Harkness Screens, one of the world’s premium cinema technology companies, has unveiled its brand new fifth generation 2D/3D screen technology, Hugo SR at CinemaCon 2024.
Whilst the adoption of all forms of laser projection in the cinema industry has been steadily increasing for a number of years, screen technology has been a step behind with existing 4th generation screens often retrofitted in to laser deployments to help create suitable solutions. That changes with Hugo SR.
The result of more than five years of research and development alongside projector manufacturers, educational institutes, global exhibition and the Hollywood community, Hugo SR has been designed to support and leverage the benefits of all types of laser projection including RGB.
“Over the past few years we have seen the laser projection install base grow significantly across the globe. Whilst laser projection has so many tangible benefits, our customers, wider exhibitors and partners have turned to us to provide a dedicated screen solution that can enable them to leverage the benefits of this new technology to its fullest including, higher contrast, HDR (high dynamic range) and WCG (wide colour gamut). Hugo SR , is the first engineered screen designed specifically with laser projectors in mind. With in-built characteristics that reduce visible speckle and improve contrast, Hugo SR provides exhibitors with a means to fully utilise laser projection technology creating even more compelling and captivating movie presentations,” explains Laurent Espitalier, CTO at Harkness Screens.
Embedded speckle reduction technology
Laser speckle, most visible with RGB projectors (but also present, although less visible with other projection technologies) has been a concern for exhibitors looking to leverage laser projection. Hugo SR has been engineered to significantly reduce visible speckle by up to 30% compared to traditional high gain silver and white screen surfaces.
The unique properties of Hugo SR allow exhibitors to deploy higher gain surfaces alongside RGB projectors without the requirement for expensive transducers whilst creating a level of assurance that laser speckle will not interfere with the viewing experience for the majority of movie-goers in the auditorium.
Superior Optical Engineering
The unique surface coating properties of Hugo SR help to improve contrast by up to 15% compared to traditional silver and white screens creating more vivid colours with blacker blacks and whiter whites. Although a polarised 3D screen, the underlying technologies create a truly whiter surface which looks more similar to Harkness’ industry leading white gain (Perlux HiWhite) screens on axis. This optically whiter surface helps to diffuse visible hot-spotting and create the appearance of a more uniform finish from centre to edge.
“We’re excited to begin the roll-out of Hugo SR technology around the world,” explains Mark Ashcroft, CEO at Harkness Screens. “Hugo SR creates a new technology platform for Harkness and a new industry standard for laser screens. At Harkness, we continue to invest in research and development teams and are already working with our suppliers and partners developing further 2D and 3D screen technologies that already show signs of being able to virtually eliminate visible speckle whilst retaining the gain profiles exhibitors require in order to financially manage their shift from xenon-based projectors to laser. We feel we’re on the cusp of something transformational for the entire industry,” he concludes.
Harkness Screens will be showcasing Hugo SR throughout CinemaCon 2024 with live 2D and 3D demonstrations in the Salerno room (Promenade Level) with Harkness’ team available for meetings at the suite and also at booth #104J (Julius Ballroom).
For further information on Hugo SR , visit www.harkness-screens.com/hugo
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 for cinema and live events. From single-screen independent theatres to large multiplexes to large format immersive theatre experiences or live events, Harkness supplies thousands of screens every year helping provide outstanding presentation experiences to audiences around the world. With global reach, Harkness is regarded as the world leader in cinema and has screens in more cinemas worldwide than any other manufacturer. With its industry leading 2D and 3D screen brands (Perlux HiWhite, Clarus XC, Precision White, Nova and Spectral) along with an innovative range of presentation monitoring tools (Qalif), digital surveying services and suite of cinema design and specification 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 and combines unrivalled experience with the latest technology and production methods to provide innovative solutions to the company’s key markets. For more information, visit the Harkness Screens web page at www.harkness-screens.com.