Woodman-Rohde has developed and built several Palace cinemas in Hungary, Slovakia and the Czech Republic, handling all architecture and project management work. Most recently, three projects were completed including the Eurovea Shopping-Center in Bratislava, Slovakia; a Multiplex cinema in Ústà nad Labem and a Multiplex cinema in Liberec, both located in the Czech Republic – all using Harkness' Digital Screen Selector.
“From the beginning it was clear to us that the Digital Screen Selector was a perfect tool for us, as it provides an immense amount of information that we need for a project,” says Bernd Rohde. “We are using this service from the very first draft to the official drawings. We like the functionality, the detailed selection for each type of digital projector and screen, and it's easy to use.”
Working as architects on a cinema project, Woodman-Rohde is involved as much as possible right from the beginning. This gives the company the ability to have a clear estimate of what the dimensions of the auditoria will be. By using the Digital Screen Selector, the company can accurately influence the throwing distance, widths and heights of the auditoria. In the case where the auditoria are already fixed in size, the Digital Screen Selector provides valuable information about screen dimensions and suggested projectors.
In addition to the architectural design, Woodman-Rohde also serves as engineers on its projects, as the company also provides the information for the Mechanical-Electrical-Plumbing (MEP) technology. The Digital Screen Selector provides the important information about the recommended size of the xenon bulb used for the projector.
“We use the information about bulb sizes to determine the cooling units in the projection booth and the air exhaust units,” continues Rohde. “Harkness not only manufactures excellent screen products, but it also provides excellent customer service, including this new online resource. Now, the Digital Screen Selector Service has become my go-to tool for all my cinema products.”
Officially launched at ShoWest 2010, the Digital Screen Selector is intended as an aid to theatre operators seeking to optimise their investment in digital cinema by helping to reduce operating costs for 2D as well as optimise light levels for both 2D and 3D. The company has recently announced the service has exceeded 500 registered users in addition to over 2,000 non-registered visitors using the application.
By answering a few quick questions about the screen size and equipment being used in a particular theatre, the Selector suggests Harkness screen options to optimise performance and cost. Available through the Harkness Web site, the Digital Screen Selector features a user-friendly interface with no software download required and uses industry-accepted standards and vendor data to compare different operating scenarios. The Selector is intended to be a guide for theatre operators when consulting with projector, lamp and 3D technology providers.
About Harkness Screens
Harkness Screens is the world's leading manufacturer of large projection screens. Thousands of screens are supplied every year for cinema, film production, special effects, live events and custom AV applications. Founded in 1929, Harkness has screens in place in over 60 countries. With its corporate office located in Ireland and other offices and factories located in the UK, France, Beijing, Canada and Fredericksburg, VA, Harkness Screens combines unrivalled experience with the latest technology 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.