Digital Theatre Reviews 11

Really poor experience with this company- please stay away from them. Like another commenter, I paid for a lifetime copy of a theatre production but one day when I went to access it I was forced onto a free trial for a subscription service - it was the only way I could get access to the theatre production I had already paid for. The free trial was for a year, at which point you were put onto a £9.99 a month subscription. No reminder that the subscription was running out either so I ended up paying for a month when I only ever wanted to use the site for 1 theatre production. I hope they are happy with their short term gain. I'm satisfied that in the long term this company will fail but let's all do our bit in the meantime and shun them.

Many years ago, I purchased a number of productions at the more expensive price so I could watch my favourite productions when I wanted.

Then, they bring in a subscription service that was not worth the price they were charging. Unhappy, I emailed as I had already purchased productions and would now have to pay again. They were unlocked and I was promised unlimited access to them as I had already paid. I would have to pay for other productions - fine by me.

Now, they've changed their policy so I have to pay for the productions again despite knowing I already bought them. They say it's not within their control and I cannot access the show I already paid for unless I pay again.

Total con and some of the productions can be purchased on DVD for cheaper than what they want each month.

My advice: don't bother because they will con you out of your money under the guise of changing their policy and you will be left out of pocket.

All in all, the monthly price of $9.99 at the time of this writing was money well spent for the several productions we enjoyed and that are difficult to find online for the price. Canceling was simple through the Billing tab on the website and can be done in advance without ending the current month's viewing.

Pros:
- Signing up was easy, smooth and instant.

- There are quite a few well-directed/acted Shakespeare plays & several interesting dance and quality opera videos as well.

- Multiple household members can watch different plays simultaneously on different screens.

Cons:
- Some videos are poor quality & the audio doesn't always quite sync with the video - giving the annoying appearance that one is watching a film with dubbed English that is not quite matching the actors' mouths/expressions.

- Films that were listed as available are suddenly removed due to “licensing” issues, but there is no warning that the removal is imminent.

They aren't honoring their purchases.
A few years ago, you could purchase plays from them. I purchased Faustus and Much Ado About Nothing. Owned the digital copies on their site, so I didn't need a subscription to watch them. A couple of years ago, I had trouble getting into my movies, but contacted customer service who told me they were no longer letting people buy plays, but since I had, I would them a lifetime rental for them...still without subscription. Fast forward to a month ago. My plays started giving me errors. I contacted customer service and they tell me Faustus is no longer available due to some licensing issue, but that they're working to restore Much Ado for me. I say fine, please give me a refund for Faustus, since I purchased it. Now they're telling me I'm not allowed to access Much Ado, either (they're siting licensing issues again, but that one is still on their site, and I purchased these movies years ago, so I should still have access to *at least* that one. They've told me no on the refund, but that they can give me 3 months subscription on their site, which doesn't help, considering I'm supposed to own the movie. I wouldn't mind so much if it were just Faustus, because I can, and did find it available elsewhere...but this is the only place you can find this version of Much Ado, and I'm sorry, but making me pay to have access to a movie I purchased is not okay.

Spams people who just happen to work in a educational institution with unsolicited emails.

I was incredibly disappointed with this. I tried several different devices and the quality was incredibly poor the problem was not resolved. Won't be buying again

Not even worth one star.Could not get any play to work on any platform.No response to email sent to customer services on the 22nd April with a follow up on the 28th and this is the 7th may

Had a previous tech issue with this service and that meant I couldn’t view the film I paid for but with the help of one of Digital Theatre’s great advisors Ben McKee I managed to see the film.

I ordered a gift subscription as a Christmas present but the access code was never sent. Costumer Service did not react at all to multiple requests via their system, email and even postal mail. There is no telephone number one could call. Worst online shopping experience ever. Feels like a fraud and it’s a great embarrassment as the subscription was supposed to be a gift.

I paid for a number of HD shows and now can't view them. They were purchased and should be available to me. With the changeover to subscription, my compensation has been 6 months of free viewing. That would be fine, but the streaming quality is terrible going in and out of resolution to the point it's unwatchable. I have high speed internet in a major metropolitan centre. That wouldn't be so bad except support isn't answering any of my queries even after weeks and reminders sent to them. The only communication I get is an automated email that they received my support ticket. How can you have such a quality product and such poor service. Not a good business plan to my mind. I'm getting really frustrated with the indifference both to my right to see the plays I purchased and the resolution or at least explanation for technical deficiencies.

I never had problems watching before they updated their website. It took them 2 months, but now most things have been sorted out and I'm again enjoying productions that I wouldn't otherwise have access to.
I really love the concept of Digital Theatre, Now they added a subscription based viewing option (like HBO or Netflix), which is great for those who just can't get enough of great theatre, whether that's operas, ballet, or plays.