Discovery Store Blog

Shark Week Returns! And it’s Bigger than Ever.

Discovery's annual celebration of sharks has arrived. Our week-long marathon of scintillating shark programming begins Sunday July 30, with specials premiering at 9 p.m. ET daily through August 4.

Dirty Jobs' own Mike Rowe will host this year's event, which kicks off with his two-hour special "Dirty Jobs: Jobs That Bite." The night concludes with the one-hour special "Dirty Jobs: Jobs That Bite Harder." Both programs will be available on DVD soon.

Check out these fun facts about the gigantic, inflatable Great White that invaded Discovery headquarters (pictured above):
- It's 446 feet long, 200 feet wide, and 112 feet tall
- It has the correct proportions of a Great White Shark
- It took 6.65 miles of fabric to create the inflatable fish
- And 36.7 miles of thread to sew him together
- If it were real, the shark would weight about 84,000 pounds

Get in the "biting" spirit with the latest DVD releases and cool classics, plus a unique selection of shark toys. Here are my top picks:
- MythBusters: Jaws Special DVD
- Shark’s Revenge Slide: Available Saturday. Hurry, limited quantities!
- Radio-Controlled Robotic Shark
- Primal Scream DVD
- Jaws of the Pacific DVD

Have fun shopping!
Stephanie,
Marketing Manager

A Milestone Weekend for Astronomers

On August 10-12th, take a three-day tour of two planetary events -- a rare asteroid opportunity and a phenomenal meteor shower!

On 8/10, the beautiful blue planet, Neptune, will be directly facing the sun from Earth -- providing viewing ability at its maximum brightness. Neptune is the eighth rock from the sun, so you'll need a high-end scope to bring out the details. First-time astronomers could consider the ETX-80BB and experienced users might consider upgrading to our ETX-125PE for a clearly defined image -- especially for astrophotographers.

On 8/11, gear up for a host of galactic events. First, the ringed planet Uranus will pass behind the moon around 1:00 A.M. ET. Next, while watching the moon, you'll notice it's extra close and extra-large -- known as the moon's "perigee" To prepare for this lunar journey, grab our 5pcs Filter Kit -- nothing brings out the swiss-cheese like craters like a moon filter. Finally, for East Coast viewers, take a break and scan the sky for the Perseid Meteor Shower -- expect 15-30 meteors per hour!

Close off the weekend on 8/12 by viewing Ceres -- the largest known asteroid, which will be at its closest and brightest approach for the year. A scope with a larger diameter will provide the best look, so consider our new 8" LX90 GPS or 8" LX200.

Happy Viewing,
JP Stoops, Telescope Buyer

Hurry, DVD Sale Ends Friday!

They say that all good sales must come to an end. So, if you've had your eye on any titles from our DVD Sale, now is the time to act. And, if you've already picked up a title or two, be sure to check out the recent additions including:

   America's Tsunami: Are We Next? — Earthquakes aren't California's only worry. Join a group of scientists as they search for the cause of the 2004 tsunami and try to determine if America is vulnerable. Scary-good special effects illustrate the unthinkable.

   The Future is Wild — Forget science fiction. These monsters are based on science fact. Biologists, paleobotanists and others peer into the future to determine what today's animals will look like tomorrow. Rats the size of sheep? Not for another 5 million years, thankfully.

   Voyage of Discovery — Over 100 cameras take you inside the 2005 Space Shuttle Discovery mission — from launch to landing — and even follow the crew as they leave the ship for various spacewalks. And, at only $6.99, this three-disc set is a great deal.

Plus, don't forget to take advantage of free shipping when you order $50 or more!

— Anthony, Blog Master

FREE Discovery Pro Cycling Team Magnet Set

In celebration of the Tour de France, the Discovery Channel Store is offering a FREE collector’s set of magnets when you buy any cycling product! This special promotion starts today and is good while supplies last.

For those of you who don’t know, the Tour de France has been racing through the French countryside for the past two weeks and will come to a finish this weekend in Paris. Although our favorite cyclist, Lance Armstrong, is not competing this year, there are a number of Discovery Channel team members racing for yellow.

This collector’s set features five of Discovery’s top riders in cool magnet designs that look like old propaganda posters.

George Hincapie — Lance’s lieutenant and Discovery’s team leader
Paolo Savoldelli — this Italian rider is a Tour de France stage winner
Tom Danielson — the rising American star, started his career as a mountain biker
Viatcheslav Ekimov — the Russian veteran with 14 Tours under his wheels
Yaroslav Popovych — currently in 11th place (after Stage 14), Discovery’s best hope for victory

I took these magnets for a spin this weekend and was impressed with their performance. Checkout the fellas in action on my fridge. George Hincapie barely has to lift a pedal to keep my pizza coupons in place!

These exclusive magnets are going fast, so get yours now!

— Stephanie, Marketing Manager

Heads Up: 20th Anniversary DVD Set

Hi,
This is Kathy. I manage the website, thanks for visiting:)

I want to recap the first week of our inaugural DVD Sale — in short, it's a big hit! Which is great news for everyone...b/c that means we're keeping it going this week.

To thank you for being part of our Blog community, I'm giving you an exclusive heads up on a DVD we're adding to the sale tomorrow. Our popular 20th Anniversary DVD Set, valued at over $100, will be on the site tomorrow for $10! Last time we put this item online, we sold thousands — and sold out — within the first day, so hurry!

Have a good week,
Kathy

Miami Ink, MythBusters, Dirty Jobs Season Sets

Three of our most popular series hit DVD this week in all-new, original packaging: Miami Ink: Season 1, MythBusters: Season 1 - Part 2 and Dirty Jobs: Season 1. What better way to beat the summer heat than by staying indoors and watching a season (or two!) of cool, Discovery programming?

— Anthony

Great Discovery Series On Sale

Over 20 new titles are being added to our DVD Sale every day! Take a look at these new additions:

   MythBusters: Jaws Special — This episode has it all: bloodthirsty predators, exotic locales, Jamie Hyneman punching a shark in the nose. Best of all, this extended, two-hour episode is yours for only $4.99. Chomp.

   Dirty Jobs: Avian Vomitologist & Turkey Farmer — I'll be honest. Before I saw this episode, I didn't even know that "vomitologist" was a word. Turns out, it's also a career path. I hope they're paid well.

   American Chopper: Lincoln Mark LT Bike — Tempers flare and sparks fly in this episode…and that's just the dodge ball scene! Here's a fun fact: Did you know that OCC created a replica of the Lincoln Bike and auctioned it off to benefit victims of Katrina?

— Anthony, Blog Master

New DVDs in sale

We're releasing new DVDs for sale everyday.  My top 3 picks for today would be:

Einstein DVD: Mr. Einstein had an interesting day in the news today.  Disregarding that, this DVD is a nice intro for families and students.

Amazon Abyss: I'm ordering this one for myself.  Something I've always wondered:  if you dive into the Amazon, how do you ensure you're not in a part with piranhas?  Since they made the DVD, they must have known the answer.

Unsolved History: Butch Cassidy and Sundance: This sale's definitely good for answering things you've always been curious about. 

-Josh

Top Five Sale DVDs

Our Sizzlin' Summer DVD Sale begins today! We have over 200 titles offered at up to 75% off — including individual and multi-disc sets. Plus, we'll be adding lots of new titles each day over the course of the next few weeks. In the interest of saving you time (and possibly the muscles in your mouse hand), I've put together my Top Five Favorite Sale DVDs. You can't go wrong with any of these.

5. Thomas L. Friedman Reporting Set (was $34.95, now $7.50) — First of all, look at that price! I'm not sure if it's his charming delivery or his dogged objectivity, but TLF has a way of making this crazy world seem a lot less intimidating.

4. Grizzly Man (was $27.95, now $19.99) — It takes some work, but if you can look past the hype surrounding this film, you'll find a sobering commentary on man, his ego and his relationship with nature.

3. Blue Planet (was $74.95, now $49.99) — Over six hours of content, brilliant underwater camerawork, great BBC production values and some of the strangest creatures you've ever seen. Makes me want to be a marine biologist.

2. Dinosaur Planet (was $34.95, now $9.99) — Easily among the most convincing special effects I've ever seen. Even real dinosaurs would have trouble looking this good.

1. The Elegant Universe (was $19.95, now $11.31) — Ok, forget marine biologist. This program makes me want to be a physicist. Imagine a universe so complex that it's made up of 11 dimensions. Now imagine an engaging host who explains it all in clear, compelling English. A real treat for science buffs.

— Anthony, Blog Master