Panasonic Technology is Set to Take the Excitement of the Olympic Games to the Next Level

The Games of the XXXI Olympiad Rio 2016 and the 15th Summer Paralympic Games ("Rio Paralympics") will be held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. In its role as a TOP sponsor, Panasonic has delivered more audiovisual equipment than at any previous Olympic Games. Some 72 large-screen LED displays have been installed across 35 different competition venues, while around 15,000 televisions and more than 150 DLP projectors have been delivered to the competition venues as well. In addition, Panasonic's broadcasting and professional camera systems (P2HD Series) will be used for the Games' video recording equipment systems,* while high-end camera recorders and many other broadcasting equipment have been supplied to facilities like the International Broadcast Centre (IBC). Through the Rio 2016 Olympics and Paralympics Games, Panasonic will support the production of international broadcast feed to be delivered around the world.

*Since the Barcelona 1992 Olympic Games, Panasonic broadcasting equipment has been used and delivered to serve as the official video recording systems at 12 Olympic Games.

Panasonic as a technology partner

For the first time, Panasonic has signed a contract with the Organizing Committee for the Rio 2016 Olympic and Paralympic Games ("Rio 2016") to serve as partner for the Opening and Closing Ceremonies of the Olympic Games, meaning that the company's latest audiovisual equipment technologies and projection mapping technologies will be used at the Ceremonies.

A wide range of audiovisual equipment will be supplied to the Maracanã Stadium--host to the Rio Olympics Opening Ceremony on August 5--including around 110 compact projectors (PT-DZ21K2) which offer 20,000lm brightness and high picture quality, as well as 2ME live switchers (AV-HS6000 Series) designed for multiple broadcasting standards.

For those working in the field at Panasonic, it has long been an ongoing challenge to secure the company's first ever supply deal for AV equipment solutions at the Olympic Opening and Closing Ceremonies, and the signing of this partnership contract marks the culmination of their efforts.

The stadium to be used for the Opening and Closing Ceremonies is an existing venue best known as the spiritual home of Brazilian football, which placed a number of constraints over size and structure compared to most Olympic Games Ceremony venues. As such, Panasonic has been working in close partnership with Rio 2016 and Cerimônias Cariocas 2016 (CC2016), the production company for the Ceremonies. Panasonic's unique know-how and ingenuity is reflected in the construction of systems designed to suit the stadium environment, including vertically-mounted compact Panasonic projectors.

Atsushi Yamamoto of the Visual Systems Business Division at AVC Company is overseeing the equipment and systems at the Olympic venues, and speaks passionately about the upcoming Opening Ceremony: "It was a source of great joy that Panasonic's DLP projectors were rated highly and used for the visual effects at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games Opening Ceremony. Although there is pressure on us as the day of the Ceremony approaches, we are making the necessary preparations to make this sporting event a success."

Panasonic is also in charge of "Sports Presentation" audiovisual equipment solutions designed to enliven the viewing experience for spectators at the Rio 2016 Olympic and Paralympic competition venues. The company is also scheduled to supply video adjudication system operation solutions to support judges at venues for events including swimming, canoeing, and weightlifting.

Through these solutions technologies and audiovisual equipment, Panasonic will work in close partnership with the International Olympic Committee and other related bodies to support operations at the Opening Ceremony, Closing Ceremony, and IBC.