Behind the Scenes at the Olympic Games
Mutsumi Kanayama
System Solutions Centre
Panasonic System Communications Company Europe,
a division of Panasonic UK
Panasonic’s HD Visual Communication System was used at London 2012, after its success at Vancouver 2010. The system was used to hold video conferences over the Internet featuring high-quality image and audio.
This system allowed close communication via video conference between staff in distant locations, from preparation to actual operation of the Games. The system facilitated important operational meetings with sharp, realistic audio/visuals, despite the large distance.
Moreover, the high-definition imaging technology was used for the live distribution of competition video directly from the venue. It became an innovative new solution to provide realistic video at remote venues without a dedicated network.
Proprietary Compression Technology to Transmit High-Quality Video and Audio
Although there are many internet-based video conference systems available on the market, their limited transmission bandwidth was vulnerable to noises and interruptions caused by an unstable internet cable connection. Seeing this, Panasonic developed a proprietary compression technology that achieved realistic visual communication through high-resolution images and sounds, even over an unstable internet connection.
Panasonic’s HD Visual Communication System connected distant locations, helping to save time and cost. Its high performance was used to facilitate various modes of communication beyond just conferences.
Box Hill, located 30 kilometers from London, was the halfway mark of the road cycling competition. The HD Visual Communication System was used to transmit images of the competition to the large-screen display installed there. Terminals were installed at the starting line and at Box Hill, transmitting video to and from each other over the Internet. Panasonic’s communication system provided a realistic viewing experience to spectators without tying up a dedicated cable line.
