BBC: No HD for F1
Those of us hoping for complete coverage of the 2009 Formula 1 season in high definition have been dealt a blow. The races will be in standard definition only.
The BBC's Director of Sport, Roger Mosey (right), writing in his online blog over the Christmas/New Year period, has confirmed there will be no HD coverage.
Talking about the sport we have to look forward to in 2009, Mosey wrote: "There's also, of course, Formula 1 - which comes roaring back onto BBC screens in March.
"We'll be following Lewis Hamilton every kilometre of every circuit as he defends his world championship, and there'll be a fantastic range of online and interactive services to support our tv and radio F1 programming."
"The races will be on iPlayer, but precise red button plans are yet to be confirmed. The idea is that F1's home will be BBC One, with all qualifying and races live and uninterrupted on that channel. The rest will be online and on the red button.
"We're still working on GP2 and other scheduling details. Clearly, we'll have a lot of new content from F1 itself – which will start with practice available online on the Friday of a race weekend. Catch-up F1 will later be on iPlayer with highlights on the site."
But answering a question from several posters, he added "But to BigBadDaveB in #9 and others: F1 won't yet be available in HD though we'd very much like it to be. I'll keep you posted."
It seems for the moment, those Sunday afternoons are going to be in good ol' 576i...
Comments
I nearly bought FreeSat HD prior to Xmas with F1 being the primary incentive. Glad I didn't bother now, perhaps they'll manage HD by 2010?
not really, its only been shown in widescreen for the last couple of years. basically fom is greedy as hell and the bbc just have enough money to show it live let alone film it them selves.
Don't know if this is the fault of the BBC or FOM (Formula One Management, who own and supply most of the pictures) but I understand that F1 is available in HD in other countries, so the HD feed is obviously there.
F1 is meant to be a show case for cutting edge technology, so should have been one of the 1st sports in HD ... not the last!!
Yet they put Strictly Come Prancing on BBC HD.... its a shame but everyone who likes F1 will still watch it.
look on the bright side, at least the bbc won't switch to adverts just as the action is hotting up....
Pathetic!
The BBC are rubbish, the amount of our money they spend on rubbish and they can't give us F1 in HD shame on you, hopeless.
Merlin and Dr Who aren't HD because the BBC simply cannot afford it.
With F1, it is most likely to do with the fact that since it's an international sport, you'd have inconsistency between events with local shooting teams...
HD on the BBC is beginning to perform a bit like .. ....my old car. No HD Merlin, No HD Doctor Who...(Wizz-Mechanics)
The BBC miss the mark again at least my car could show off its stripes but without HD you will not see theirs.
This is a mistake this was the BBC's chance to shine and show what they can do with the rights to a 1st class sport.So far its not looking good ' stupid i know but the only reason i bought sky hd was in the hope that it would be broadcasted in HD on the BBC. What a let down!!
I can't believe they're not making it HiDef with 5.1 - there cannot be a better advertisement for this technology - I'm pretty sure most of us just assumed that they would do this... shame.