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Adding a New Dimension to Surtitling and Accessibility

panthea.live, a revolutionary solution for surtitling and accessibility on mobile devices

The panthea.live solution for mobile devices offers spectators surtitling and accessibility in a radically new and entirely individualized way.

The panthea.live solution offers triple freedom: 

  1. freedom of seating: reading comfort is the same for all
  2. freedom of choice of performance: the solution can be offered on all dates without the risk of disturbing other spectators
  3. freedom of individual choice: spectators themselves select the desired track – foreign language, adapted surtitles, audio description, sign language, etc.

The display is fully customisable: color, size, position and brightness can be adjusted on demand to provide an optimised experience for everyone.

The system is based on a local server called the S-Box, integrated into a dedicated Wi-Fi network that covers the entire auditorium, ensuring a reliable, regular connection with no latency.

The control room is managed by a single surtitles operator who coordinates all available tracks.

The system works in a similar way to audioguides for museums: mobile devices are distributed at the front-of-house desk, set up and then used by spectators in complete autonomy.

Dedicated panthea.live Smart Glasses

Panthea has been among the first to use augmented reality to make live performances more accessible. Since the successful pilot project at the Avignon festival in 2015, our technology has been adopted by a number of venues in Europe and around the world, including Paris, Berlin and Toronto. 

This revolutionary new technology allows each individual spectator to see surtitles specific to their language needs, as well as sign language videos. Audio description (AD) is equally possible through headphones, for blind or visually impaired individuals. Finally, the surtitles can also be screened simultaneously above or beside the stage, or streamed online.

Does Panthea’s smart glasses solution use AI to automatically translate everything that is said?

No, Panthea’s smart glasses solution does not use artificial intelligence (AI) for translations, as these technologies cannot grasp the nuances of live performances and literary translations. The content is always prepared in advance by experts who ensure that the surtitles are properly in line with the subtleties of the show, better allowing the audience to follow what is happening on stage to provide the best experience possible.

How do the surtitles appear in Panthea’s smart glasses solution? 

Through an augmented reality (AR) projection effect, the surtitles appear in the field of vision of the glasses without obstructing the actions taking place on stage. The surtitles follow the spectators‘ gaze, floating in their field of vision as if by magic. There’s no need to bob your head up and down, and no risk of disturbing other spectators! The glasses are supplied with a small touch screen that allows the spectator to customise the surtitle display settings: size, colour, brightness and position in the field of vision.

Do the smart glasses cause nausea?

No. Unlike virtual reality headsets or holographic glasses, which can in some cases cause dizziness and other feelings of discomfort, Panthea’s smart glasses enable you to stay in touch with the real environment at all times and therefore do not cause any discomfort.

Can I wear my prescription glasses with Panthea’s smart glasses solution? 

Yes, Panthea’s smart glasses can be worn over prescription glasses.

Can I wear the smart glasses with my hearing implants or hearing aids? 

Yes, the smart glasses can be used at the same time as hearing implants or hearing aids. In the rare event that wearing both devices is uncomfortable, we offer cords to hold the glasses in place behind the head, as opposed to on the ears.

Dedicated panthea.live Smartphones

Panthea offers surtitling and accessibility solutions on smartphone that work exactly like the smart glasses.

Our smartphones are equipped with privacy filters to ensure maximum discretion in the theatre, as well as protective cases with ergonomic rings to hold the devices comfortably.

Smartphones are the solution of choice for simple deployment, especially in setups where holding a device does not interfere with the spectator experience.

Surtitles available on personal smartphones via QR code

Panthea offers a streamlined version of its panthea.live solution, accessible on spectators’ personal smartphones via a scannable QR code.

This solution provides an affordable option for individual accessibility, with the added benefit of great flexibility.

It operates on a ‚Bring Your Own Device‘ (BYOD) configuration.

Upon arrival at the theatre, spectators simply scan a QR code and are guided step by step through the process to display surtitles on their personal smartphone. They don’t even need to download an application!

However, this solution can only be used to broadcast text. For broadcasting audio and video content, we recommend the use of dedicated mobile devices as these devices are specifically designed to reduce the risk of noise or visual disturbance for other spectators.

panthea.live Cloud, a Lightweight Solution for Individual Accessibility at a Lower Cost

For venues wishing to offer an innovative accessibility solution that does not require hardware infrastructure, Panthea offers a cloud-based solution, which has the advantage of being extremely flexible, lightweight and cost effective.

In this configuration, the local server is replaced by a server in the cloud, and the spectators‘ smartphones connect to it either via their personal internet access or via the standard Wi-Fi network provided by the venue.

The panthea.live cloud solution does not support audio or video content — only text via QR code. Moreover, network reliability depends on the venue or audience, yet its ease of implementation makes it ideal for quick deployment.

Assets and Features

ENHANCED SPECTATOR EXPERIENCE

Size, colour, position: individual adjustment for optimal comfort

CHOICE OF LANGUAGE

Choose freely from the given options

INCLUSION

A revolutionary accessibility tool

CLEAR FIELD OF VISION

No visual interference for spectators not using the surtitles

GROW YOUR AUDIENCE

Opportunity to attract new clientele and international audiences

FACILITATE PROFESSIONAL PARTNERSHIPS

Enhance international collaboration with producers and festival directors abroad

Our Services and Ready-to-Use Mobile Solutions

Panthea has unparalleled expertise in individual surtitling on connected devices and can offer:

  • Full project coordination
  • Installation of a permanent surtitling system on smart glasses
  • Equipment rental for the duration of a project
  • Training workshops to enable your team to use the equipment independently

Ready-to-Use Equipment

We always seek to offer practical, ergonomic and efficient solutions, even for complicated setups. Therefore, we have developed purpose-built cases to safely and easily transport the smart glasses. These accessories are the result of over 10 years of hands-on experience.

Our ‘Glasses Out of the Box’ and ‚Phones Out of the Box‘ cases include:

10 smart devices

  • An integrated charging system
  • All of the necessary accessories

We also offer, upon request, our ‚Wi-Fi Out of the Box‘, a fully rack-mounted mobile system to quickly and easily set up a custom pathea.live network, guaranteeing perfectly synchronized transmission of all offered content.

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