Press Releases

Sony

16 Feb 2010

Sony’s HD virtual runs transforms Gilling’s bid for gold at Winter Games

Sony’s POV camera and HD projector give Winter Games contender Zoe Gillings a competitive edge in Vancouver

Weybridge, February 16th, 2010 – Today, UK Winter Games medal hopeful Zoe Gillings revealed how Sony’s HD POV camera and Sony’s VPL-EW5 projector have transformed her pre-competition training in the run up to the Winter Games. With Sony’s HXR-MC1P point of view camera fitted to her helmet, Zoe adds a digital element to the traditional course inspection, by capturing full HD footage of her first course run.

Bringing new meaning to the term off-piste training, Zoe then projects the high quality HD rushes onto her hotel room wall, using Sony’s VPL-EW5 projector and begins virtual runs with her coach. Course analysis is vital to ensure the fastest qualifying time possible, by studying the high definition rushes Zoe ensures that her lines are honed and jumps perfected ahead of race day.

Zoe explained how the technology has given her a competitive edge: “When you are preparing for a competition, every second on the snow counts. Typically racers get about 1.5 hours to memorise a course that can last up to two minutes. Sony’s technology has completely changed my racing strategy; thanks to the superb image quality on Sony’s POV camera I can identify the smallest variations in the snow. This helps me visualise my descent so that by the time I reach the starting line the course is almost second nature. Both the camera and projector are incredibly easy to use and I wouldn’t revert back to paper and pen memory techniques for the world.”

Dan Robb, Marketing Manager, Sony Media and Broadcast, explained why Sony’s POV camera was ideally suited to Zoe’s requirements: “Zoe needed an incredibly durable, lightweight and easy to operate camera, which could capture high quality HD images. Sony’s HXR-MC1P is a tiny all-in-one camera system capable of capturing full HD (1920 x1080i) images. The camera unit is tough and splash proof, making it the perfect tool for shooting in tough outdoor conditions, such as the competitive snow slopes of Calgary.”

Sony’s MC1P is its first full HD compact point-of-view camera. This lightweight, solid-state camera with inbuilt microphone is equipped with 10x optical zoom, full HD 1920 x 1080 resolution and features Sony’s ClearVid CMOS Sensor. The camera unit is splash-proof which makes it ideally suited to tough outdoor conditions and a screw hole on the base makes mounting easy.

Sony’s MC1P was just one part of Gilling’s solution, in order to fully immerse herself in the virtual course; Zoe projected the rushes onto her hotel wall using the Sony VPL-EW5. The 2,000 lumens VPL-EW5 is the next generation in business projection. The VPL-EW5 projects 16:9 widescreen images in stunning colour and exceptional detail, direct from a laptop.

Another key part of the solution was Sony’s Vegas Pro 9 software, which allowed Zoe to quickly edit and burn DVD’s of her training routes. Using this editing software Zoe could quickly focus in on the most challenging parts of the course and review them in great detail. Using Vegas Zoe has also been able to archive rushes from different courses around the world which can be used as reference tools at a later date.

Gillings will face the first of the Vancouver Winter Games qualifying rounds on the 16th February 2010. You can follow her progress at http://www.vancouver2010.com/olympic-snowboard/.