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International HD news roundup
Here at Engadget HD, we'd prefer not to just focus on high-def happenings in the US of A. Thus, we round up the best of the best from the international front and present it here, bundled together in a single, easy to digest list. If something went down in your corner of the globe recently, let the rest of the world know it in comments. 'Til next time, Namasté! Read - DTH players gear up to join high-definition bandwagon (India) Read - High-definition Premier League coverage soon (Abu Dhabi) Read - Rose Bowl signs deal with Sony (UK) Read - GO launches HDtv trial (Malta) Read - Virgin Offers Online Movies (UK) Read - SES ASTRA to Launch Europe's First 3D Demo Channel Read - Russia eyes satellite-delivered 3D TV Read - Even more with HD4! (UK) Read - SES ASTRA and Samsung to Promote 3D TV Read - Sky News HD to launch on Election Night (UK) Read - BSkyB agrees deal to let rivals use its sports content Read - SABC plan to test 3D at World Cup (South Africa) Read - Asahi to Rep Outdoor Channel in Korea Read - Sky Sports follows BBC to Cape Town with World Cup studio Read - Orbit Showtime to launch 6 new HD channels (Middle East) Read - MGM HD Debuts in Spanish in Latin America Read - SuperSport promises better World Cup (South Africa) Read - Freesat investigates 3DTV (UK) Read - BBC pushes HD in Poland Read - German cable lifts HD credentials
South Africa to host 2010 FIFA World Cup, not see it in HD
What, is this some sort of sick joke or something? The host nation of the 2010 FIFA World Cup, South Africa, will be unable to watch the action happening in its own backyard in high-definition. According to a recent report from Johannesburg, the SABC "has no plans to broadcast the 2010 FIFA World Cup in high-definition for South Africans." Instead, Switzerland-based Host Broadcasting Services (HBS) will film the games in HD for other countries. The trouble is that an overwhelming amount of South African citizens would need to procure a digital set-top-box in order to view the content in high-def, and considering that HD adoption in the nation is already low, it's simply not a high enough priority to bother with. Of course, political pressures could lead to change in all of this, and for the sake of the locals yearning for more high-def (and technological progress in general), we certainly hope so.
SABC unveils HD broadcast unit for 2010 World Cup
While the World Cup in Germany led to skyrocketing HDTV sales, additions of channels, and worldwide recognition (South America notwithstanding), things have remained up in the air regarding the HD status of the next go 'round. While we've found that HD would be coming to South Africa at least partly in response to the 2010 FIFA World Cup, we still weren't exactly sure if everything would pan out so smoothly. While Sony's hoping to get into the football madness itself, SABC -- the host broadcaster for the matches -- has officially (and finally) acquired its first "outside HD broadcast unit" featuring "the latest in high definition technology." Moreover, the nearly $15 million unit is said to be "the first of its kind" on the entire continent, and will hopefully deliver the crystal clear picture and sound we HD sports lovers crave. If you're troubled that such a luxurious unit must wait three agonizing years to be put to good use, take heart, as SABC is already broadcasting "international cricket matches" with its newfangled toy.
