Formula 1 NOT in HD on BBC

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Still no HD on the BBC but The Chain will be kept as the theme tune and there will be multi-screen options when viewing through the red button.

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No HD

Formula 1 WILL NOT be in HD on the BBC from launch although the BBC Sports team are hoping to secure a feed eventually.

Roger Mosey of BBC Sport said “F1 won’t yet be available in HD though we’d very much like it to be. I’ll keep you posted.”

He went on in a later comment to explain that it wasn’t down to the BBC. He said: “the BBC very much wants F1 to be in HD. The problem is the world feed is currently in standard definition, and it depends on the demand from broadcasters other than the BBC before it will be upgraded. We’ll keep lobbying…”

So the answer is 1) wait and see and 2) get in touch with F1 teams, advertisers and bodies to convince them to go HD if that is what you really want.

Now back to the original speculative article.

Formula One supremo Bernie Ecclestone is expecting the BBC to be innovative with its coverage of the sport when it returns to the corporation in 2009 and this could include HD, interactive and more. He says the BBC have “all the rights they want”.

This is a few days old but I thought it was worth reporting anyway – given the amount of coverage I’ve already handed to Formula 1 over the last few days – or at least to Top Gear and Formula 1.

This time, instead of speculating about the involvment or not of the Top Gear team I’m going to publish and look at an interview with Bernie Ecclestone on the BBC Sport website.

In the interview a surprised BBC reporter talks to Bernie about what he thinks we can expect from the BBC when it covers F1 from 2009 and the basic gist is that the coverage will include Online, iPlayer, Podcast, Radio, HD, Television and Interactive.

First lets look at the video together and then I’ll post my thoughts on it afterwards (coming from someone without a big background in or love of F1 (I’ve asked Doctorvee if he fancies writing a beginners guide to the sport – if he doesn’t I’ll put my journalistic skills to the test and have a go at doing it myself).

I have to admit I’ve never seen Formula 1 on ITV in full but do have an idea, from reading a number of blogs on the subject over the last few days and the basic gist seems to be that, with the exception of a commentator and the adverts ITVs coverage is pretty good.

So the feeling is that the BBC should offer at least the same level of coverage – this shouldn’t too difficult as it works on a similar model to that offered by the BBC with Football – a pre and post match/race programme, full detailed coverage of the race, warmups, practices, qualifiers and interviews as well as a website to back it all up with streaming and extra information.

On top of that though the BBC can, and from what Bernie has said probably WILL, offer High Def races, alternative commentary from the radio team, race highlights on the iPlayer (possibly even whole races if the rugby is anything to go by) as well as clips, interviews and related stuff on the BBC F1 website.

Don’t work your thoughts of the website and what it will be out from what you see at bbc.co.uk/formula1 right now as within the next few months the BBC Sport website is going to get a major re-design that will allow more information to be included.

I think, given that F1 will be the last major sport the BBC will have the rights to (with the exception of England Games) they will go all out and give it some serious budgets.

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