Alamo Drafthouse attributes a 'nationwide' theater outage to a Sony projector malfunction. While the outage seems to be of short duration, further details are pending.
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BERLIN, GERMANY - JULY 02: People arrive to watch a late night film at Kino International on the first day that cinemas reopened in Berlin during the novel coronavirus pandemic on July 02, 2020 in Berlin, Germany.
Facing Issues
On New Year's Eve, Alamo Drafthouse informed its patrons through social media, stating, "Sorry everyone! Sony is having issues with their projectors that are preventing us from being able to project movies at some of our theaters today."
Consequently, The Verge reported that five theaters were closed for the day. However, by New Year's Day, most theaters and showtimes seemed to be operational again, with a few exceptions.
The precise nature of the incident remains unclear, and due to the New Year's holiday, reaching Alamo or Sony representatives for comment has proven challenging. Additionally, not every theater or screening experienced disruptions during the incident.
Alamo faced challenges on New Year's Eve, citing issues with Sony projectors that led to the closure of five theaters for the remainder of the day. Although the outage was initially described as "nationwide," the extent of the impact varied across theaters and screenings.
Addressing Concerns
As New Year's Day unfolded, many theaters and showtimes became available, but the specific details surrounding the Sony projector issues remained unclear. The situation prompted Alamo to communicate the challenges via social media, leaving some questions unanswered due to the holiday.
As of January 1st, Alamo Drafthouse has provided an update on the situation. Fortunately, most screenings at the affected theaters have been successfully restored. The theater chain expresses gratitude for the patience and understanding of its patrons during this challenging period.
For those who purchased tickets, FOX 9 reported that checking the email associated with the transaction is recommended, as the Alamo Drafthouse team will directly reach out if your specific show has been impacted.
However, certain screenings, including films such as "BURN IT DOWN," "AMERICAN FICTION," "FERRARI," and "BOY AND THE HERON," are currently undergoing rescheduling and may face potential cancellations due to the encountered complications.
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The mysterious disruption that impacted select screenings at certain theaters has sparked speculation on platforms like Reddit. There's conjecture that the issue might be related to expired digital certificates, potentially linked to unlocking encrypted films.
However, it's crucial to note that neither Alamo Drafthouse nor Sony has officially confirmed this theory. The exact cause remains undisclosed, and we eagerly await an official statement to shed light on the situation.
Adding to the intrigue, reports suggest that Sony withdrew from the digital cinema projector business back in 2020, leading to the discontinuation of all existing models.
This decision raises questions about the ongoing technical challenges faced by theaters relying on Sony projectors and the potential implications for the wider cinema industry.
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