From the article:
When we went to our seats, the wait staff let us know that despite the fact that the previews were playing, we wouldn’t know until the movie actually started whether we could see the film or not. If it didn’t work, the screen would just turn black. Luckily, the film went through without a hitch.
I find this entirely believable. There’s a LOT of equipment out there designed for profit over user experience.
But you’re right, it’s not really worth speculating over.