18/04/2006
NEWS STORY
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According to Pitpass sources Formula One Management (FOM) is apparently ready to debut its new High-Definition (HD) television equipment for the two North American rounds, if remaining technical bugs can be worked out guaranteeing the system won't crash during a broadcast.
At this time it's not known if the HD pictures will be available anywhere or whether the broadcasts will convert to 16:9 widescreen format. However, even in standard definition the new equipment should yield a sharper cleaner image improving the pictures.
It's thought that the wear and tear on FOM's equipment from all the travel over recent years necessitated replacement.
Pitpass sources claim that the HD equipment would have been purchased earlier, however, FOM was trying to do a deal with Panasonic. Consequently, it will be interesting to see if the equipment is Panasonic (a major sponsor of Toyota Racing), since, from 2007, the Japanese GP has been awarded to Fuji Raceway, which is owned by Toyota.