High-definition Diamond
Vision Shines at NHL’s Winter Classic
New scoreboard delivers the action to fans despite snowstorm
WARRENDALE, Penn. — January 3, 2008 — Thanks to a new Diamond Vision
high-definition scoreboard from Mitsubishi Electric, fans who attended the
National Hockey League’s first Winter Classic on New Year’s Day at Ralph Wilson
Stadium in Orchard Park, NY, didn’t miss any action despite a snowstorm that
caused near white-out conditions at the stadium.
The game between the Buffalo Sabres and Pittsburgh Penguins was played outdoors
in the home of the NFL’s Buffalo Bills, and drew an NHL-record 71,217 fans. The
Penguins won, 2-1 in the third round of a shootout.
With snow falling throughout the 33-degree day, fans had to rely on the new
Diamond Vision AVL-ODQ12 HD video scoreboard which measures 33'-5" x 82'-8" and
is complimented by 500 linear feet of AVL-ODD25 ribbon board on each side line.
Mitsubishi Electric also worked with the NHL before the Winter Classic to allow
for the display of scoring information and player statistics on the video
display and side line ribbon boards.
“Football fans rely on Diamond Vision for replays and highlights in any
weather,” said Mark Foster, general manager of Mitsubishi Electric’s Diamond
Vision Systems. “But hockey is a much faster game played on a smaller surface,
so a scoreboard has to deliver very bright, high-definition images without blur
to please the fans. Doing it in a snowstorm is quite an accomplishment.”
Last August, Eric County contracted with Mitsubishi Electric to install a new
Diamond Vision HD video scoreboard, LEDerAd ribbon board and a new integrated
scoring and control system at Ralph Wilson Stadium, replacing the obsolete Sony
Jumbotron and aging Daktronics displays and scoring system. The new equipment is
driven by Mitsubishi's DiamondAD integrated control and scoring system.
About Diamond Vision
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. Today,
Mitsubishi Electric’s flagship product is the Diamond Vision LEDERBOARD®, a
full-color, LED (light emitting diode) display system which merges the company’s
expertise in large-scale video displays with LED technology. The result is a
stunning, high-resolution video image from a thinner, lighter, energy-efficient
medium, with up to an amazing 170-degree horizontal viewing angle and a 1.5
times improved image resolution. Diamond Vision Systems’ US operations are
headquartered in Warrendale, Pa. Diamond Vision is a division of Mitsubishi
Electric Power Products, Inc., a U.S. subsidiary of Mitsubishi Electric
Corporation of Japan. For more information about Diamond Vision, visit
http://www.diamond-vision.com.
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Contact:
Mark S. Scott
Mitsubishi Electric & Electronics USA, Inc.
714.220.6896
mark.scott@meus.mea.com
