Barco to install six additional LED screens for live broadcasting of 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing

KORTRIJK, BELGIUM – 16 November 2007 - Barco, a world leader in visualization and display solutions, has been contracted to install LED screens for the second phase of the Beijing Olympic Cultural Square project. This new order brings the total number of displays provided during phases I and II of the program to 14, with a total contract value of 6.5 million euro. The LED screens, strategically located throughout Beijing, will be used for live broadcasting of the 2008 Olympic games.

The Olympic Cultural Square project is spearheaded by the Beijing Municipal Bureau of Radio & Television. The Barco LED screens are installed at 12 strategic locations (“Cultural Squares”) in Beijing, with an extra two mobile LED displays to be deployed where needed. The screens will be used to display live video from the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games, along with government bulletins. After the games, the LED screens will be used to broadcast advertising, live video and news bulletins.

The Beijing Municipal Bureau of Radio & Television was so pleased with the perfectly managed, hassle-free installation during phase I that they gave the go-ahead for phase II and its six new screen venues. “Each element of next summer’s Olympic Games needs to be perfect; so there is no room for error in the execution of the program,” says the representative of the Beijing Municipal Bureau of Radio & Television. “Our friends at Barco are not only providing us with a great visual experience, but more importantly they also give us the confidence that this bold project will be seamlessly implemented.”

Frank Christiaens, Managing Director Barco China, continues: “Each of the Cultural Squares will provide a giant window onto the Games. The venues all around the city will allow people to follow the action several times a day during the course of the Games. To me this is another wonderful example of the unique relationships Barco is building in China, putting into light the best of what the country has to offer.”

Barco products involved in the Cultural Square project include the SLite 14 and SLite 10 XP FX LED tiles, the D320 LED processor and the B-10 mobile LED display.
The IP65-rated SLite 10 and SLite 14 offer an ideal solution for outdoor LED display installations requiring brightly illuminated video, viewable from long distances. They are superb in serving outdoor applications ranging from sports stadiums and spectator venues to outdoor advertising.

Next to the 12 fixed installations, Barco will also deliver two mobile LED walls for the Cultural Square program. The B-10 LED-wall comes in a uniquely equipped trailer that can be transported by a vehicle with a 3500 kg towing capacity. The B-10 is simply driven to an event, where its large screen (3584 mm x 2688 mm) is raised and ready to go, providing exciting video on the scene at events.

The Olympic Cultural Square project fixed installation part is scheduled to be completed end of 2007.

Olympic Cultural Square Venues

Phase I
Long Tanhu
Chao Yang Park
Hai Dian Park
Lian Huachi
Sculpture Park
Shun Yi

Phase II
Beijing Television Building
Yu Ting Bridge
Shi Ji Tan
University of Science and Technology Beijing
Capital Museum
Fengtai Park



About Barco
Barco, a global technology company headquartered in Kortrijk, Belgium, designs and develops visualization products for a variety of professional markets. Barco has its own facilities for Sales & Marketing, Customer Support, R&D and Manufacturing in Europe, North America and Asia Pacific. For fiscal year 2006, Barco posted net sales of euro 751.0 million. Barco’s ordinary shares are listed on the Brussels/Euronext stock exchange. Share information may be accessed on Bloomberg under the symbol BAR BB and on Reuters under BARBt.BR.

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For more information, please contact

JP Tanghe
Senior Vice President Barco nv
President Corporate Communication, Investor Relations and Corporate Marketing
Barco nv

Phone:+32 56/26 23 22
Fax:+32 56/26 22 62
jp.tanghe@barco.com