The London Marathon 2015 shorten distances with Panasonic projection systems

With record participation, more than 38.000 athletes and fans, The recent celebration of the London Marathon has had an important audiovisual display by the technology provider Marathon IT, which has used Panasonic ultra-short-distance, high-luminosity projection systems in its press center, supplied by Hamilton Rentals and Creative Staging.

for the first time, Marathon IT, technological organizer of the recent London marathon, called a public tender for the supply of audiovisual equipment for the race's press center, which was awarded to local stage and rental equipment firms Hamilton Rentals y Creative Staging, after forming a UTE.

For many years, all press-related activity has taken place at the Tower Hotel, headquarters of this marathon, Although in this year's edition the organizers wanted a larger space for the post-race press conference, with a location close to the finish line, so that journalists did not have to travel.

The solution to this change was not easy, as Richard Crowe explains, director general de Creative Staging, awarded for the supply of equipment in this project: “The organizers of the event contacted us with the idea of ​​hosting the press center in a tent located at the finish line, en The Mall. This idea presented us with two challenges.. A tent would let in a lot of ambient light and, consequently, we would need projectors 20.000 lumens, "But we didn't have the space behind the projection screen that a high-brightness projector needs.".

Added to this was the fact that there was no infrastructure prepared to support the weight of the projectors suspended from the roof of the tent., so it was necessary to find a solution to make high-brightness projections from a maximum height of 1,8 metros. How only a small section of the tent could be left completely dark, It was essential to use systems 20.000 lumens.

After analyzing the possible options, Creative Staging and Hamilton Rentals selected three Panasonic PT-DZ21K projectors, equipados con objetivos de ultracorta distancia ET-D75LE90 (LE90) para unidades de 3 chips DLP. Estos equipos permitían retroproyectar imágenes de la carrera sobre una pantalla de 200 pulgadas desde una distancia de solo 1,5 metros, ya que las lentes de corta distancia convencionales de proyección directa necesitan 4 metros para crear una pantalla del mismo tamaño.

Estos sistemas con lentes de ultracorta distancia se encargaron de proyectar imágenes de la carrera masculina y femenina de élite sobre tres pantallas distintas, y mostrar los resultados en directo. Later, durante la conferencia de prensa, facilitaron las imágenes de fondo.

“Optamos por Panasonic porque podía ofrecernos una gama de proyectores y lentes adecuados para nuestras necesidades -asegura Crowe-. The DZ21K model is a very compact and lightweight projector. Only two people are needed to transport it, Unlike other projectors 20.000 market lumens, requiring eight hands to carry. This feature was very important to us. Our experience with Panasonic projectors has been very good in the past and they offer us the performance and reliability we need at a good price”.

Creative Staging and Hamilton Rentals also selected three PT-DZ870 projectors from 1 chip DLP, con 8.500 lumens and ultra-short throw lens ET-DLE030 (LE030) from this manufacturer, for the interior spaces of the Tower Hotel press center. This lens allows you to make projections on a 10” screen at a projection distance of only 0,8 m; regarding the 2,3 m. you need a conventional short distance lens.

These three projectors created a perfect image in the Tower Hotel's media center by using edge fusion technology, which were also used for press conferences and interviews with athletes before and after the event.

John Gibson, Hamilton Rentals Project Manager, points out in this regard that “he had already worked before with short-distance lenses and, sometimes, the projections arched. However, Panasonic solution projects razor-sharp images. “Its ultra-short distance lenses allow us to do things that were previously impossible.”.

Specifically, The LE030 ultra-short lens allows images to be projected on large screens at close range from high-speed projectors. 1 chip DLP, reducing the projection distance up to a 60% approximately, according to company data, compared to traditional close range lenses.

The LE90 lens, presented at the end of last year on the market, It is based on the success of the previous one and is aimed at the systems of 3 chips DLP, offering high-brightness projections in previously unthinkable spaces. Both lenses can be used with older Panasonic projector models, so that companies do not have to invest in a new fleet of equipment to enjoy the benefits of ultra-short distance projections.