Archive notice: This article was originally published on October 17, 2007. Links and embedded videos are preserved as part of the historical record.
Hamburg production company Broad Support delivered spectacular images during international television coverage of the DTM finale in Hockenheim on 14 October. At the final race of the season, it deployed a new camera system for the first time anywhere in the world: “PanoMotion Pro” delivers real-time 360-degree moving images, giving fans of the most popular international touring-car series even more exciting views of the racing action.
The system, consisting of a high-resolution camera with a special lens, enables pans and camera moves through a 360-degree angle. Whether live or used as an analysis tool, it can create spectacular 360-degree panoramas from the pit lane, for example, which can be actively controlled by the director and presenter. DTM fans are brought even closer to the pit stops and receive a breathtaking complete overview of the teams’ tire changes, which sometimes take less than four seconds and are often decisive for the race result.
The 360-degree camera system had been successfully tested since May and was used in a television production for the first time worldwide at the DTM finale in Hockenheim. The new camera system was deployed jointly with WIGE Media AG, which was responsible for the entire DTM television production.
“The aim is to offer viewers previously almost unimaginable views of exciting and decisive moments in the racing action,” explains Jens Thoben, one of the system’s developers and one of Broad Support’s three managing directors. Like him, his two partners Björn Matthias and Wido Groell are convinced that the live images will appeal to DTM fans: “Viewers receive more information and will be thrilled by the many details, tricks, and scenes during the pit stops!”
“PanoMotion Pro” is distributed exclusively by Videor Technical of Rödermark, which was involved in its development. The same applies to easylook Systems: working with the Fraunhofer Institute, the Hamburg company developed the ultra-compact MODULA HDTV camera for professional broadcast use.
