Way T'Go, Guys!

You all know Philadelphia, right? Staid, conservative, provincial Philadelphia. The Philadelphia of "I once went to Philadelphia, but it was closed" fame.

No more.

The Philadelphia Orchestra, my hometown band, is now, it would appear, on the cutting edge of the digital future of the recorded classical music concert.

You may have a hard time spotting them from your seat in Verizon Hall [new home of the Philadelphia Orchestra], but the recent installation of seven high-definition video cameras — a visionary gift from the Joseph and Marie Field Foundation — has put The Philadelphia Orchestra on the cutting edge of video technology and digital media distribution.

These cameras transmit video to a control room at the back of Verizon Hall, where the cameras are controlled by two technicians using a sophisticated system of robotics. With this system in place, the Orchestra can produce high-quality video for a wide range of applications, including the use of live video in the concert hall, traditional or high-definition television broadcasts, the creation of DVDs, Internet streaming and digital video downloads, and pioneering Internet2 applications.

Who woulda thunk it.

Way t'go, guys!

RTWT here.