We were completely and utterly dismayed after hearing that South Africa -- the host nation of the 2010 World Cup -- would not be able to catch the action in high-def in its own backyard. Thankfully, it seems that someone with some clout was able to change all that, or at least that's what we've gleaned from a recent writeup praising the country's sole HD channel (DSTv). Put simply, the writer states that "all [2010] World Cup games will be televised in high-definition," and he also states that locals can catch said HD action "on big screens at one of the many fan parks that will be dotted about the country." We're sincerely hoping these fan parks come to fruition -- can you imagine the excitement of a people experiencing HD for the first time as they watch the beautiful game?

Things may not be all peaches and cream for every programming provider out there, but we'd say the cards are playing out just fine for Africa's MultiChoice. The carrier has just recently reported a 26% increase in subscribers over the past year, bringing its total installed base to 830,000 in South Africa. Of course, bigwigs are already looking for ways to get that figure up even higher, and expanding high-def is obviously on the brain. Eben Greyling, CEO of MultiChoice Africa has noted that more HD should be seen around September of next year once the outfit has "migrated to a new satellite which supports the HD format," and it'll also be bringing video-on-demand with it in 2009. Atta way to show 'em how it's done, MultiChoice.

There's not really a practical in-home use for the display array you see pictured on the right, but it sure demands attention at trade shows and special events. Demonstrated at the FIFA Confederations Cup Final Draw at the Sandton Convention Centre in South Africa, the highly unique display consists of nine individual HDTVs mounted on a curve aluminum structure. The whole lot was coordinated to form a single image via Sony's Ziris Canvas HD technology with split visual HDTV renders running on a "proprietary PlayStation 3 hardware solution." According to the report, this is just the fourth time ever that this tech has been used, and it's the first time in South Africa. Man, would 3D material be trippy on this or what?

For fashionistas looking for even a smidgen of HD in Asia, Australia, Europe, Middle East and / or Africa, take your eyes off the mirror a second and check this out. Fashion TV has chosen RRsat Global Communications Network to provide uplink and playout services for the new Fashion TV Paris high-definition channel (FTV HD). Folks in Asia, Australia and Africa can catch it via THAICOM 5, while it'll be distributed via EUROBIRD 9 to Europe, Middle East and North Africa.

What, is this some sort of sick joke or something? The host nation of the 2010 FIFA World Cup, South Africa, will be unable to watch the action happening in its own backyard in high-definition. According to a recent report from Johannesburg, the SABC "has no plans to broadcast the 2010 FIFA World Cup in high-definition for South Africans." Instead, Switzerland-based Host Broadcasting Services (HBS) will film the games in HD for other countries. The trouble is that an overwhelming amount of South African citizens would need to procure a digital set-top-box in order to view the content in high-def, and considering that HD adoption in the nation is already low, it's simply not a high enough priority to bother with. Of course, political pressures could lead to change in all of this, and for the sake of the locals yearning for more high-def (and technological progress in general), we certainly hope so.

We already knew that DStv would soon be launching its first HD channel in South Africa, but now details are finally coming out in regard to Olympics coverage. It's no surprise that said provider will be utilizing its new station to broadcast this summer's biggest television event in high-def, but we now know that locals can tune to slot 170 on August 8th from 14:00 to see the Opening Ceremony. From there, more than 70 hours of HD coverage will continue on through August 12th. If you haven't bothered snagging an HD PVR from the company, you should probably get on that -- wouldn't want to wait 'til the last minute, would you?

[Image courtesy of Virtual Tourist]

Nearly two years ago, we heard that HDTV was coming to South Africa. Fast forward to now, and that prophecy has finally come true. DStv is launching in SA this August in order to bring the 2008 Olympic Games to residents in high-definition. Aside from prepping HD DVRs for the occasion, it's also looking to celebrate by offering up free advertising on the channel until March of 2009. Apparently Oracle Airtime Sales (OATS) is hoping that marketers will seize the opportunity to advertise their wares in high-def, and we have all ideas said company will receive more than a few calls from outfits looking to take it up on the offer.

As the naysayers continue to chuckle at the idea of 3D hitting it big, fans of face-consuming glasses and eye-popping visuals have yet another venue to check out. Located at Fourways in Johannesburg, South Africa, the Nu Metro Montecasino is now home to a Barco 2k digital cinema projector. The D-Cine Premiere DP100 utilizes Texas Instrument's DLP technology and "contains a hermetically sealed DMD engine that makes maintenance easy and increases the longevity of the product." Unsurprisingly, the first screenings were Hannah Montana and U2 3D, but only time will tell if 3D mega-hits will continue to flow.

[Via AboutProjectors]

Although exact sales figures overseas have been hotly contested, Sony Pictures Home Entertainment has just announced "an increase in total Blu-ray disc sales across six emerging markets including Hong Kong, Singapore, Taiwan, Eastern Europe, South Africa, and the Middle East." Notably, Sony's T. Paul Miller mentioned that it was "extremely positive to see an increase in volume of BD software sales in these markets where piracy had previously ravaged the DVD business." Some of the top sellers in these locales included 007: Casino Royale, Ghost Rider, Open Season, Kung Fu Hustle, Black Hawk Down, XXX, and Stealth, and it was also stated that South Africa accounted for the largest share of BD sales (for the aforementioned regions) with "more than 15,000 units shipped to date."

[Via MovieWeb]

While the World Cup in Germany led to skyrocketing HDTV sales, additions of channels, and worldwide recognition (South America notwithstanding), things have remained up in the air regarding the HD status of the next go 'round. While we've found that HD would be coming to South Africa at least partly in response to the 2010 FIFA World Cup, we still weren't exactly sure if everything would pan out so smoothly. While Sony's hoping to get into the football madness itself, SABC -- the host broadcaster for the matches -- has officially (and finally) acquired its first "outside HD broadcast unit" featuring "the latest in high definition technology." Moreover, the nearly $15 million unit is said to be "the first of its kind" on the entire continent, and will hopefully deliver the crystal clear picture and sound we HD sports lovers crave. If you're troubled that such a luxurious unit must wait three agonizing years to be put to good use, take heart, as SABC is already broadcasting "international cricket matches" with its newfangled toy.

LG is having a stellar year in both Africa and the Middle East thanks to their flat-panel business. The company experienced a 217% growth in that segment which helped lead the way to a 20% overall increase in total sales. Even though the overall increase of 20% is great and all, they were expecting a 30% gain. LG is a major player in both of the regions and control 58% of the plasma market. This increase is thanks to the thriving global economy that has lead to the rise of middle and high-income classes.

Following up on a story we reported last week about preparing Africa for the World Cup in HDTV, Sony released some news about the 4k (or 4,000-plus-pixel capable) projectors they demoed at this year's World Cup broadcasts in South Africa. Using a projector that is capable of 4k resolution (four times the normal 1080 lines of high-definition resolution), Sony claims their Silicon X-tal Reflective Display (SXRD) projector helped with the first live HD transmission on the continent.

The projector can drive either four different 1920x1080-pixel screens, or be combined into one 4096x2160-pixel monster display. At up to 18,000 lumens, it's also obviously designed for outdoor venues and movie theaters, but it's great to see yet another area getting exposure to the superb detail and color of high definition. We thought HD was all over the place for the 2006 games, but it's clear we can expect even greater display and broadcast technologies when the 2010 games roll around.

Do you think we'lll have to wait for the World Cup games in 2010 to get the ultimate in HD display and transmission technologies like these, or will all this be old news by then?