Eurosport to air Monte-Carlo Rally in HD

Eurosport has confirmed that it will show this year's prestigious Monte-Carlo Rally for the first time in high definition.

The pan-European sports broadcaster's coverage of the event, the first round of the 2012 FIA World Rally Championship (WRC), will air in standard and high definition from today until January 23.

Eurosport, which has aired the Monte-Carlo Rally for four consecutive years, will broadcast the rally in all the 59 European countries where it is available, including Asia-Pacific nations.

All coverage will be filmed in native HD, marking the first time that an FIA WRC event has ever been captured using the technology.

Eurosport will use a series of different cameras for the coverage, including seven in the Special Stages and one in the Service Park, along with a helicopter Cineflex camera.

There will be 10 rally cars fitted with on-board cameras and the "SimulCam" will compare the performances of two drivers on the same road section by superimposing a 'ghost' image of one vehicle on the race pictures.

Also this week, Eurosport launched its first ever promotion using QR interactive codes for the Australian Open tennis Gran Slam.

Until January 29, the broadcaster is showing the QR codes on-screen during the tournament, enabling users to scan the graphic and be linked directly to Eurosport's new LiveScore app.

Available on iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad, the Livescore app provides score alerts, results and match schedules to complement sporting tournaments like the Australian Open.