Saturn Communications Group has completed a contract to install a new digital multimedia messaging system Connectvision at UGC Glasgow, one of the UK’s busiest cinemas.

Saturn in partnership a leading distributor of electronic presentation equipment, has installed 18 x 40” Samsung SM403T LCD screens throughout the cinema, all of which are powered by Saturn’s Connectvision.

Connectvision is a digital hub that connects the box office, concessions and digital projectors enabling remote downloading and scheduling of advertisements. The flexibility of Connectvision gives the cinema operator the opportunity to create schedules specifically for a particular audience by bringing together a wide range of digital information formats.

“Connectvision will allow us to harness the power of digital technology in the cinema by linking together the box office, concessions screens and the digital projectors” says the IT Operations support manager at UGC. “It gives us the opportunity to enhance the whole cinema experience for our customers”.

With cinema admissions figures expected to reach an all time high in 2005 and the number of screens at their highest levels since 1960, it is vitally important for cinemas to move with the times as the market grows ever more competitive. Connectvision helps cinema operators to do this by giving them the ability to take advantage of the benefits of digital technology.

“Information can be taken from a variety of sources and displayed anywhere within the cinema using not only the LCD screens but also the cinema screens themselves” says Chris Welsh, managing director of Saturn Communications Group. “This means that cinema operators can co-ordinate promotions throughout the cinema, something that has already proved successful in boosting sales. They can also provide customised presentations for birthday parties and live events”.