Harkness Screens the world’s leading screen
technology company has announced a major investment in its industry-leading
Digital Screen technology platform at Cine Europe 2019.
Launched in 2013, the Harkness Digital Screen
software family comprises a number of tools which are designed to help
architects, exhibitors and installers to ensure they are creating best-in-class
movie-going experiences through the correct specification and design of cinema
screens. These tools range from the
Digital Screen Modeller – a real-time 3D simulation tool for visualising
on-screen presentation quality through to the Digital Screen Verifier – a light
measurement app for the iPhone.
The Digital Screen platform currently consists of
the following tools:-
Digital Screen Planner – For carrying out complex
screen specification calculations
Digital Screen Calculator – For screen ad equipment
selection and understanding operating costs
Digital Screen Modeller – Real-time 3D auditorium
modelling for showcasing image performance
Digital Screen Archiver – For storing on-screen
brightness measurements
Digital Screen Verifier – For measuring white light
on screen
“Since we launched the platform in 2013 with a
vision to create better outcomes for our customers and in turn the movie-goer,
the Harkness platform has become an integral part of the design and
specification process for screens around the world with over 15,000 downloads
across both iOS and Android,” explains Richard Mitchell, VP Global Marketing
& Commercial Development at Harkness Screens. “This new investment allows us to take
advantage of infrastructures and technologies that were still in their infancy
when we launched our platform, to add new functionality to our tools and to
create improved experiences and better outcomes for our global users,” he adds.
At the heart of this new investment will be the development
of a new user interface across all tools and the addition of a secure cloud-based
central user and data management system for all utilities called “myHarkness”. This new system will allow users to benefit
from being able to use complete cinema auditorium data (from physical
measurements through to brightness levels and equipment specifications) across
multiple platforms and allow for collaboration between teams and project
stakeholders as well as opening up a number of significant opportunities for
Harkness customers to benefit from an enhanced experience.
“Our apps have allowed customers to optimise design,
generate return on investment, specify and monitor light and sound levels,
measure moiré and laser speckle, test for environmental damage, autogenerate maintenance
scheduling and more. Leaping forward, as part of this new myHarkness approach we
are in very advanced stages of investigating how these tools and other digital
assets within the Harkness portfolio can assist in upgrading the end-to-end
quality of our screens including digital inspection, monitored transportation
and installation. Managed well this will add to the relationship Harkness has
been able to share with customers for decades to come,” explains Mark Ashcroft,
CEO, Harkness Screens.
The new suite of Harkness utilities is due to
launch in 2020 and the company is expected to run beta trials with existing
users and key customers in late 2019.
