The new Digital Screen Checker is a low-cost hand-held digital cinema device for accurately measuring screen brightness, expressed in foot lamberts. An ideal tool for projection managers / projectionists or service engineers to monitor screen brightness and lamp life, the Digital Screen Checker helps exhibitors to ensure that their presentations remain at optimum levels and ensure DCI-compliancy. 
“Modern Theatre Management Systems are capable of providing a lot of information about the projector, but they cannot determine the screen brightness,” explains David Harrison, Technical Director at Harkness Screens. “The industry is more than aware of Xenon lamp light output degradation and the Digital Screen Checker is a very simple way of confirming this. If an existing screen is not performing to the desired brightness levels, exhibitors are left with several options: to replace the lamp with a new one, to increase the lamp size to a more powerful one or to replace the screen with one which has a higher gain level. ‘Gain' screens are formulated to direct more light back to the audience.”
The battery powered Digital Screen Checker provides instant readings for both 2D and 3D screens and is calibrated to be accurate even in the lower ranges used in 3D projection. The foot lambert reading is shown on an LED digital display and is expressed to at least one decimal place.
The new Digital Screen Checker ships with a mounting tripod and 3D glasses holder and will be available to view at the Harkness Screens exhibition booth (518) at ShowEast and at CineAsia in December (booth 214), with first units expected to commence shipping in early 2012.
About Harkness Screens
Harkness Screens is the world's largest manufacturer of projection screen surfaces, specialising in the design and production of cinema screens and custom screens of virtually any shape and size.
Harkness Screens is the world leader in cinema with screens in more cinemas worldwide than any other manufacturer. From single-screen independent theatres to large multiplexes to large format immersive theatre experiences or live events, Harkness supplies thousands of screens every year for cinema, film production, special effects, live events and custom AV applications.
Founded in 1929, Harkness' corporate office is located in Ireland with other offices and factories located in the USA, UK, France and China. Harkness Screens combines unrivalled experience with the latest technology and production methods to provide innovative solutions to the company's key markets worldwide. For more information, visit the Harkness Screens web page at www.harkness-screens.com.