Panasonic El Works : Berliner Philharmoniker and Panasonic Sign Final Agreement to Collaborate on Technology Development

Osaka, Japan - Panasonic Corporation announced today that it has signed a final agreement with the Berliner Philharmoniker (BPH) to collaborate on the development of audio-visual technologies enhancing 4K/HDR video and Hi-Resolution audio platforms. The collaboration will start from January 1, 2017, and will explore opportunities to bring a premium and authentic live concert hall experience to the home and in-car environment. Both parties have previously announced that they have reached a basic agreement on August 31, 2016.

Panasonic will provide the Berliner Philharmoniker's Digital Concert Hall (DCH) platform with state-of-the-art 4K/HDR video equipment such as broadcast cameras, mixers and monitors for the auditorium and the video studio of the Philharmonie. The installation will start in July, 2017 and the new studio will go in operation with the 2017/2018 concert season. The DCH will then broadcast highest quality 4K/HDR video concert recordings in enhanced audio formats.

Furthermore, BPH will collaborate with Panasonic and Technics, the high-end audio brand of Panasonic, to reproduce an authentic concert hall experience on the latest Panasonic video and audio equipment at home and in the in-car environment. With the support from BPH's group company, Berlin Phil Media GmbH, Panasonic will faithfully reproduce the artistic intentions of the musicians by jointly evaluating the technological process of recording, editing and mixing and optimising playback.

In a shared spirit of keeping innovation and tradition, the two parties will contribute to evolve visual and audio culture through recreating the live music experience of BPH's performances which have long been attracting audiences and devotees worldwide.

Berliner Philharmoniker

Founded in 1882, the Berliner Philharmoniker has long been one of the world's most eminent orchestras. Their legendary chief conductors have included Wilhelm Furtwängler, Herbert von Karajan and Claudio Abbado. In September 2002, Sir Simon Rattle assumed the post. On his inauguration, the orchestra's education programme, addressing new audiences, was initiated and generously supported by Deutsche Bank. To learn more about the Berliner Philharmoniker: www.berliner-philharmoniker.de

Digital Concert Hall

The Berliner Philharmoniker's 'Digital Concert Hall' is the orchestra's internet video platform with over 400 concert recordings and more than 1,000 works available in the online archive. Approximately 50 new productions are planned for the 2016/2017 season which will be broadcast live throughout the world. There are also broadcasts and recordings of projects from the education programme, a film section with documentaries about the Berliner Philharmoniker and more than 250 interviews with artists. To learn more about the Digital Concert Hall: www.digitalconcerthall.com