(29 April 2006 6:00 pm)

MUMBAI: Innovation is at the heart of UK pubcaster BBC's sporting coverage and the Fifa football World Cup will be the first football tournament to be broadcast in the UK on High Definition (HD).

The overall BBC HD trial will kick off with the BBC's share of World Cup matches up to and including the 9 July final in Germany.

The site - bbc.co.uk/worldcup - will offer an in-depth guide to the tournament both during and ahead of kick-off.

New for this tournament will be Player Ratings where website and TV viewers can rate players in-match, while the very popular Mini Motty, the desktop news pop-up of John Motson, returns.

Also returning, but improved, is Virtual Replay, the 3D-style recreations of key moments from every match.

Virtual Replay will offer bbc.co.uk/sport users the chance to watch 3D animations of all shots and goals from each of the World Cup matches after they happen.

Users will be able to view the action from different camera angles and enjoy an 'as live' experience as the match is being played.

Football fans can also add themselves to the website – a new feature called 'The Beautiful Frame' will allow users to send in their World Cup-related photos from around the world.

Public participation also extends to a World Cup Blog which will invite users to live the tournament through the eyes of two BBC journalists.

As they drive around Germany in a camper van, the bloggers will take direction and advice from readers, regularly relating back their adventures on the long and winding road to Berlin.

Viewers with digital TV will have access to a number of extra interactive options.

The BBC Sport Interactive service will be available on all Digital TV platforms with coverage divided into two applications, Live Match and Replay. Interactive will be available 24/7 during the tournament.

Viewers will have the audio choice of BBC match commentary, Five Live's commentary or the real-time noise from the stadium.

Additionally the BBC live match coverage will be extended on interactive beyond its BBC ONE transmission window to allow for extra post-match analysis. Viewers will also be able to replay in full earlier matches via the red button.

Also on interactive, between BBC match broadcasts, are a number of special streams: three x 15 minute edits of every World Cup match; an England channel, with interviews pre and post-match press conferences; and a round up of the best goals of the tournament.

Big Screen : The BBC will operate four fixed big screens in Birmingham (not all games), Hull, Leeds and Manchester with more venues to be announced, showing all of the BBC's games.

Five Live will also operate a number of mobile, truck-mounted screens travelling all around the UK to a wide range of locations and communities.

On air World Cup Stories on BBC Two showcases six one hour documentaries on different countries' World Cup histories from 7 May.

World Cup Goals on BBC Three is a countdown of the best 100 goals. When Lineker met Maradona is a BBC One documentary with Gary Lineker and Maradona.