Vienna (Austria) - 18 July 2024/ CinemaNext, the largest cinema exhibitor services company in EMEA and the US, and Harkness Screens, the world's leading screen technology company, have joined forces to install the revolutionary Hugo SR screen in Screen 7 of Vienna's Cineplexx Donauzentrum. This installation marks a significant step forward in cinema technology, providing moviegoers with an unparalleled viewing experience.
The Hugo SR screen, measuring an impressive 1980x900 cm, has been specifically engineered for laser projection. It is the centerpiece of the premium cinema auditorium, which also features Dolby Atmos sound, D-Box seats, and a state-of-the-art Barco SP4K55B laser projector.
Christof Papousek, CFO/Managing Co-owner Cineplexx Group, commented that, “we have installed a significant number of Harkness Clarus screens with our major investment in Barco laser projectors throughout the Cineplexx Group in Austria, Romania and the Balkans. A brand new Barco SP4K55B is the perfect projector match for the Hugo screen.”
Christof Federle, General Manager of CinemaNext Austria, commented on the installation: "We're thrilled to bring the Hugo SR screen to Vienna. This technology represents a quantum leap in cinema screens, perfectly complementing the advanced laser projection and immersive sound systems in place at Cineplexx Donauzentrum. It's a game-changer for the viewing experience."
The Hugo SR screen is the result of over five years of research and development, created in collaboration with projector manufacturers, global exhibitors, the Hollywood community, and leading educational institutes. It boasts several groundbreaking features, including embedded speckle reduction technology, built-in high contrast, and an optically whiter surface.
Tony Dilley, SVP Sales of Harkness Screens, stated: "The Hugo SR screen represents the future of cinema viewing. Its ability to reduce laser speckle by up to 30% compared to traditional high-gain silver screens, coupled with its enhanced contrast capabilities, makes it the perfect choice for modern, laser-equipped cinemas. We're excited to see it in action at Cineplexx Donauzentrum."
This installation follows successful collaborations between CinemaNext and Harkness Screens on recent Omniplex multiplex projects in Wigan and Birmingham, UK, where Hugo SR screens were also installed.
The Hugo SR screen is designed to support and leverage the benefits of all types of laser projection, creating compelling 2D and deep 3D images with additional contrast. Its unique surface coating creates more vivid colors with blacker blacks and whiter whites, ensuring that the enhanced capabilities of laser projection are fully realized.
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 ( HSG Labs), 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.
For more information: https://www.harkness-screens.com/
ABOUT CINEPLEXX KINOBETRIEB GmbH AND CONSTANTIN FILM-HOLDING GmbH
With its cinema holdings Cineplexx Kinobetriebe GmbH and Lichtspieltheater Betriebs GmbH, Constantin Film-Holding GmbH stands for modern, visionary cinema and is the undisputed pioneer in terms of cinema technology and service standards - in 2018 and 2019, this was demonstrated with the latest innovations at Cineplexx Wienerberg (Onyx LED and Real D Ultimate Screen as well as Barco Flagship Laser), in the Cineplexx Graz, Split, Belgrade and Novi Sad (MX4D), the IMAX Laser in the Cineplexx Donau Zentrum and Apollo and the first Dolby Cinema in Vienna in the Village Cinema and then in the Cineplexx Millennium City, now more the fourth Dolby Cinema location after Linz and Salzburg Airport.
The company's history began in 1951 with the film distributor Constantin-Film in Austria, and since 1985 the company has been under the management and partnership or, as a consequence, completely owned by Austrian entrepreneurs. In the 1970s, there was a nationwide expansion of movie theaters under the name Constantin-Film Kinos. Cineplexx Kinobetriebe GmbH is a subsidiary of Constantin Film-Holding-GmbH, founded in 1995, with over 60 cinemas in 12 countries: Austria, Croatia, Serbia, Slovenia, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Montenegro, Northern Macedonia, Albania, Kosovo, Greece, Romania and Italy. Over 400 halls with more than 70,000 seats are operated.
The successful expansion course has continued steadily: With the purchase of UCI Kinowelt in 2019, the associated three locations in Austria also became part of Cineplexx Chain. In 2019 and 2020, the expansion in the SEE area also entered a new phase with 5 cinemas in Romania. Thanks to extensive renovation of Cineplexx Millennium City in 2020, which not only brought Vienna's first MX4D cinema but also the ICTA EMEA Award 2020 in the category "Best Cinema Modernization", the federal capital is now home to Austria's most modern cinema. The last expansion steps took place in September 2021 with the new opening of Cineplexx Weiz, now the 5th cinema location in Styria, Cineplexx ALGO in Merano, the 2nd location in South Tyrol, Italy as well as Cineplexx Ljubljana Rudnik, which opened at the end of May 2022 and sets new cinema standards in the Slovenian capital. With around 1,700 employees, the company generated sales of more than 150 million euros in 2019. In 2019 - before the COVID-19 pandemic - Cineplexx cinemas welcomed nearly 13 million visitors. The post-pandemic business develops above expectations, expected total sales in 2023 will exceed 200 million euros.
More information on Austria's leading cinema operator at www.cineplexx.at.
ABOUT CINEMANEXT
CinemaNext is the largest cinema exhibition services company in EMEA and North America, providing smart, comprehensive solutions across the board, from projection equipment, audio systems, central systems, premium cinema solutions, cinema outfitting, content management, 3D projection systems & glasses, TMS, digital signage, screens to consulting services. Clients enjoy the highest level of reliability and lowest cost of ownership through our various services: consulting, design & project management, equipment sales and financing, installation, maintenance, support (NOC), online monitoring, content management, spare and consumables, service agreements and supply chain & logistics. 13,000 screens have been installed by our technicians to date. 9,500 screens in Europe currently avail of service contracts with our company. CinemaNext's main office is located in Liège-Blegny (Belgium). Regional offices can be found in 26 countries across Europe, Africa, the Middle East and North America.
For more information, please connect to https://www.cinemanext.com.
Media Contacts:
Alexandra Body, alexandra.body@cinemanext.com, +33 6 46 90 34 48
Patrick von Sychowski, patrick.vonsychowski@cinemanext.com, +44 7908 996616
Source: CinemaNext SA
CinemaNext and Harkness Screens Partner to Install Cutting-Edge Hugo SR Screen in Vienna's Cineplexx Donauzentrum