As a sponsor of the Winter Olympics in Turin, held from 10 to 26 February 2006, Panasonic is supporting the event with fully digital broadcast equipment. The company says the end-to-end digital operation will make the Winter Games the most technically advanced Olympic Games to date.
As the official supplier of standard- and high-definition equipment for the 2006 Winter Olympics, Panasonic will provide the Torino Olympic Broadcasting Organization (TOBO) with DVCPRO P2 solid-state storage units as well as DVCPRO HD and DVCPRO50 recording equipment for the Turin Games. Panasonic will also supply 200 professional DVCPRO VTRs, 100 video cameras and camcorders, and 600 monitors for the International Broadcast Centre, specific Olympic venues and broadcast companies.
The company will also install 25 large-format outdoor Astrovision video screens at various Olympic venues, including the Stadio Olimpico, where the opening and closing ceremonies will be held. This continues Panasonic’s tradition of providing Astrovision screens for the Olympic Games, which began in 1984. Panasonic will also supply 75 RAMSA audio systems with specially developed line-array speakers designed to withstand extreme conditions and minimize sound loss. The line-array speakers will be used at the opening and closing ceremonies for the first time.
Finally, Panasonic is bringing no fewer than 8,800 colour televisions and monitors to Turin, including 200 plasma televisions for the Main Press Centre, the International Broadcast Centre, and the media and Olympic villages. It will also provide 620 “Super Dynamic III” surveillance cameras for the first time to help ensure the safe operation of the Olympic Games.
