It's the day before the big race, and the circuit is already tingling with anticipation. The team have a hectic schedule ahead – there are pit stops to practice, and engineers must squeeze every last ounce of speed and performance from the car. It will come down to fine details – details that Panasonic's latest range of hi-def camcorders, Viera flat panel TVs, Lumix cameras and Toughbooks will help them discover. Let's find out how…
9.00am Filming the pit stop
Races can be won and lost on a pit stop. The team needs to find out where milliseconds can be saved – and the compact HDC-SD1 camcorder shows them. Not only does it record 1080i footage straight onto SD cards using the AVCHD format, the 3CCD sensor processes reds, blues and greens separately to deliver exquisite colour reproduction. In such a manic environment a quick start-up time is essential and the SD1 again delivers, firing up in a lightening 1.7 seconds.
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11.00am Analysis with Viera Link
The team's engineers need a hi-def plasma to pick out every detail of the pit stop, and the 42in Viera PX70 is perfect for the job. Its size really brings out the detail captured by the SD1 camcorder, and a fast response time means it excelsat high-octane sports like F1. But just as useful is Panasonic's unique 'Viera Link' function. By using HDMI's ability to carry commands though a system, this feature lets the team use the Viera's remote to control the camcorder via a seamless and intuitive on-screen menu. Minimum fuss, maximum performance.
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12.00pm Capturing qualifying with Lumix
Catching a shot of a speeding F1 car is beyond most compacts – but not the 7MP Lumix DMC-TZ3. Its whopping 10x optical zoom means the pit crew can shoot close-ups of the car in qualifying while maintaining a safe distance. This feature recently won the camera the prestigious 'Best Superzoom Digital Camera 2007' award from the Technical Image Press Association (TIPA). And the team needn't worry about their TZ3 perishing in the harsh environment either – it's protected by a super-tough metal casing.
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1.00pm Garage photos with the 28mm lens
The Lumix TZ3's 10x optical zoom is ideal for long-range shots, but its 28mm wide-angle lens is equally adept at taking photos in cramped places like the garage. The lens comes into its own when taking shots of large objects from close range or, in this case, big groups of people. Framing the shot is easy on the bright 3in screen and, in an environment where vibration is a constant, the Mega O.I.S anti-shake makes sure photos don't look like watercolours.
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2.00pm Studying photos on Viera
Getting a big screen preview of the Lumix's photos couldn't be easier on the Viera TX-32LXD700. Its front panel has an SD card slot, so there's no need for cables. The Viera's 'VReal2' image processing brings out the shots' deep blacks and vibrant colour, and there'll be no problem if the rest of the pit crew want to crowd round to have a look – unusually for an LCD, it has an ultra-wide viewing angle of 178 degrees.
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4.00pm Studying Toughbook data
It's not all tearing up the track at 200mph for the Toyota drivers – Jarno Trulli also likes to get heavily involved in the team's technical preparations. The CF-W5 he is holding here is used to pull vital calibration data from the cars, which can then be analysed in the garage. Its ruggedness – the 60GB hard-drive is protected by a magnesium case – is essential in such a tough environment, and the huge 11-hour battery life is valuable as wall sockets can be scarce.
With a built-in DVD multidrive and 12.1in screen, the W5 is also perfect for in-flight movies between Grand Prix.
8.00pm Relaxing with Blu-ray
Back in the motorhome, it's time for the team to relax with a film. Once again Panasonic's high-definition kit comes to the rescue with a mesmerising showing of Eragon. The DMP-BD10 Blu-ray player provides the highest flavour of hi-def – 1080p – and market-leading picture processing. But it's full potential is unleashed by the 65in Viera plasma, which has 68 billion on-screen colours and produces incredibly deep blacks to create unrivalled depth.
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