but given the nature of the series - and the fact that it is a television series - that's not surprising. There is one Bonus Feature, a featurette called Backyard Astronomers, which explores the world of amateur star-gazers- men and women who spend their spare time learning about - and exploring - the universe... from their backyards.

The biggest benefit to the Blu-ray release lies in the presentation - true widescreen and HD.

And of course the subject matter itself.