Sony projector issues force Alamo Drafthouse to close theaters on New Years Day
Alamo Drafthouse“Nationwide” issues with Sony projectors forced the popular Alamo Drafthouse theater chain to close their business temporarily during the New Years holiday.
It’s safe to say that over the Christmas and New Years Holiday each year, going to a movie theater is one of the most popular things to do.
With movies like Studio Ghibili’s The Boy and the Heron in theaters to close out 2023, many flocked in groups to check it out.
The Alamo Drafthouse theater chain was hit with issues over New Years however has their Sony projectors refused to play several movies.
“Nationwide” projector issues wreck New Years plans
On December 31, 2023, the Alamo Drafthouse social media pages revealed that an issue with their Sony Projectors was preventing them from being able to play movies at all.
In the post, the company revealed the five theaters that were forced to close and explained that you can call to refund your tickets if you were set to watch a movie on that day.
They revealed in a follow up post on Instagram that some movies were available on January 1, 2024, – although titles like Boy and the Heron and American Fiction are still unavailable.
According to posts on Reddit and across social media, there’s speculation that the issues were caused by expired digital certificates that removed the companies ability to stream the popular movies.
One user said on Reddit: “There is an incompatibility between the certificates on some Sony projectors and current decryption keys and content that was unknown about until today.
“Both parties, Sony (the projector manufacture) and Deluxe (the leading provider of encrypted cinema content) are working on a solution.”
While it’s all speculation, it’s the most plausible explaination for the New Years issues. It’s understandable that some might have been left disappointed, the Alamo Drafthouse is working on refunds and rain checks so people can still see their favorite movies.
For more news and other viral stories, keep it locked to Dexerto.