The BBC's director of TV, Jana Bennett, has announced that the broadcaster will start sending some shows in the high-definition television format. The trial will begin by the middle of next year.

HDTV requires a compatible receiver and television set to work. The BBC already have made current series Rome and Bleak House to fit the format. HDTV produces a clearer, more colourful image than standard television.

Mark Thompson, the BBC's director general, has already promised free-to-air HDTV broadcasts "as soon as practical". This is expected to begin in 2010. The recently announced trial is expected to last into 2007.

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