13/05/2008

BBC Kicks Off Euro 2008 In HD

For the first time ever, BBC coverage of the UEFA European Football Championship will be broadcast in both high definition and 5.1 surround sound.

The 2008 UEFA European Football Championship - Euro 2008 - will take place in Austria and Switzerland, from 7 June to 29 June 2008.

It is the second successful joint bid in the competition's history, following the UEFA Euro 2000 hosted by Belgium and the Netherlands.

The 2012 competition in Poland and Ukraine is scheduled to become the third jointly-hosted tournament.

This year, BBC Resources is equipping its gallery at the IBC Centre in Vienna with some of the latest equipment, supplied by - amongst others - the Danish manufacturer, DK-Technologies.

BBC viewers will then be able to watch the whole of the Euro 2008 tournament in high definition on the BBC's HD channel which is extending its normal hours to provide full coverage of the finals.

They said that HD gives exceptionally clear, crisp pictures with vivid colours.

"It's got up to five times more detail than standard definition television, which means viewers get really intense images and can follow the action as a "cinematic" TV experience," said a spokesman,

To watch the BBC's HD channel, viewers will need an HD-ready TV and the right kind of cable or satellite digital box – from a supplier such as Sky, Virgin, or Freesat – which launches in May and will provide the BBC HD channel on a subscription-free basis.

(KMcA)(BMcC)

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