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Connections - The Complete Series [DVD]

Format: DVD
4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars 319 ratings
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DVD — —
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— $49.95
DVD
February 6, 2017 		—
3
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— $183.12
Genre Documentary, Mystery & Thrillers
Format Box set, PAL
Language English
Number Of Discs 3
Runtime 8 hours and 20 minutes
Playback Region 2 : This will not play on most DVD players sold in the U.S., U.S. Territories, Canada, and Bermuda. See other DVD options under “Other Formats & Versions”. Learn more about DVD region specifications here

Product Description

All 10 episodes from the acclaimed BBC series Connections. Follow James Burke through the history of science and technology. In this collection of 10 1-hour episodes, starting with "The Trigger Effect". How did the nautical instruments of Elizabethan times give rise to the atom bomb? What links Britain s textile mills to the Information Age? And how did exploding billiard balls usher in an era of mass media entertainment? In this landmark 1978 documentary series, James Burke examines the surprising connections and happy accidents that led scientists to discover and develop the key technologies of our time. With mighty intelligence and sharp wit, the former Tomorrow s World presenter turns science into a detective story, leading viewers through 12,000 years of history to find the vital clues that would spark life-changing inventions in telecommunications, plastics, film and TV, jet propulsion, nuclear fusion and personal computing. Explaining the trigger effect of ever-accelerating advances in technology that leave us dependent on increasingly complex networks, he predicts a future world in which radical change in the availability and use of information will be needed if we are to remain in control of our societies and systems. A brilliant and enlightening account of how seemingly disparate scientific innovations mesh together to produce extraordinary and unforeseen technological advances.

Product details

  • Package Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 7.1 x 5.42 x 0.58 inches; 2.93 ounces
  • Media Format ‏ : ‎ Box set, PAL
  • Run time ‏ : ‎ 8 hours and 20 minutes
  • Release date ‏ : ‎ February 6, 2017
  • Subtitles: ‏ : ‎ English
  • Studio ‏ : ‎ Simply Media
  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B01J69KSMA
  • Number of discs ‏ : ‎ 3
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars 319 ratings

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4.6 out of 5 stars
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Top reviews from the United States

  • Translucent Finishing
    5.0 out of 5 stars Forget the History Textbooks, Buckle Up for Connections!
    Reviewed in the United States on May 23, 2024
    Verified Purchase
    History buff? Bored of the same old "kings and wars" narratives? Then buckle up for Connections, a documentary series that'll blow your mind and rewrite the way you see the past.

    Hosted by the ever-intriguing James Burke, Connections throws out the traditional history timeline. No more memorizing dates and battles. Instead, Burke takes you on a wild ride, weaving together seemingly random events from the ancient world to the present day.

    Think plastics are a modern invention? Think again! One episode traces their surprising connection to a type of Dutch cargo ship – who knew, right? Each episode is like a detective story, uncovering hidden connections that shaped the world we live in today.

    But Connections isn't just about cool trivia. Burke uses these connections to make a bigger point. He argues that history isn't a straight line; it's a giant web of cause and effect. People in the past had no idea how their actions would ripple through time, leading to inventions and innovations we take for granted today.

    This interconnectedness has its downsides too. Burke asks some thought-provoking questions: With change happening so fast, how do we keep up? Does all this technology make us less free, less in control? And with everything so interconnected, what happens if one piece breaks? Whoa, heavy stuff!

    Connections isn't your typical documentary; it's a mind-bender. It'll make you question everything you thought you knew about history and challenge you to think about the future. So, grab some popcorn, settle in, and get ready to have your historical perspective rocked!
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  • Bob Smithers
    5.0 out of 5 stars As described. Brand new condition. KNOW that it is REGIION 2!!
    Reviewed in the United States on September 28, 2020
    Verified Purchase
    If you don't know what Region coding is for DVDs and understand that this is Region 2 (Europe) not Region 1 (N America) you should not buy this. If you DO know what that is, and have the ability to deal with that, this is a great buy and 1/3 the price of a R1 version. Also, this is in PAL, but if you rip it to disk (mp4, mkv, etc) it shouldn't matter as most players for video files, especially a computer, will just play it fine and it probably does better than the PAL to NTSC conversion done years ago for the NA DVD release.

    As to the content itself...it's Jame Burke, it's Connections. If you are looking for it, you already know it's awesome and don't need convincing. Obviously it's from 1978 so it is dated in many respects, but it's awesomeness is not dated.

    If you like Connections, you need to get Burke's other awesome title, The Day the Universe Changed. It's different than Connections, but even better (and also dated in many things, except what he's trying to teach you). It was unavailable for decades (except to educators for about $800 for VHS tapes) but finally became available a few years back.
    14 people found this helpful
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  • Admiralbrown
    5.0 out of 5 stars Great Series and a Region 2 Work Around
    Reviewed in the United States on May 31, 2021
    Verified Purchase
    This is a great series from my high school years. I am very happy to be able to watch again.
    Sadly being region 2 discs they cannot be directly watched. For whatever reason the region 1 discs come in and out of print.
    The work around is two steps first you need to have a computer with a dvd drive and use a program called Make MKV to turn these into MKV files. Then use a second program called Handbrake to turn the MKV into an MP4. You then will have a region free digital copy to watch. It will take a few hours, but it is worth the effort for this series.
    BTW, you can rip your whole disc collection into digital files this way.
    Really pleased to see this series again, it makes you think much more then most television.
    16 people found this helpful
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  • MuseumGuy
    5.0 out of 5 stars This is a must have set for understanding the modern world and how we got here!
    Reviewed in the United States on June 28, 2023
    Verified Purchase
    Other than the polyester leisure suit Mr. Burk is wearing, his stories of humble beginnings and chance discoveries clearly lays out an erudite explanation of how the modern world became the modern world we know today. Even though it is now 40+ years old, it is well done and should be viewed more often!
    2 people found this helpful
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  • John E
    5.0 out of 5 stars These are PAL format, buy only if you know what that means.
    Reviewed in the United States on June 14, 2022
    Verified Purchase
    Great series if somewhat dated. I ripped them using MakeMKV (I also have DeCSS installed, that may or may not have helped) and have them on my Plex server. It handles everything with ease even if these are PAL rather than NTSC. Well worth the money, and in stock as opposed to the NTSC version that is three times the cost if you can find it. Still a series well worth watching.
    3 people found this helpful
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  • Philip D. McGaughey
    5.0 out of 5 stars As great as I remembered.
    Reviewed in the United States on August 22, 2020
    Verified Purchase
    I saw this when it originally came out on PBS when I was in college. I love Burke's wonderful lecture style and it is really interesting to understand the necessities of the past that led to the innovations we enjoy today. Get it and his series The Day the Universe Changed at the same time. You will really get a good understanding of how things happened and you can watch them with your children and both have an enjoyable experience.
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  • Frank Williams.
    1.0 out of 5 stars i AM AN IDIOT!
    Reviewed in the United States on July 27, 2020
    Verified Purchase
    It is official! I am an idiot! Nobody to blame but me! WARNING ... READ THE ENTIRE product information carefully before you place the order. Don't know how I missed the Region 2 only information. It was/is there so I am an idiot. I first saw Connections while stationed in Turkey on American Forces TV. Loved it. That was 1985! Then last June I saw the series advertised on Amazon. I was excited because I really enjoyed the show. So, I ordered it. Very reasonable price BUT don't forget to add the price of a Region Free DVD player if you want to view the DVD's. They say they do not have the Region 1 DVD's and they will not refund so, Welcome, my new Region Free DVD player. Be aware! Don't be an idiot!
    5 people found this helpful
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  • ERW
    5.0 out of 5 stars A great series, well recorded and at a very reasonable price.
    Reviewed in the United States on December 8, 2021
    Verified Purchase
    The two excellent programs by James Burke, "Connections" and "The day the universe changed" sell for around $100, so it was a pleasant surprise to find this edition at a reasonable price wondering only about the image quality. I was pleasantly surprised by how good it is. Unfortunately the other program is not available from the same company. Enjoy watching it!
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Top reviews from other countries

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  • Ian B.
    3.0 out of 5 stars Formatting?
    Reviewed in Canada on March 6, 2021
    Verified Purchase
    Love this series, was excited to be able to purchase a digital copy. Unfortunately media is PAL formatted (not mentioned in ad) and won't play for me. Super bummer.
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  • WK
    4.0 out of 5 stars Damals...
    Reviewed in Germany on August 1, 2017
    Verified Purchase
    in den fernen 70ern, gab es noch so etwas wie Qualitätsfernsehen. Die Leute gaben sich Mühe, entwickelten Geschichten und setzten diese in Szene. Das alles im Rahmen einer brillianten Dokumentation. Keine CGI-Heerscharen von Kämpfern, sondern Logik, Sachverstand und die richtigen Fragen zu großen Themen der Technik und Gesellschaft, die gerade heute noch sehr aktuell sind. Es macht Spaß, sich auf die etwas langsamere und nachdenkliche Erzählweise einzulassen und die jetzige Gegenwart anhand der damaligen Zukunftsvorstellungen zu betrachten.
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  • Adie Barrett
    5.0 out of 5 stars " says Burke in his easy and friendly manner
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on March 19, 2018
    Verified Purchase
    I was captivated by this series when, on a dreary-looking night, James Burke appeared in his detective raincoat and asked if we can do him a favour? We are to take a look around the room at the technological things in the room that enhance my everyday life - just because they are there. For five seconds we do. This fourteen-year old kid sees the telephone, the radio, the lights, and then realises the box of tricks Burke is asking me from - the television set - is probably the most incredible piece of technology in the room. How do these things change my life? "Well," says Burke in his easy and friendly manner, "that is what this series is all about." It's a series of historical detective stories. Wait, what? History? James Burke is a scientist. History was the one subject I tuned out of at school because it was so boring.

    Well, the opening episode - "The Trigger Effect" - made mincemeat of that misunderstanding, for it should be a staple of education in every school. What if technology - the very technology that changes and enhances our lives simply because it's there - fail us so comprehensively? What if we lost fuel or power so we are forced to fend for ourselves, get to grips with a dog-eat-dog situation, fight others off to protect what little we have left to exist on, move out to the country to escape the disease-infested city, find somewhere to live, to the point you need to be prepared to kill, just to survive? And what learning and experience in life has ever prepared you to make a decision of that magnitude? And so it goes on towards the logical conclusion which surprised and frightened me. Because it's possible. I hope it will make you think as much as it did me.

    The picture quality is good, though a little washed-out here and there. They appear to have gone back to the original film as I cannot see any anomalies that suggest videotape copies - a huge plus and makes for a great picture when up-scaled to HD on modern TV sets. ("TV Sets" - how quaint, but that's what we called these rented items in 1978!) The audio seems to have been freshly-done as well, though possibly not mixed as well as the original was for broadcast. I found the sound disappointingly variable. You might get the volume right and then the musical background erupts, wanting to take you eardrums apart. Of course, television technology has come on so much in the past four decades that it is my new TV that is dealing with them less sympathetically and I am doing the original producers a great disservice.

    Be prepared for a talk-heavy programme, and have the remote control ready in case of variable sound levels. But the best thing is how James Burke tells each detective story in a way that will keep you fascinated. There's just him and you here and he's talking to you - no-one else around. He's having a conversation with you. It's a talent few presenters manage to carry off wholly successfully but this is one of James Burke's strengths. He made me appreciate the technology around me then, and I do the same today. I understand where the pioneering inventors are coming from, and that perhaps as has been said, nothing is really new, just the way it is updated and re-implemented makes it new. I also understand that technology develops yet remains the same - it has the power to free us, or enslave us. The choice is ours. The message is no less important today but factor technological advances in the past forty years and it's as powerful and relevant as ever.

    And now - as others her have commented - where are his equally ground-breaking follow-up series, "The Day The Universe Changed" and "The Real Thing"?, both of which also get you asking questions, wanting to know more. Come on BBC!
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  • Chris McLenaghan
    5.0 out of 5 stars James Burke's iconic first series, "Connections".
    Reviewed in Australia on January 26, 2021
    Verified Purchase
    First screened in 1978, Burke weaves and links various discoveries and progress in our world in the most amazing fashion. You will learn much about our world. Watch out for two subsequent "Connections" series as well as his series "The Day The Universe Changed", from 1985.
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  • Michael Cherry
    5.0 out of 5 stars Good DVD
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on November 14, 2024
    Verified Purchase
    Good DVD
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