Rio 2016

Behind the Scenes at the Olympic Games

Behind the Scenes at the Olympic Games Large-Screen Display System:
Achieving the Largest Delivery
in History within a Tight Schedule

Photo: The Olympic Games Rio 2016 emblem being shown on large display units installed on the ceiling of a venue of the Olympic Games Rio 2016
Photo: Shaun Heng, Panasonic System Solutions Asia Pacific

Shaun Heng
Panasonic System Solutions Asia Pacific
Installation Manager

Photo: Dave Crump, partner company

Dave Crump
Partner Company
CEO

1,886m2. This is the total screen area of the Large-Screen Display System delivered to the Olympic Games Rio 2016 by Panasonic. This figure has increased for each Olympic Games. Along with this increase the workload has also increased; in particular this event was said to be especially challenging. Shaun Heng of Panasonic System Asia Pacific looks back at the event: "Rio 2016 was not only large in scale, but there were also many problems caused by shortage of power supply and delays of venue construction." Even under these conditions, the team worked to calmly handle issues. Firstly, the team moved up the shipment of equipment, and conducted repeated preliminary testing after it arrived. This allowed for the trial runs to be shortened and the largest-ever installation succeeded within a tight schedule. Shaun Heng spoke of the outlook for the future: "Panasonic has a wealth of experience and knowledge. Utilizing these assets, we would like to continue to support the Olympic Games."

3 Transformations that Drastically Improved Performance

Panasonic's Large-Screen Display System were used at 35 of the 37 venues of Olympic Games Rio 2016. One of the major features is the adoption of an aluminum die-cast housing, a first for the Olympic Games. Compared to the conventional steel-cabinet type, the model is lighter by about 10 kilograms per square meter, and its installation carries a reduced burden, which leads to a reduction in transportation costs.

Photo: Staff carrying large display unit equipment

Another improvement is the pixel pitch. What had previously been mainly 12mm was changed to 8mm for the majority of products delivered to Rio 2016. As a result, the resolution improved by about 50%, and a better image experience became possible. Finally, the biggest feature of the Large-Screen Display System supplied to Rio 2016 is the multi-purpose screen which integrates the video and score boards, the so-called "combination board."

Photo: Large display unit equipment installed at a venue of the Olympic Games Rio 2016

Solutions that Transcended Sponsor Categories

Dave Crump, who supervised operations during Rio 2016, stated, "The merit of the combination board is that the information – such as times and scores – can be displayed in conjunction with the competition. The spectators can view the competition information in real time and enjoy the sport more profoundly.” Although other sporting events have generally adopted an integrated screen, it was hard to achieve this at the Olympic Games as the products assigned to each sponsor was already decided. However, through the cooperation of Panasonic, in charge of the video board, and Omega, in charge of the score board, the delivery of a combination board to Rio 2016 was made possible. Roughly one-third of venues installed this integrated screen, which transcended each sponsor’s area of coverage. The screens transmitted a new appeal of sports, and the venues were wrapped in unprecedented enthusiasm.

Photo: Air pistol competition, time, and scores being shown on large display units installed at the shooting venue of the Olympic Games Rio 2016