Broadcaster tests hi-def waters, while stateside coverage remains in SD

Marking the 40-year anniversary of working with the BBC on Wimbledon, this year NBC will pick up high-definition coverage of the action on Centre Court and Court 1, and will also showcase upconverted standard-definition coverage of the remaining matches.

Several production companies used a variety of Thomson’s production equipment to follow every lightning-fast serve, which some broadcasters carried in HDTV for the first time.

Coverage will air in 3D-equipped theaters and rebroadcast by the BBC.

The BBC 's recently announced plans to include both the Wimbledon tennis tourney and the World Cup soccer match-ups this summer as part of its planned trial of HD in the UK may be destined to make a significant HD imprint on Britain, at least as far as perception, since virtually all HD viewers will have to watch from

While this spring's Kentucky Derby, America's premiere equestrian event, is already in the history books, in the U.K it's nearly time for its own Derby that the BBC plans to air live from Epsom Racecourse ("The Oaks") on June 1-2.