Page 23 - AIB | The Chanel | Issue 1 2012

allows us to do through infra‐red
technology is sense when a user is
touching the screen in a particular
location and then from that particular
touch create an action which changes
the image or gives you additional
information etc ‐ all driven by a
piece of content on a PC. This is
extremely flexible technology – you
can have a single touch screen
where just one person touches the
screen at a given time or the multi‐
touch format screen where over 30
people touching the same screen
are able to do different things.
Clearly it is key what content is
driven to those screens and how
clever that content is. So as screens
become very versatile now and as
the content development market is
becoming stronger we will be able
to provide much more interactive
experiences.
What do you offer for output on
multiple platforms?
Panasonic does not drive that part
of it; we are delivering footage that
is flexible that the broadcasters can
use in many different formats. Our
technology is solid‐state and very
robust and we go back to the P2
format as well which is very flexible
so that we can take that solid state,
record information and edit it very
quickly, and edit it to different
formats that can then be used in a
multitude of ways by the broadcaster.
How do you ensure there is not a
single point of failure?
This is the 10th Games that have
used Panasonicʹs broadcast
equipment. Our HD P2 uses
removable solid‐state memory
cards, so there are no moving parts
inside the cameras, they are not
subject to mechanical failure.
Our cameras are used by a
significant part of the market now
for field based capture, they are
capable of operating in very robust
environments, for example the
BBCʹs ʹFrozen Planetʹ used our
cameras in extreme conditions.
Has your Olympic partnership had
a direct influence on products?
In terms of product development,
we have been working with the
Games now for over 25 years and
certain products and certain
enhancements are always made
with the Olympics in mind. The
standard of the Games is probably
one of the highest and most
demanding that you can ever have
for a piece of equipment, it has to
work first time, it has to work every
time, it cannot fail.
What are the challenges for
fulfilling your London brief?
From a technical perspective the
Olympics is always very challenging
so we have a large number of
people within Panasonic working
on the Games, including support
from our engineering facility in
Japan and expertise within the
country itself. We test and re‐test
and plan for many years prior to
the Games to make sure the
operation is perfect, and at Games
time we have a very strong technical
base around the venues. And as the
Games have become more technical
over the years, there are more
screens than ever before, thereʹs
more broadcast footage going to be
captured than ever before.
How can the viewer experience the
Olympics in 3D?
The viewer at home will be able to
see live Olympic footage in 3D at
the flick of a button. For viewers in
the Olympic park, it is possible that
Panasonic technology will play a
key role in providing 3D viewing
experience in zones within the park.
Where is the technology for sport
coverage going?
My personal view is that we will
see an increase to the next standard
of HD which will be super high
definition. 3D super high definition
as well which will be the next step,
to make the viewers feel they are
actually at the event themselves.
How can broadcasters use your
Pinewood Experience Centre?
We have quite an extensive facility
now in Pinewood which we use
with broadcasters and content
producers. They can sit with our
www.panasonic.com
THE CHANNEL | ISSUE 1 2012 | 23
Our
cameras
are used
even in
extreme
sub-zero
conditions”
“ experts to
see how they
can use
Panasonic
equipment
in different
formats and
ways, analyse footage and get tips
on how they can improve their
shooting angles, as well as try
different things. 3D is always
dependent on shooting angles.
Will 3D finally take off?
3D has taken off in the market. We
have certainly achieved many of
our forecasts in terms of use and
sale of 3D TV sets. 3D will become
a standard feature of most TVs so
the viewer at home has the option
to switch between 2 and 3D and
then I think people will start to
embrace it more. There are other
applications of course outside the
consumer area, particularly for
interactive 3D in simulation and
design for example.
The Panasonic D‐Imager camera
which we have developed – which
is a little bit like the Xbox Kinect ‐
senses a personʹs gestures, position
and movements and then allows them
to interact with the 3D footage. This
is extremely useful for applications
in design or science for example but
itʹs not just about the technology, it
is also about the content that drives
this particular technology.
What time-frame are youworking to?
We are now into the delivery phase
and have gone through a number
of ‘London Prepares’ test events. In
the next major test event our large
format 103” plasma screens are
being hoisted to the ceilings above
the audience. All we are doing
every month is making sure that
our technology will work before we
go live in July.
How will you watch the Olympics?
Hopefully Iʹll watch some of the
Games live in a venue but I would
also like to watch at some of the
Live Sites because the atmosphere
there will be very exciting.
Sean Taylor, thank you.
TECHNOLOGY | THE CHANNEL