Harkness Screens, one of the world’s premium cinema technology companies, has completed the installation of its latest screen technology, Hugo SR at the recently refurbished Omniplex Cinema in Birmingham, UK.
Following its successful launch at CinemaCon, enquiries for the world’s first screen engineered to reduce laser speckle have flooded into Harkness. One of the first orders received was from the Omniplex Group for their new investment in Birmingham, UK. The screen measuring 17.90 x 9.60 metres was recently installed in to the cinema’s OmniplexMAXX screen along with a Christie CP4435-RGB with positive feedback from Omniplex and indeed movie-goers.
“We were very pleased with the performance of the HUGO SR considering the 2.2+ gain silver screen. The high gain screen allowed more light onscreen with lower output from our RGB laser projector,” explains Paul John Anderson, Director at Omniplex.
The result of more than five years of research and development alongside projector manufacturers, global exhibitors, the Hollywood community and leading educational institutes, Hugo is designed to support and leverage the benefits of all types of laser projection. An optically whiter polarised screen, Hugo creates compelling 2D and deep 3D images with additional contrast and speckle reduction enabling exhibitors to utilise the enhanced capabilities of laser projection to improve presentation quality for moviegoers.
The unique properties of Hugo SR create a whiter surface that helps to reduce visible speckle by up to 30% as well as improve contrast. This allows 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.
“This is a cinema screen technology that is relevant to the immediate needs of cinemas installing new laser projectors and in particular RGB, explains Mark Ashcroft, CEO at Harkness Screens. “We’re excited to begin the roll-out of Hugo SR technology around the world and it’s great that one of our most loyal customers in Omniplex is instantly seeing the benefit of Hugo,” Ashcroft concludes.
Harkness Screens will be showcasing Hugo SR at CineEurope 2024 with live 2D and 3D demonstrations in Meeting Room 121, First Floor, CCIB. Spaces to see Hugo can be booked online by visiting https://www.harkness-screens.com/ce2024-demo
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.