RAPID MEDIA SYSTEMS PRESS RELEASE
July 9, 2008.
EXTREME SPORTS FANS GET MERCEDES-BENZ-PROVEN EXPERIENCE RECORDING SYSTEM.
The same micro on-board video recording system fitted to cars by Mercedes-Benz at its Surrey automotive theme park is now available to extreme sports fans and event organisers.
The system, which was created by Rapid Media Systems, puts an end to potentially unreliable recording, days of editing and dispatch a week later – and easily attaches to clothing or helmets.
“Our system is tiny but 100% reliable. It can take the extreme sports experience and deliver proof to friends in the pub or family at home that somebody really did go to extremes, put the action onto a screen for everybody to see within seconds of completion, and onto a DVD within four minutes,” said Graham Horgan of Rapid Media Systems.
“As you might imagine, the legendary efficiency, reliability and build quality associated with Mercedes-Benz meant that our equipment and product had to be discreet, fuss-free and utterly dependable: our system will work in just about any event or experience environment.
“Since it was installed in 2006 it has been 100% reliable, providing guests with DVDs of their driving experiences with Mercedes-Benz – and now we’re able to make it available to other clubs, enthusiast groups or event organisers, whether as an eventinclusive feature, or an element that can help generate incremental revenue – or for assessing performance or providing guests and sponsors with footage of the action.
“It’s just perfect for extreme sports, enabling teams, competitors or participants to share the experience with friends and family.”
The Rapid Media-developed system is supremely uncomplicated. It will operate in precisely the same manner as at Mercedes-Benz World.
Event participants are given a Flash memory card as they arrive and sign in. As they embark on their experience, the Flash card is slotted into a playing-card box sized digital recorder attached to clothing.
At the end of their event or experience, the card is slotted into a PC, the competitor, participant or guest recognised, and other content merged into a finished, edited, product, and then screened for event assessment, or presented on a souvenir DVD – complete with their name and other information – all in around four minutes.
“The secret is in the software which allows each competitor, participant, guest or an administrator to decide what they want on their DVD in advance. Templates are setup ahead of time to make the production process totally automatic,” said Graham.
“Stock video clips, advertising, intros, datasheets, documents and any computerbased material can be automatically combined with the video footage captured
during the day and the result is a fully-authored DVD which looks as though it's taken hours to produce but is actually delivered to the guest in a few minutes, including printing the DVD face in full colour.
“The key to making this type of system commercially viable is a combination of professional-grade, high-quality onboard video hardware and a fully automated DVD production method, eliminating the need for specialist on-site personnel and timeconsuming manual production methods usually required for this type of product.”
Rapid Media fitted eighteen Mercedes-Benz AMG cars with onboard camera kits and installed the back-end system to produce unique DVDs for visitors to take home after driving cars on the private test tracks and skid pan.
Rapid Media Systems is based in Dunsfold, Surrey. Its systems have been developed by racing driver and management consultant Graham Horgan, and John Chambers. John's professional experience encompasses IT networking, video production and motor racing.
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Further information:
Iain Macauley 07788 978800/0161 929 0446 im@pressrelations.co.uk www.rapidmediasystems.com