Technical issues at the cinema.

Josey Wales · 09-09-2019 1:00pm #1

How do you handle technical issues at the cinema?

When I notice something wrong I will start to focus on it to the detriment of the film. So I have to go and complain because a lot of the time no one else does.

Last night I went to see IT: Chapter 2 and the moment it started I could tell the aspect ratio was off. It was only filling in about 70% of the screen. Top and bottom borders but huge borders to the left and right of the image. This was in Screen 1 in IMC Santry.

I went out and complained. They stopped the film a few minutes later and tried to change the image but it ended up even smaller. They let that run for a few minutes (from the very beginning again) and then stopped it again. They tried again but only managed to make it slightly bigger than it was originally.

The rest of the crowd said they were happy and they left it at that.

I find issues like this are happening more often. There was an issue in the Swords cinema during The Lion King when the apsect ratio changed midway through. For Ghost in the Shell, the subtitles were cut off, again in Santry.

An older example is Pacific Rim at the Swords cinema. Again, it was only projecting on a small area of the screen and the staff tried to tell me it was a creative choice by the film makers. Got some free tickets that time though.

Any one else have bad experiences at IMC or other cinemas?

KildareP · 09-09-2019 1:17pm

I've had issues in all the chains, not just IMC.

Vue in Liffey Valley leave the 3D lens on during 2D showings which ends up significantly reducing the brightness on screen.

There were also a few weeks where the audio channel mappings were off - like as if each channel was rotated two to the left so centre audio was coming out the left surround speaker, front left audio was coming out the right surround speaker, etc.

A lot of chains don't bother to mask the screen properly anymore.

Have been in a few Odeon's where the screen "pulsed" throughout the showing as if the bulb was on its final few hours.

Problem is most cinemas no longer have projection staff on site, digital cinema means everything can be scheduled on the server and it just fires everything off automatically.

Most projection rooms are now completely unattended as a result. About the only presence is to manually ingest the new content each week and routine service on the projectors themselves.

If you report anything on the spot it's the general manager seems to be sent up, which is on par with the GM trying to resolve an issue with the tills or the phones, i.e. reboot it and then if it doesn't work call someone else for remote support.

It's made me stop going to the cinema to be honest, but I know I'm in a minority. Most people wouldn't notice, don't care, or both.

FitzElla · 09-09-2019 1:49pm

I had a bad run at Vue in Liffey Valley where the house lights came on early ruining the last 15-20 minutes of several films I was at. Another time a film started playing without sound and despite multiple people going to tell them, it took around 15 minutes to restart it with the sound. I find it very hard to settle back in to relax and enjoy a film after something like that happens. Staff are usually uninterested in hearing any complaints.

Would it stop me going to the cinema, probably not, but it is very frustrating when it happens. Thankfully haven't had an issue in a while now.

[Deleted User] · 09-09-2019 2:21pm

The BUCK STOPS..

Primarily at the Irish cinema industry.

I don't care if the Irish cinemas are on life support / the cinderella of the entertainment industry / playing 'an beal bocht'.

I'll pay for my cinema ticket, if I reasonably believe the show will be worth it.

In return I'll expect

Enforcement of Lateness Policy
Dolby Stereo where advertised - this seems to be lacking in many many cases where it is advertised.
Hi Definition screening as advertised like 4K - also the result does'nt match the blurb quite often

Lately, I go less and less to the cinema theatre.

ZeroThreat · 09-09-2019 2:40pm

I complained once about a reoccurring problem that seems to be specific to any Tom Cruise film.

The scaling is completely out of sync and the main star often appears to be the same size as the rest of the cast.

They didn't take me seriously though.:mad:

SteM · 09-09-2019 2:47pm

Myself and young lad were sitting in a screen in IMC in Tallaght a few weeks ago along with about 20 other people and the time for the movie to start came and went. 10 minutes after it was due to start the trailers hadn't begun so I went to ask what was happening. The lads out the front hadn't even noticed, I guess it's all automated now.

The shift manager came and said that it would start soon, then 10 minutes later said the projector was broken but there was another screening starting in 30 minutes. I couldn't wait around at that stage so he booked us into a screening the following evening, refunded the food we had bought and gave us a food voucher for the following evening.

Never had an experience where the image has been the wrong size or ratio I have to admit.

SteM · 09-09-2019 2:49pm

xieann wrote: »

The BUCK STOPS..

Primarily at the Irish cinema industry.

I don't care if the Irish cinemas are on life support / the cinderella of the entertainment industry / playing 'an beal bocht'.

I'll pay for my cinema ticket, if I reasonably believe the show will be worth it.

In return I'll expect
Enforcement of Lateness Policy

Dolby Stereo where advertised - this seems to be lacking in many many cases where it is advertised.

Hi Definition screening as advertised like 4K - also the result does'nt match the blurb quite often

Lately, I go less and less to the cinema theatre.

Do cinemas have a lateness policy?

[Deleted User] · 09-09-2019 3:50pm

^^^^^^^^
I suppose in their "Palava print". Never enforced though

shanec1928 · 09-09-2019 3:54pm

xieann wrote: »

The BUCK STOPS..

Primarily at the Irish cinema industry.

I don't care if the Irish cinemas are on life support / the cinderella of the entertainment industry / playing 'an beal bocht'.

I'll pay for my cinema ticket, if I reasonably believe the show will be worth it.

In return I'll expect
Enforcement of Lateness Policy

Dolby Stereo where advertised - this seems to be lacking in many many cases where it is advertised.

Hi Definition screening as advertised like 4K - also the result does'nt match the blurb quite often

Lately, I go less and less to the cinema theatre.

who wants to sit through 40 mins of ads?

The White Wolf · 09-09-2019 5:36pm

Not sure if it counts as technical but twice in recent memory at the Odeon Coolock people have had to leave the theatre to ask someone to dim the lights after the film has started.

The White Wolf · 09-09-2019 5:37pm

shanec1928 wrote: »

who wants to sit through 40 mins of ads?

No one but its common courtesy to take your seats as early as possible. Up to you though if that's important to you.

CastorTroy · 09-09-2019 5:50pm

I find it annoying that they don't have it all set up right when the film has been out a few days at least and nothing else has been in that screen. Do they just go in and mess with it after every screening?

vriesmays · 09-09-2019 7:02pm

In the Rathmines cinema last weekend the lights switched on a few minutes before the movie ended.

[Deleted User] · 10-09-2019 10:59am

CastorTroy wrote: »

I find it annoying that they don't have it all set up right when the film has been out a few days at least and nothing else has been in that screen. Do they just go in and mess with it after every screening?

The same "staff" could get a step up their "career ladder" by becoming certified as Coffee Bartistas, quite frankly & honestly

AMKC · 16-09-2019 10:27pm

Had an issue at the Point Odeon cinema once where the sound was not working so I went out and told the staff and it was fixed quickly and was in a film at the IMC or it could have been Vue and the lights came on before the film was over but otherwise very little problems.

Technical issues at the cinema.

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