Jun 9 2008
Mitsubishi Electric has been chosen by Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment (MLSE) to supply and install a new 17-screen scoreboard featuring a cutting-edge Diamond Vision(TM) high-definition display system at the Air Canada Centre, home of the NHL's Toronto Maple Leafs and the NBA's Toronto Raptors.
The new display system will provide the Air Canada Centre, its Toronto Maple Leafs and Toronto Raptors fans with the most advanced video screens of any arena in Canada. The system will contain 17 new displays with the highlight, or pièce de résistance, being a four-sided 6mm “black package” LED main display.
The Air Canada Centre system will be the first in the NHL/NBA market to feature this new black package LED technology. The black package LED, which is available on Mitsubishi Electric’s 6mm, 4mm and 3mm displays, provides for superior contrast and black levels over existing white packaged LEDs that utilize standard contrast panels to help improve contrast and black levels. The black packaged LED allows the LED chip to be virtually unnoticeable and blend into the black face of the display.
“The black package LED represents the most cutting-edge technology available for indoor display systems,” said Elan Azar, general manager of Mitsubishi Electric Sales Canada’s Display & Imaging Solutions Division. “Mitsubishi installed the first high-definition LED display in the arena market at TD Banknorth Garden in 2006, and the first 6mm high-definition LED display in 2007 at the Verizon Center. We are very excited to introduce this latest technological advancement to the arena marketplace by installing the first 6mm black package LED Displays right here in Toronto, at a world-class facility such as Air Canada Centre.”
“This installation once again solidifies Mitsubishi Electric’s reputation for quality, performance and proven reliability in display technology and the fact that we are leading the technology curve and setting the standards in the arena marketplace,” noted Azar.
The selection of Diamond Vision™ came after intensive research by MLSE officials, who compared numerous displays at arenas throughout North America.
“Of the systems we saw, the Mitsubishi Diamond Vision boards were consistently superior in uniformity and reliability,” said Dwayne Brown, technical producer, Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment. “Plus, being able to showcase the black package LED is particularly exciting given that Air Canada Centre continues to be a world-class facility.”
The 6mm main displays feature Mitsubishi Electric’s state-of-the-art Digital Screen Controller which will be driven by a high-definition 1080 HD source from Air Canada Centre’s new 1080 high-definition control room. Mitsubishi’s high quality, cutting edge video display products, ultra-thin, ultra-quiet interior ribbon board displays in combination with ANC’s patented VisionSOFT control software allows Mitsubishi to offer the most reliable, highest quality and most advanced display systems in the industry.
“After extensive research and reviewing several installations in different venues, Mitsubishi proved to be the clear winner in the large screen display industry with their technology, quality and price,” said Curt Emerson, manager of venue services and content deployment for Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment. “We are very excited to debut our new high-definition Mitsubishi Diamond Vision video display at Air Canada Centre this fall.”
In addition to the black package 6mm main video displays, Mitsubishi Electric is using 10mm display technology for the eight-sided upper displays and four-sided scoring displays as well as the 72-foot long circular ring. Mitsubishi Electric is also supplying a new integrated scoring system consisting of all new shot clocks and ANC's state-of-the-art VisionSOFT control system.
Toronto fans can expect the new display system to be completed by August 1, 2008 in time for the upcoming NHL and NBA seasons.