BBC Outside Broadcasts Lead the Pack - Tackling Six Nations in HD

BBC Outside Broadcasts, part of BBC Resources Ltd, is supporting BBC Sport’s host coverage of the RBS Six Nations 2007. The Northern Hemisphere's annual showcase rugby event takes place over five weekends in February and March, when England, Ireland, Scotland, Wales, France and Italy compete to be Six Nations champions going into 2007’s Rugby World Cup. All matches are being broadcast live on the BBC, with England, Wales and Scotland home games in high definition (HD) for the first time. Coverage will go out on BBC ONE, BBC TWO and the BBC’s HD test channel, as well as on the BBC Interactive channels.

BBC Outside Broadcasts, one of the largest outside broadcasts facilities providers in Europe, is providing match and presentation coverage from multi-locations. It is capturing the action from Twickenham (HD), the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff (HD), Murrayfield Stadium in Edinburgh (HD), the Stadio Flaminio in Rome, and from Croke Park Stadium in Dublin . In Paris BBC Outside Broadcasts is providing presentation facilities and additional match cameras for BBC Sport to add to TF2’s host coverage. BBC Outside Broadcasts is also providing commentary facilities for several BBC International Unit clients and the output is taken by broadcasters around the World.

Post Cam, a wireless, compact, remote controlled camera will provide exciting shots of the games from a unique angle. Developed by BBC Outside Broadcasts Special Cameras team in conjunction with BBC Sport Innovation, the camera is gripped to the post above the safety padding to give complete 360 degree, panoramic footage of all the action, whether that is players in view or the crowds’ reactions in the stadium.

As well as capturing 15 Six Nations matches over the next five weeks, eight in HD, BBC Outside Broadcasts is also covering the FA Cup, the Kaiser Chiefs and BBC Sessions in HD, plus Match of The Day, Athletics, Watch Dog, Songs of Praise, Crufts and a Soul Britannia concert at the Barbican in SD.

BBC Outside Broadcasts has a wealth of experience in managing complex projects and working in HD across a range of genres, from live TV drama to international sporting events and music concerts. HD productions it has supported over the last twelve months include: Wimbledon, the FIFA World Cup, the Trooping of the Colour and Beating the Retreat, Swan Lake in St Petersburg, Last Night at the Proms and the Electric Proms. Its Special Cameras team developed the world’s first HD Plunge Camera to capture divers in real time as they free fall into the pool, which debuted at the Asian Games Doha in December 2006. The BBC Outside Broadcasts Special Cameras team also pioneered HD onboard camera systems at Goodwood Revival Meeting last year, when the team fitted 13 classic cars with HDV cameras.

BBC Resources Ltd is a commercial subsidiary of the BBC which offers post production, studios and outside broadcast services to a variety of broadcasters and production companies.  Its profits benefit the BBC and its licence payers.

For more information visit www.bbcresources.com/ob

For further information, please contact:

Georgie Hollett, PR and Communications Manager, BBC Resources
Tel: +44 (0)20 8576 2250
Mobile : +44 (0) 783484 5612
Email : georgie.hollett@bbc.co.uk