Beijing '08 Official Sponsor, Panasonic, Enhances Games Experience for Athletes and Spectators Alike.

Beijing '08 Official Sponsor, Panasonic, Enhances Games Experience for Athletes and Spectators Alike

For the first time in its history, the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games are to be broadcast in full High Definition (HD) thanks to Panasonic, creating a true-to-life experience for spectators at home that hasn't been available before.

Panasonic's involvement in the Olympic Games started at the Los Angeles Olympic Games in 1984, with the supply of giant Astrovision screens, RAMSA professional audio systems and broadcast equipment. Since 1988, Panasonic has rendered both financial and technical support as an Official Worldwide Olympic Partner, recently confirmed this status until the year 2016.

For the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games, Panasonic is providing the largest number of audio and video products in its history of supporting the Olympic Games, in addition to providing its full HD broadcast technology.

In Athens 2004, Panasonic provided 14 Astrovision screens, totalling 586sq m; In Beijing 2008, a total of 1,337sq m of screens will project the entertainment live to spectators.

Panasonic Marketing Middle East Managing Director Seiji Koyanagi says that Panasonic's array of advanced High Definition technology ensures that the millions of live viewers are privy to the full intensity of the competition as it is beamed out across the globe.

"Whether people are in official venues, in their homes or on the move, they should be able to watch the games at their convenience - no matter what the time zone," he says. "Thanks to our long standing partnership with the Olympic Games, Panasonic is perfectly positioned to meet these demands."

"With VIERA Plasma TVs, surround sound technology, DVD recorders with built-in hard disks and Blu-ray recorders for high definition recording, the most lifelike and live sports viewing experiences are now possible at any time, anywhere."

Through Panasonic's technologies, the most vivid and true-to-life sights and sounds of the Olympic Games will be brought to audiences in Beijing, as well as to living rooms around the world.

As well as enhancing the spectators' Olympic experience, Panasonic provides ongoing technology support for the training of athletes and national teams around the world.

"We have been developing AV recording and playback training systems that help athletes extract even more value from training sessions by capturing their routines from multiple angles," says Koyanagi. "To accommodate widely differing activities and techniques, we had to learn, and as a result have produced some innovative technology applications around the world."

With its commitment to enhancing the training process in every way that video and audio technology can allow, Panasonic is matching the dedication of the athletes with its own attention to accuracy and detail.

[c] 2008 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)