OLYMPICS/ Spotlight
Olympic broadcasters to use new technology
By Lei Lei (China Daily)
Updated: 2007-09-29 10:31
New technologies will be used in the broadcasting of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games with broadcasters able to produce high definition signals for the Games, Manolo Romero, general manager of the Beijing Olympic Broadcasting Co, Ltd (BOB), said on Friday.
"In every Games, new technology is used, because today technology is going much faster than 20 or 30 years ago," he said on the sidelines of the 2007 World Broadcasters Briefing for the Beijing Games.
"For example for the Beijing Games, the production will be high definition, so we have to have cameras that are adapted to high definition. These would be used for the first time in Beijing."
He also noted that, for the first time, there will be services for new media.
"We will cover the Games for the Internet and mobile telephones. That is completely new," said Romero. "We have to adopt technology to be able to better serve the needs of these broadcasters. For example, we will have very powerful video servers that will allow all broadcasters to do very fast and very accurate editing of the productions we would do for the Games."
As the host broadcaster of the 2008 Olympic and Paralympic Games, BOB will provide International Television and Radio (ITVR) Signals for broadcasters across the world, and plan, design, install, construct and operate the National Broadcast Center and the necessary broadcast facilities at other venues, and provide related services for rights-holding broadcasters during the Beijing Games.
For the first time, some Chinese TV stations, including China Central Television (CCTV) and Beijing TV station, will join the production of Olympic broadcasts.
"The changes that CCTV and other broadcasters have undergone in China in 20 years are amazing," said Romero, who got to know Chinese TV stations in 1986 at a seminar hosted by CCTV. "The quality (of Chinese TV stations) is comparable to any place in other parts of the world. People working in television and radio are eager not only to learn but also to innovate and to look for new ways of working.
"The CCTV crews we used at the 2004 Athens Games really did their homework and I believe we will see the same thing in Beijing. We are very pleased and if we can, we will use them in the future too."
Joining Olympic broadcasting is also considered an impetus for China's TV industry.
"Taking part in Olympic broadcasting could help greatly in the development of China's capability of TV production," said Ma Guoli, chief operation officer of BOB and former sports director of CCTV.
"Chinese spectators will really benefit from it after 2008."
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