Here is a report from the Media section of The Guardian dated 23rd March:
"The World Cup will become the first major sporting event to be broadcast in high definition television in the UK with the launch of a BBC trial.
The corporation will air its World Cup coverage, including the final on July 9, as well as Wimbledon matches from centre court and court one in HD this summer.
The new format promises more detailed pictures and sharper shots of fast-moving action than conventional "standard definition" that most television sets offer.
The BBC will provide HD as an extra service alongside conventional analogue and digital broadcasts but it can only be watched on HD-ready TV sets.
Roger Mosey, the BBC director of sport, said: "High definition works particularly well for sport. It gives fantastic picture quality, from the blades of grass that are being played on right to the back of the stands, and although only limited numbers of people will be able to see this trial we hope it will be a glimpse of the future."
The broadcasts are part of a BBC trial running for 12 months. Programmes ear-marked for HD include Planet Earth, Galapagos and some Proms concerts.
The amount of HD programming each day will vary, averaging between one and two hours. Some programmes will be simulcast with BBC1 or, in a few instances, BBC2. Others will be time-shifted or offer another chance to view past highlights such as dramas Bleak House and Hotel Babylon in HD.
The first live HD programme will be the opening World Cup match between Germany and Costa Rica on Friday June 9.
The head of HD at the BBC, Seetha Kumar, said: "We believe that in the long term the BBC can help provide the benefits of HD to everyone, free-to-air, in the same way that we backed colour, stereo, widescreen and online in the past."
