Harkness Screens the world’s leading screen technology company and thought-leaders in on-screen brightness has announced a new wave of research and development into screen perforation.

Having launched the acclaimed 4K Digital Perforation Pattern at CineAsia 2015 which has now become the standard perforation pattern on all screens, Harkness is set to embark on a further development to improve the cinema experience.

“Our 4K Digital Perforation Pattern has proved an enormous success since its launch,” explains David Harrison, Chief Technical Officer at Harkness Screens. The current pattern which significantly reduces moiré fringing, has smaller holes and less open area was specifically engineered to meet the requirements of today’s cinema exhibitors and whilst this is has been a huge step forward for the industry, we believe that there is significant work still to be done.

Harkness’ imminent research project will involve inputs from audio companies and leading educational establishments including the Institute of Sound and Vibration Research at Southampton University (UK). The next phase of research will focus on further improvements to speech intelligibility, screen resonance and reduction in sound reflecting between screen and speakers.

“We’re focused on applying scientific expertise to our manufacturing to help improve both audio and visual performance. By applying complex audio-based algorithms we believe we’re able to further push the boundaries on sound performance from the current performance with Digital Perforation. The aim is to create a pattern which has even less open area (through smaller holes) than our current pattern whilst improving audio transmission particularly in the spoken range. By doing this we believe that we can help exhibitors to further enrich the cinema experience with the next generation of cinema technology,” explains David Harrison.

About Harkness Screens
Harkness Screens is the world’s leading screen technology company, specialising in the design and manufacture of projection screens and supporting technologies. From single-screen independent theatres to large multiplexes to large format immersive theatre experiences or live events, Harkness supplies thousands of screens every year for cinema, film production, special effects, live events and custom AV applications.

With truly global reach, Harkness is regarded as the world leader in cinema and today has screens in more cinemas worldwide than any other manufacturer. With its industry leading 2D and 3D screen brands (Perlux and Spectral) along with its innovative range of tools and iOS/Android apps, Harkness continues to lead the way in screen technology for cinema.

Founded in 1929, Harkness has manufacturing facilities in the USA, UK, France, India and China. Harkness Screens combines unrivalled experience with the latest technology and production methods to provide innovative solutions to the company’s key markets worldwide.  For more information, visit the Harkness Screens web page at www.harkness-screens.com.