This is back when it was common (like 90s to 2000s) before smartphones were commonplace, they would sit in the back row equipped with a camcorder plus tripod or they are the ones recording the movie live inside theater. It’s known as CAM (the resolution is shit along with crap sound quality), you would also spot silhouettes of movie goers obstructing the screen at times (heading to the bathroom or walking back and fourth).
You can also hear people talking throughout since the pirated footage is recorded inside theaters, if you watched CAM footage: have you spotted your own silhouette not realizing you’re inside whilst a pirate was recording? At the time, that footage would’ve been burned onto DVD being sold at the street before official home media release. Have you also purchased a pirated copy from someone in which isn’t the official release at the time?
I downloaded Rise of Skywalker just to hatewatch it and the version that I got left the audio of the pirate getting kicked out of the theater in. Happened at around the 15 minute mark.
The ironic part was that right up until that point the audio quality was terrible. When the footage cut back in, the audio was better, so I assume he just bought another ticket to go record it at a different theater.
Never seen one recording IRL, but I’m usually engrossed in the movie and not looking around the auditorium.