For the first time in a US major sports league, referees will use high-definition video replays to decide close decisions when the National Football League (NFL) preseason kicks off this week.
Referees will use new HD systems from Harris Corporation that provide images five times sharper than previous standard definition systems. The new HD instant replay systems have been installed in 28 NFL stadiums, with New York, Dallas and Indianapolis completing the set once their stadiums have been renovated.
Harris, a leading provider of HDTV solutions for sports broadcasting, supplied the HD playback systems, as well as all the software and services to upgrade the instant replay systems.
"Sports programming is leading the conversion to high definition - and within sports, I can think of no more exacting application than NFL replays, where the outcome of a team's season may depend on the referee's call," said Tim Thorsteinson, president of Harris Broadcast Communications.
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