News from Mitsubishi Electric Diamond Vision

Mitsubishi Electric Corporation has completed the installation of a Diamond Vision large-scale display system at JAM Square, located within JR Kokura Station in Kitakyushu, Japan. The new screen was officially unveiled on May 7, 2010.

The 4.2 m wide and 2.3 m tall screen incorporates the latest digital screen controllers and high luminance light-emitting diodes (LEDs) arranged in a 6 mm pixel pitch. The 9.73m² screen delivers a net resolution of 704 pixels by 384 pixels at 2000 cd/m². JAM Square attracts 150,000 visitors per day and is a popular rendezvous spot and venue for a variety of public events.

The Diamond Vision screen, which is similar to the Mitsubishi Electric Diamond Vision screens found in many stadiums and landmark venues around the world, will display local tourist information as well as business and event advertising to help bolster the local economy.

Mitsubishi Electric has recently completed several major Diamond Vision display installations worldwide, including a 15.24 metre-wide display at Kumamoto’s KKWING, a 17.78 metre display at Toda Kyotei boat racing course and a 26.31 metre display at the Kleenex baseball stadium in Miyagi. In January this year, the company completed a massive 108 metre-wide display at Dubai’s Meydan Racecourse – currently a contender for the title of world’s largest video screen.

Meydan Racecourse, a multipurpose facility with five-star hotel and museum as well as racecourse, has spectator stands totalling 1.6 km to accommodate 60,000 spectators, making it the world’s largest racecourse. The Diamond Vision screen also boasts world-class proportions, measuring 107.52 meters by 10.88 meters for a total area of 1,169.8 square meters. Registry as yet another Guinness World Record for Diamond Vision is pending.

The screen contains approximately 12 million high-brightness light-emitting diodes (LEDs) for spectacular high-definition images.

The 15th running of The Dubai World Cup - the world’s richest horse race at USD 10 million prize money - will be held at Meydan Racecourse this March, attracting an audience not just from the Middle East but from around the world.

Mitsubishi Electric’s Diamond Vision has now been installed in more than 950 locations worldwide, including Tokyo Dome and the new Dallas Cowboys stadium. In response to the rising demand for large-screen video equipment in commercial facilities, racecourses and sports stadiums, Sojitz and Mitsubishi Electric intend to continue pursuing orders in the UAE and throughout the Middle East.

The screen, which is installed on the wall of the new main stand in front of the paddock area, incorporates high-luminance, light-emitting diodes (LEDs) aligned vertically and horizontally in an 8mm dot pitch. The screen will show both live video and racing odds from other racecourses for off-track betting beginning February 27, as well as show starters and odds for races at Hakodate Racecourse. It will function in tandem with the racecourse's new 17m x 7m main screen beginning June 19, the official launch day of Hakodate Racecourse's renewed facilities.

Mitsubishi Electric Diamond Vision screens have been incredibly successful in Japan in a wide variety of applications including baseball and football stadiums, horse racing courses and other sporting venues. Recent installations at racetracks in Japan include the 204sq.m screen for the Biwako Kyotei (boat race) in March 2008, the 206 sq.m screen for the Utsunomiya Keirin (bicycle racetrack) in March 2009, the 59 sq.m screen for the Maebashi Keirin in April 2009 and the 101 sq.m screen for the JRA Sapporo Racecourse in June 2009.

Elsewhere, the company also recently announced its latest record-breaking screen installation at the Meydan Racecourse in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. At a massive 1,169.8 square meters, the Diamond Vision system installed by Mitsubishi is believed to be the world's largest screen.

The large display will begin operating as part of a new main stand in June 2010, when Hakodate Racecourse is scheduled to complete a full-scale reconstruction. It will replace the facility's current CRT main display, also built and installed by Mitsubishi Electric Corporation in 1996.

In April of this year, Hakodate Racecourse also ordered a 15 m x 8 m display featuring an 8 mm dot pitch for the paddock area. Operation is scheduled to begin in March 2010.

Mitsubishi Electric Diamond Vision screens have been incredibly successful in Japan in a wide variety of applications including baseball and football stadiums, horse racing courses and other sporting venues. Recent installations at racetracks in Japan include the 204sq.m screen for the Biwako Kyotei (boat race) in March 2008, the 206 sq.m screen for the Utsunomiya Keirin (bicycle racetrack) in March 2009, the 59 sq.m screen for the Maebashi Keirin in April 2009 and the 101 sq.m screen for the JRA Sapporo Racecourse in June 2009. Going forward, Mitsubishi Electric aims to further expand its business for large screens for racecourses and stadiums.

With a total viewing area of over 1,058 square-metres, the Diamond Vision display is equal to around 3,268 52-inch televisions, and is comprised of 10,584,064 individual LEDs.

“This was probably the most exciting project we’ve ever been involved with,” said Mark Foster, general manager of Mitsubishi Electric’s Diamond Vision Systems. “The Dallas Cowboys are one of the most innovative teams in the NFL, and their new stadium reflects that. These scoreboards and displays are the realisation of the Cowboys’ commitment to their fans and the sport. We are very proud that the Cowboys organization turned to Mitsubishi Electric to deliver their vision as part of this incredible project.”

"We're extremely proud of our world-class Mitsubishi Electric Diamond Vision screen,” said Dallas Cowboys Owner Jerry Jones. “We have designed everything about Cowboys Stadium to provide an unequalled experience for our fans, and this screen is the centrepiece of what we have created for them.”

Mitsubishi Electric has now been recognised by Guinness World Records five times for its accomplishments, and the Cowboys’ board is the fourth Diamond Vision screen to be honoured by Guinness. The first came in August, 2003, for the World's Longest Video Display at the Hong Kong Jockey Club Sha Tin Racecourse in Hong Kong. In March 2005, GWR recognized the Diamond Vision LED display at Turner Field in Atlanta as the World’s Largest High-Definition Television Screen, and in September 2005 the Mitsubishi Electric video board at the Japan Racing Association Tokyo Racecourse was certified as the World’s Largest Television Display. In 1993, Mitsubishi Electric was recognised for designing and installing the world’s fastest elevator — capable of travelling at 750 meters per minute — at the Landmark Tower in Yokohama, Japan.

Mitsubishi Electric, the Official Large Outdoor Video Display Provider of the PGA TOUR, was the first company to introduce large-scale video display boards for the 1980 Major League Baseball All-Star game at Dodger Stadium. Since then, Mitsubishi Electric has been recognised as the leader in visually stunning displays for sports facilities, advertising, entertainment and communications. Other installations include the first-of-its-kind high-definition display at Yankee Stadium the first 32:9 ratio HD scoreboard at AT&T Park in San Francisco Times Square’s first HD display at MTV studios traffic-stopping marquees at Bally’s and Caesars Palace in Las Vegas a massive 11-screen display at Times Square in New York City and the largest indoor HD screen in North America, the 10m x 33.5m screen at the Colosseum in Las Vegas.

Based on Mitsubishi's 12.5mm dot pitch LED screen technology and its latest digital screen controllers, the two Turf Vision screens are able to display a mixture of high-quality video content and a variety of useful information to race course visitors. The 40.8 m wide and 9.6 m high Turf Vision 1 is installed on the left-hand side of the front stand. This screen can be divided into two parts, to simultaneously display separate content such as dynamic real-time media streams and race results. The Turf Vision 2 screen installed on the right-hand side is 14.4 m wide x 8.0 m high, and will feature displays of the race track, paddock and racing odds.

Mitsubishi Electric Diamond Vision screens have been incredibly successful in Japan in a wide variety of applications including baseball and football stadiums, horse racing courses and other sporting venues. Recent installations at racetracks in Japan include the 204sq.m screen for the Biwako Kyotei (boat race) in March 2008, the 206 sq.m screen for the Utsunomiya Keirin (bicycle racetrack) in March 2009, the 59 sq.m screen for the Maebashi Keirin in April 2009 and the 101 sq.m screen for the JRA Sapporo Racecourse in June 2009.

LED and LCD displays supplied by Mitsubishi Electric are a central feature of the stunning new facility, rated as a four-star venue by UEFA. Two Mitsubishi Electric Diamond Vision screens overlook the 40,000 seat stadium, while a network of over 90 large screen LCDs installed throughout the complex ensure visitors are kept entertained and informed wherever they happen to be.

Installed in opposite corners of the ground, the Diamond Vision ODQ15 screens are 7.68 m wide x 4.32 m high, with 15 mm dot pitch / 30 mm pixel pitch. Mitsubishi’s quad LED structure ensures a genuine 21 mm Dynamic Pixel Pitch as each LED is re-used to form adjacent pixels. The Diamond Vision’s 5,000 cd/m² light output and wide viewing angles ensure fans get a clear view of the action wherever they are sitting, with true colours and clean whites – essential for both sports teams and advertisers.

Both screens are controlled using Mitsubishi’s XDC-4000 processor which manages all the screen content. The processor accepts DVI, SD-SDI and HD-SDI inputs and has a built-in “picture-in-picture” facility enabling the screens to show more than one video signal simultaneously. XDC-4000 was specifically designed to cover the display requirements of sports venues and features state-of-the-art image processing for the highest possible clarity.

As well as being one of the finest football arenas in Europe, Cornellà-El Prat is also one of the most innovative. Solar cells built into the roof can deliver up to 500 kW of pollution-free power and the whole stadium has been designed for maximum energy efficiency. Mitsubishi Electric LED screens automatically adjust their power output to suit the prevailing light conditions, and sophisticated internal monitoring ensures optimum operating efficiency is maintained. Extremely high build-quality help ensure Mitsubishi LED screens achieve a long operating life, reducing cost of ownership and the need for premature refurbishment.

Mitsubishi Electric also supplied the LCD screens used throughout the stadium’s retail and hospitality areas as well as corporate facilities and a museum. A total of 70 Mitsubishi Electric 32" LDT322V displays and 20 42" LDT421V2 units were installed in private boxes, VIP suites and meeting rooms, with additional displays used in the public areas and entrance foyers. The Mitsubishi displays add extra flexibility to the meeting room facilities, allowing them to be used for conferences or presentations on non-match days. Remote management of the displays allows different content to be routed to different areas of the stadium, or multiple inputs to be displayed on individual monitors via their built-in picture-in-picture feature.

Diamond Vision is perhaps the best-known big-screen technology in the world its global customer list includes many of the world’s most prestigious sporting venues, most notably the recently-opened New York Yankees and Dallas Cowboys landmark stadiums. Along with its world-class Diamond Vision family of LED displays, Mitsubishi Electric offers a range of professional-grade LCDs from 32” to 65” designed to meet the needs of applications such as digital signage that demand reliability, performance and low cost of ownership.

“One of the central design elements of our new stadium is our centre-hung video board. This unique feature will be an iconic symbol of our building for years to come,” said Jerry Jones, owner and general manager, Dallas Cowboys Football Club. “When we were making the decision on whom to entrust with the responsibility of making our vision a reality, the quality and clarity in the Mitsubishi Electric Diamond Vision boards was unmatched.”

The new displays will allow fans on any level of the stadium to easily view the action, creating a premium on the value of the upper-level seats. And no matter where they sit, Mitsubishi Electric’s exclusive 20-mm pixel pitch technology ensures the brightest, clearest images from any angle.

“This was one of the most exciting projects we’ve ever been involved with,” said Mark Foster, general manager of Mitsubishi Electric’s Diamond Vision Systems in the US. “The Dallas Cowboys are one of the most innovative teams in the NFL, and their new stadium reflects that. These video boards are the realisation of the Joneses’ commitment to their fans and the sport.”

In addition to the Diamond Vision displays, Mitsubishi Electric is also providing a fully integrated scoring system, content management and playback system, game timers, delay of game clocks, locker room clocks and ticket window displays. The new Cowboys Stadium’s Mitsubishi Electric Diamond Vision LEDerAd ribbon LED boards will be powered by ANC Sports Enterprises patent-pending VisionSOFT operating system. Additionally, ANC Design, a division of ANC Sports will create LED animations, graphics, advertisements and statistical templates for the LED fascia system for the 2009 National Football League season. Driven by ANC Sports' VisionSOFT, the 1.2km of Diamond Vision fascia will feature uncompressed images, eliminating all distortion while simultaneously transitioning from full-motion team graphics and advertisements to real-time statistics, out-of-town scores, and other game information.

ANC’s VisionSOFT is the first 3D interface capable of managing multiple real-time media streams for every scoreboard, digital advertising screen, concession stand or any concourse and suite video display in an arena or stadium. The advanced media control package offers instant playback with a single touch of a button, permitting the operator to easily flash one image, stat, animation or emergency instruction on every display in the facility. Screens that utilise VisionSOFT can mimic the look of a traditional matrix scoreboard or advertisement, before instantaneously dissolving that display into a clear animated video, enhancing the live event fan experience with dynamic entertainment.

The $1.1bn Dallas Cowboys stadium held its first public event on June 6th, a concert by country star George Strait-Reba McEntire. Several more entertainment and pre-season sporting events are planned for the Summer ahead of the official start of the NFL season in September.

The F1 Santander British Grand Prix is one of the UK’s biggest sporting events, drawing huge crowds from all over Europe. Providing the big screen systems for an event this size is no small task, as Diamond Vision managing director Steve Halliday relates “This year we will be providing a total of 21 screens around the circuit, consisting of a mixture of mobile and modular systems. Getting so many systems in and operational over a short period of time is a logistical challenge. But having worked with Silverstone for a number of years now, we’ve gained an excellent working relationship with the circuit and knowledge of the site, so it doesn’t present too many problems.”

The majority of screens supplied to Silverstone will consist of Mitsubishi’s OD10 10mm outdoor LED screen. The OD10 is widely used by many hire companies across Europe, where it has earned a reputation for rugged reliability as well as excellent image quality. A total of nine Diamond Vision mobiles – each a fully self-contained OD10 screen system – and 12 modular systems of varying sizes will be distributed around the circuit. Content in the form of live action from around the site and spectator information will be provided by Silverstone TV.

As well as the race itself, Silverstone plays host to an impressive variety of non-racing events over the weekend and the Mitsubishi screens are themselves an integral part of the overall entertainment package on offer at the Silverstone circuit. Steve Halliday says, “In 2006, the Grand Prix weekend coincided with the World Cup. We relayed the matches to huge crowds around the circuit, which was greatly appreciated by the F1 fans.”

Based in Kent, Mitsubishi Electric Diamond Vision is one of the longest-established screen hire businesses in Europe. The company operates a fleet of nine fully self-contained mobile LED screens and holds large quantities of modular Diamond Vision screen in pitch sizes ranging from 8mm to 25mm. The company has a long association with major sporting events such as the World Ski Cup, the Red Bull Air Race and the FIA GT Touring Car Championship, and provides support for big screen projects and installations world-wide. More information on the Diamond Vision system and Mitsubishi Electric’s range of professional display systems can be found at http://www.MitsubishiDisplayEngineering.com Download Product Information
Mitsubishi_ODQ10-R_LED_screen_data_sheet.pdf

Diamond Vision flying high

A damp and blustery British Summer did nothing to deter the 40,000 hardy Londoners who dodged the showers to witness the arrival of the Red Bull Air Race 2008 in the UK. Mitsubishi Electric Diamond Vision was on hand to make sure race fans missed none of the action.

The Red Bull Air Race is a unique aerial championship competition in which dare-devil pilots race against the clock around a course of inflatable pylons called Air Gates at speeds approaching 230 mph (370 km/h). Competition is fast and furious with the pilots performing amazing feats of aerobatic skill in their quest to win the much-coveted World Championship title. The Red Bull Air Race is a truly global event, visiting eight cities around the world over the course of the 2008 season. Mitsubishi Electric provides the big screen video systems for all the venues.

The London leg of the championship took place in August over the Thames at Greenwich the 0² arena and Canary Wharf providing the dramatic back for an incredible dual between the world’s top race pilots. Mitsubishi Electric provided a total of five ODQ10 10mm screens – a single 43m² system and four 25m² screens – around the public and hospitality areas of the course.

Mitsubishi Electric managing director, Steve Halliday, says, “We’ve provided screens for the Red Bull Air Race World Championship for a number of years. Each of the venues is very different and each one presents us with logistical challenges. In Abu Dhabi, for example, the screens are floated into the harbour on barges in Budapest, we suspend them over the river on giant cranes. The crew have to be quite adaptable, but we have a big advantage in that the Diamond Vision system is very versatile and can be assembled into different configurations very easily.”

Mitsubishi Electric Diamond Vision is no stranger to delivering the big pictures in challenging conditions. Along with its global services to the Red Bull Air Race World Championship, the company also provides the screen systems for the Audi World Cup Skiing – a series of events that requires the company to install and operate big screens in the most arduous and inaccessible locations imaginable.

But no such problems for the Red Bull Air Race crew this month The next race in the series takes place in sunny Perth, Australia. “We’re hoping the weather will be a bit better than London,” noted a wry crew member. Download Product Information
Mitsubishi_ODQ10-R_LED_screen_data_sheet.pdf

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