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World Touring Car Championship is the first FIA racing series in HD


The first FIA World Championship has scheduled its switch to high definition -- unfortunately, it isn't F1. Still, World Touring Car Championship fans can expect sweet sweet HD from track side and RF cameras (on board is still 16:9 SD) on nine of the season's twelve events, starting in the third week from Marrakech. No word on which broadcasters will air the races in HD other than that "several" plan to, but we hope this is just a test run before we get a clearer view from all the Formula One events soon -- c'mon Bernie, you're not going to let NASCAR and Indy stay ahead, are you?

[Via F1SA]

BBC won't air Formula 1 in HD this season


So, here's the good news. Auntie Beeb will be covering the 2009 season of Formula 1 racing. The bad news? It won't be in HD, at least not at launch. According to a reply by Roger Mosey, the director of BBC Sport, the network will not be making F1 racing available in high-def, though he does confess to "wanting to." Yeah, we'd love to say his "I'll keep you posted" remark gives us overwhelming hope, but sadly, we can't. Prove us wrong, BBC -- we dare you.

[Image courtesy of TheSun, via Digital Spy]

Odeon cinemas to play F1 races in HD


Not everyone has an incredible home cinema, but in the UK at least that won't get in the way of a premium high definition experience while watching Lewis Hamilton tear up the F1 circuit. After a test run showing the British Grand Prix last year, Odeon Cinemas is working with Formula One Management to show ten races this season in 25 locations, live and without commercial breaks. The international HD feed and Dolby Surround 5.1 audio will be in full effect, no word on how many quid, pence or pounds this costs but at least it's one way to avoid seeing Sex & the City for the 5th time this weekend.

If FOX really got HD, the US GP would be in HD today

F1 US GP 2007While some networks seem to lead the way in HD, -- like CBS producing the very first NFL game in HD almost 10 years ago -- other networks just can't stop dragging their feet. Sure FOX shows up sometimes, -- like producing 6 NFL games a week in HD, even if they don't look that great -- but they still confuse consumers with their "FOX Widescreen" and there are still many events that deserve the HD treatment, but don't get it. Sure F1 racing isn't very popular in the US, but it is just a kick in the head to every US F1 fan when FOX down-grades the signal here, because they aren't willing to pay a dime extra to F1 to upgrade the signal. So while the rest of the world at least gets widescreen coverage, US fans will have to settle for 4x3 SD. The economics of a single event aside, the overall image of the network is diminished when they fail to deliver on a major worldwide event like the US GP.

**UPDATE** FOX did step up and at least present the race in EDTV, which we are grateful for, but it still isn't HD -- lucky for us, the US Open is.




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