STEVENAGE, UNITED KINGDOM, 22ND MAY 2024 — 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 www.harkness-screens.com/ce2024-demo
For further information on Hugo SR, visit www.harkness-screens.com/hugo