i love the idea of this app so much and the only things i’d say are wrong are how much it buffers/how long it takes to load everything and then the price compared to the selection, but for price and selection i can also understand, it’s just a bit annoying but hey you take what you can get when you can’t spend a million dollars on broadway tickets. :)
Before I ask my question, I’d like to say that the app has gone through some great improvements since I first downloaded it. However, I do have one question/critique: Will there be a future where we can download shows onto our mobile devices for offline use? It would be nice to be able to watch without Wi-Fi or using cellular data. A lot of other streaming platforms do it (Netflix, Prime, National Theatre @ Home, etc., Dropout). Is it something to do with union rules? As a Broadway lover, some clarity as to why would be much appreciated!
1) Please give us an option to skip back or forward 10 seconds or so, like all the other playback platforms do. Sometimes, I get interrupted and only want to skirt back a few seconds. The scrub bar is not user-intuitive to do so. 2) When I pause playback, there is a line of content that pops up over the screen in several boxes. I usually pause at the credits so I can see who was involved in the show. This block of the view is annoying and defeats the purpose for what I’m trying to do. (And again, reading credits is one of many times I’d appreciate that 10 second skipping feature. Please remove the visual block during the pause. There are many other improvements I can think of — but these two would immediately improve your app dramatically.
The first day I got this app on my new phone with that’s up to date and has plenty of storage, it wouldn’t save my progress in the show I was watching (Miss Saigon). Broadway HD is great and all but this app just doesn’t do a justice to any of these shows. Let me go through the schedule of this app being, well, broken. First day- I get the app, I start Miss Saigon. I leave to go to school, I get to study hall, it completely lost all my progress and I had to try to remember where I was in the show Second day- it logged me out completely, and when I got back in, it didn’t remember where I was. But it did start to keep track of where I was in the show. Third day- it crashed and buffered constantly and sometimes at the worst parts (if you’ve seen Miss Saigon you already know you shouldn’t watch it in school, but I didn’t.) literally, watching this show was such a hassle and an online theatre company that literally records digital tickets put this professional theatre app to shame, and that’s not a good thing. I love broadway, I really do, but this app? It ain’t it.
I love musicals and plays, and Broadway HD has a great selection! I was introduced to several new shows that are now on my watch list, but sadly, the user experience on the iOS and Apple TV apps has been horrible so far. 1) The app buffers during playback constantly, ruining the watching experience. It would get stuck and pause to buffer for what felt like forever, and when it restarted playing, it would soon start buffering again. Not fun… 2) On my iPhone, the app logs me out every time I close it, so I have to log back in every time I use the app, and there’s not even a Face ID option. 3) The app loses where you are in the show, so if you back out of the show to continue it later, you never know if it’s going to remember where you left off. Sometimes it does, sometimes it doesn’t. 4) When you’re trying to fast forward to where you actually left off or rewind to a part you didn’t quite catch, there’s no scrubbing feature. You can only fast forward or rewind at 1-2x the playback speed. This ends up taking forever. 5) The picture-in-picture function doesn’t always work, so if you are trying to multitask, good luck… Overall, I love the content on Broadway HD, but I would honestly hire new app developers who can provide a better streaming experience.
Update: It took about a month to resolve the problem but they finally did. I hope not to go through it again. Meanwhile there is some good content on the service but too few new things are regularly added. I used to like this service. Then, after they took my annual renewal $$ it stopped working for me. Many emails with “customer service” and they stated they closed the case as it is “resolved.” I answered back that no, I still have no access to their content and nothing has been fixed. No reply from them. Is this the only way I can get their attention? Is there any way to get their attention?
Your subscribers have been saying for years now that your streaming services especially with the apps such as on the Apple TV are dismal. We want to watch your programming. You are making it next to impossible. The interface is horrible. Half the time you can’t see what you are trying to select, let alone read the descriptions because the color choices are horrible. The streaming is abysmal. Buffering after buffering. This app needs to be rebuilt from the ground up with a new developer team. This is not an isolated incident. Basically the reviews cite this. We are telling you what we want to see. Listen. If you continue to not listen you will be out of business. We are not willing to keep subscribing with out being able to enjoy the content. It’s 2023 there are plenty of programmers who are more than skilled to make this a fantastic experience.
Purchased app on the new 4K Apple TV and tried it, the show started and I turned it off to wait for my fiancé to get home to watch, the APP never worked again. Tried to demand a refund, Apple told me no and to contact the vendor, I did within their 24 hour refund window, no refund and no fix. So I installed the app on an older Apple TV and low and behold it worked, we watched one play, the next day we tried to watch again and once again the app wouldn’t open, work or do anything other than flash a white screen every time you hit the app icon. Still no response from BroadwayHD and I had to file a dispute with my credit card company, let’s hope that works. If you decide to try this do the monthly service initially so you’re not out a hundred bucks for a non working app. I have never been so disappointed with a service/app.
I recently had the chance to try out this app and I must say, I was quite disappointed with the amount of buffering it had. Specifically, when I attempted to watch "The Price of Egypt," I found myself having to close the app every 10 minutes due to constant buffering. I through it was just this show, but it was for all of them. The interruption made it incredibly frustrating to enjoy the show. Ultimately, I made the decision to stop watching altogether as it seemed like it would take forever to get through the show with such persistent buffering issues. Overall, this was a rather disappointing experience.
I just downloaded the app. I have not used it on my IPad yet, but have been watching through the website for quite awhile. If you downloaded this app and have paid money to this site I assume you are a lover of LIVE Theatre. This gives you that opportunity at home. You don’t ask the actors to repeat things at the theatre...accept the fact you may not be able to here which keeps the realism of the experience. Thank you BroadwayHD for being here for us while the world figures out how to safely bring live, in person, in a theatre with other human beings back to us.
App doesn’t work on iPad but works on other devices...
So I downloaded this app last night to start watching some shows. After I subscribed on my iPhone I downloaded the app onto my iPad to watch a musical that night. The app would not let me watch the show I was beginning to watch on my iPhone. The next day I downloaded the app onto my Apple TV and did not have this issue. I picked up right where I left off on my iPhone. I tried later that evening to watch the same show again on my iPad, same issue again! I got a black screen with the Play icon with a slash going through it at a diagonal. I uninstalled and reinstalled the app twice, same issue again. All devices up to date, app not working like it should! 4 stars for the app on iPhone and AppleTV. Wish I could give it 0/5 stars for the iPad since the app can’t do its primary function!!! Unreal!
Love the service, despite some longing for more depth of content. Unfortunately, I’m limited to only being able to watch on my computer since the app has no functioning method to output to a TV. Chromecast is completely absent, which is my go-to choice for all other streaming apps I use. I tried using Apple’s HDMI adapter, but the DRM on the stream from BroadwayHD is blocked so I get sound with no video. And ultimately,I tried AirPlay directly to the TV (brand new smart TV that has AirPlay built in), but the shoes would never stop playing. It would connect & recognize that the app was trying to play, but never got off the spinner & would never play. Really disappointing to not be able to watch any of these great performances on my actual 4K TV & sound system.
The iOS and particularly the AppleTV app a have just an abominable user interface. Their content selections are wonderful but the viewing experience is hostile to the user. Pausing often breaks the streaming, and with no scrubbing or functional fast forward or rewind, if you need need to stop for any reason you have to start over (one of the best things about streaming at home as you get to pee without waiting for intermission). The menu navigation to get to a title is also pretty terrible No idea why they don’t use the Apple API for media playback. So no skipping ahead, or back, or using Siri to ask what they just said and prompt temporary subtitles. I paid for a full year, but now I can’t watch it because it is just too frustrating.
After explaining my problem six times, it is finally resolved and I have reinstalled the app. I have enjoyed this app for some time, and, because of the pandemic, I can no longer go to Broadway, this is the best I can do. Many of the shows are very old (Fred Astaire?), and, after the first couple of Nunsense and Goes Wrong, it does get old. Still, some of my favorites (Cats, Billy Elliot, Miss Saigon, etc.) are there, and there is hope that someday we may even get Hadestown, Come From Away, or Evan Hanson.
I am updating my review. I was able to use the app on Apple TV. However, I had to log into the website before the app would recognize my subscription, even though the app had my favorites saved from the beginning. I was able to watch Miss Saigon and love it. But you need to get that glitch fixed so the app works right away. Below is what I wrote when I first subscribed. The title was “Is this Legit?” I subscribed to this service and have installed the app on my Apple TV and my iPad. I tried to watch something but I am prompted to subscribe, again. I just bought a year’s subscription. I do not want to be charged twice.
Ok so this isn’t me just being mean. I’m genuinely trying to understand this streaming service. I am a huge broadway fan and I’ve wanted to try this for some time. That being said...this is so poorly put together. It honestly gives Broadway a bad name. First, there are really not great options of shows. There’s only about 30 musicals. Only 3 or 4 that are actually successful. Second, the app is horrendous. A five year old probably invented this, and this is an insult to 5 year olds. It’s like the very first launch of Netflix streaming services. Buffer after ever 5 seconds. It’s awful and it’s not my internet’s fault. Third, I’m not even going to pay for this. The free trial is really a rip off too. They want $9 for something that does not work and the shows are not good. Honestly, it’s cheaper to buy each show online with the guarantee that they will work. In conclusion, don’t waste your time and money. The developers have a lot of work to do if they want this to work. I really hope they make this work because it seems like a great concept. Bring better more poppy lad shows and fix your apps for mobile and TV. Then I will pay ! Thank you!
Mediocre selection for $9 a month and playback errors
I was so excited to try this and I’m just disappointed. First of all, I signed up because they were advertising a free 7 day trial, but I didn’t use that specific link, so I ended up paying for a month. Okay, my bad, fine. I watched the Hugh Jackman production of “Oklahoma,” which is one of my favs, but the sound would occasionally cut out for a two or three seconds and it skipped forward a few seconds a couple of times. I went to watch another one to see if it would happen again. Searched for “Rent.” Nope. “Jersey Boys?” Nope. “Book of Mormon?” Nope. “Hamilton?” Nope. “Cinderella?” NOPE. How do you justify charging people the same as Netflix for this? So glad I only paid for a month, but even that was too much. Do yourself the favor and skip this app.
unfortunately, have never been able to get this to airplay or chromecast to our brand new tv. not particularly interested in trying to watch shows on my phone all day, especially with other people. not trying to do that on my laptop, either. on my old roku tv, there was a direct app, but on my new LG tv no such luck. also… if airplay & chromecast have been “in development” for over a year… why are you frustrating your users by having a nonfunctional button available? i wasted hours trying to troubleshoot my airplay. lots of frustration and anger that i realize now has no other source than the way the app runs.
I subscribed 2 days ago and paid for an annual subscription. I have not been able to login on my iPhone, iPad or Roku TV. I’ve changed my password as per help instructions (several times) and still get the error message “incorrect password or email”. Obviously, it is not the email since they are able to send me the password change emails. I also have sent requests to your support team. Other than an acknowledgment that they received my request, there has been no response from the support team. I’m thinking I should cancel my subscription but I can’t login to even do that! Really disappointed because I was looking forward to enjoying the service.
I was initially frustrated that the Chromecast function didn't work for HOLIDAY INN, which was the whole reason for my subscription. I don't know why this company would offer a product that was not supported on all the platforms the site describes as compatible. I learned my frustrations had been misplaced, however, when I sat down to watch it on my iPad and couldn't load anything beyond the first thirty seconds without endless buffering. I was absolutely a believer in BroadwayHD after the wonderful broadcast of SHE LOVES ME this summer. Maybe they are trying to do too much, but I feel I was ripped off here by being forced into a subscription for an essentially non-functional service, and I have lost all confidence in this company.
I have never been compelled to write a review before as much as I did for this app. I saw the 2.5 rating and thought it really can’t be that bad. But, it’s all true. The selection is okay but the worst of it is just the UI/UX within this app. FF/Rewind moves like molasses. The Apple TV app doesn’t keep me logged in - I have to log in daily. It lags constantly and the quality drops then resumes. I attempted to watch Kinky Boots for a date night and we were troubleshooting half the time. It’s truly not worth the subscription despite how much I love Broadway. Please, please hire some developers who can resolve these issues.
REVISED: The app has been updated, so it now actually works on the AppleTV .. however the revised app is worse than the original version. It takes a painfully long time for the app and subsequent screens to fully load and the show listings no longer credit the performers or the director. Also .. during the time it didn’t work, subscribers were promised compensation for the fact .. that, well .. that they couldn’t watch what they paid for. I’ve yet to receive any notification of such. But hey, at least the thing now works. And the performances are stellar. It’s just a real shame the app doesn’t match the quality its content.
After a really bad experience on the AppleTV version and no luck casting from an iPhone or iPad using Airplay or Screen Mirroring, I received a message from the developer saying they were experiencing unusual problems. Since then, performance has been better: plays still freeze but that can be fixed by restarting the app (though that does interrupt the flow of the play). It’s an okay option for some content that’s not readily available elsewhere.
Great potential not yet realized. I’m watching all the musicals. They are missing a lot of really basic ones for a Broadway app. There are also really poor show notes on each production. You need to Google each show to find out really basic info. Some shows are better shot than others. Users should be able to rate each production. I can’t find another app with these offerings, and I love watching theater, but this app needs a lot of work. Tech issues others have noticed have not been as much of an issue for us, though there are occasional bugs.
Got a gift subscription and was loving the service, then one day my browser said I HAD to use the app. Browser on iPad no longer supported. Watching on the iPad app cut off heads and action not dead center. The iPad would no longer stream to my older Apple TV, as the browser had done so well. I went on the support site for chat help and was told that I’d have to upgrade my home theater hardware to watch on my big screen. I could watch on the iPad if I didn’t mind some characters having no head, or I could go sit in my office and watch on my computer. This app has ruined it for me and I’ll not be renewing a subscription to a service that I was truly loving.
This app is unfortunately not as great as I thought it would be. Attempted to cancel my subscription (through my apple subscriptions) and was under the impression I would no longer be charged for use- this was not the case. I have been charged 2 months in a row since deleting the app and cancelling the subscription. I logged in to the broadwayhd website and changed my status to cancel auto-renew. Fingers crossed THAT works because there isn’t an option to cancel your personal information out entirely and you can’t delete your card/banking information from the site (super shady, btw). Hope this gets fixed.
Update: it’s all working now. With that said, the app could definitely improve it’s interface to something more classy and clean. The in-app experience is pretty bland. The forward and rewind features are about as wonky as it gets. They have a good selection with some very good titles, but could be a bit more fourthcoming with new offerings every month.
I was randomly charged for a month’s subscription without signing up... the last time I purchased anything from Broadway HD was in February and all of a sudden I see this mysterious charge on my credit card statement. Naturally, I called the customer service line... seven or eight times and was NEVER connected to a human being. At last I resorted to email... after a week of back and forth, I have yet to have my issue resolved. I caution you— do NOT give your money to this company. Once they have your payment information, they can charge you at any time and it’s utterly impossible to get a refund. I’ll have to dispute this charge with my bank.
I’ve been trying to cancel my subscription for weeks and continue to get the error in loading page, so I think that they’re not working as hard to fix the problem as they say they are. Also, fix your Apple TV app because I have no way of using the subscription I pay monthly for. Contacted customer service telling them about the issue with the subscription management on the website, only to have them tell me to follow the same procedures to no avail. Very disappointed because I liked paying monthly to watch the same three pro shots....
The app is one of the most ridiculously difficult to navigate. Every time you click a title to read about it, the category will start at the very beginning if you go back. Constant buffering, constantly makes you sign in and out, and it seems to randomly decide not to stream half the content. Categories also don’t allow you to scroll all the way down, but rather only to see the first couple line items. Lastly, the content itself is tired, boring and not changed out nearly enough.
I bought a monthly subscription for Broadway HD. After I got the subscription I realized that there were barely any shows on the platform so I decided to delete my account. No matter how hard I try it won’t let me delete it. it says I have the wrong password or email when I know I don’t because it makes you log in every single time you open the app so how could It be wrong if I had just logged in a minute ago. Then it takes me to an unavailable page. Do not pay for this ap!
This is the first time I’ve purchased an app that just simply did not work...
I’m able to select a production and read about it, but when I go further to actually watch it, it just buffers endlessly. To my knowledge it’s been doing this for 2 months? Don’t bother with this app until this is resolved. This update says this was fixed. Perhaps there was an (unsuccessful) attempt made for it to be fixed. I would definitely like to be notified when this bug has been fixed. Would also love to be compensated for 2 months endless buffering.
I enjoy this app and the shows very much. There is a lot to choose from. I wish if I stopped watching a show for a day or whatever the case is it would allow me to pick up where I left off, but it starts me over at the beginning.
I was so excited to finally invest in this app! But sadly I’m very disappointed with the overall design and quality of streaming. The audio kept cutting out; the chapter scroll wouldn’t work, and the fast forward option would freeze for a minute solid every time I touched it. Come on, BroadwayHD!! Your selection and content are incredible- but it’s hard to appreciate that when watching the content is so damned difficult!!
I’ve absolutely loved this app! I haven’t had any problems with buffering yet. I was a little concerned since of all the bad reviews about buffering but it works like a charm for me! I just wish the selection was more vast. I am looking forward to watching shows I have yet to watch and rewatching shows that I adore!
Horrible experience setting up. Does not support earlier generation Apple TVs. Tried using it on an iPad with airplay but it displayed in low quality, small window and was way out of sync. unwatchable. Tried logging in on a computer to try that but it seems to think I am someone else on a computer and acts as though my account has no credit. That in addition to other complaints voiced on this site tell me that BHD will fail very soon. Hopefully someone who has a clue will pick up the torch and run with it.
It was widely announced you had a 7 day free trial for this subscription. My mother being a Broadway show addict and who is now in self isolation since she’s disabled. I wanted to give her something new to see to distract herself from what is happening. I searched online for how the free subscription works, and it was through the subscription. First day we realized there was nothing to see on the app and it was canceled on the next day. Yet they still billed her for the monthly subscription. A refund had been requested and i will change my review if it gets answered.
My children bought me a subscription for Christmas and I can watch from a web browser but the app will not allow anything to stream. Upon trying to figure out why there was an issue I found they had 87% negative reviews. Everyone else seems to ha e the same issue as well with constant buffering. I am easily able to load other streaming services with no buffering issues but this app is horribly disappointing
I love the range of shows on this app and haven’t had too many issues when watching shows but I am only able to watch it on my phone and computer. They say it is compatible with Roku but it always just says show is unavailable and won’t play. Don’t know if it is a roku issue or the app itself but it’s really frustrating I can’t watch it on there.
Had this subscription for less than half an hour before canceling. First of all the selection was not very good. Honestly the content that was available, in my opinion, does not warrant the monthly cost. Even if the content selection was better, it would not let me cast to my TV. If you’re going to charge prices of other streaming services you need to work as well as they do, or at all. There is zero point to having a streaming service if you can’t put it on your tv.
So tremendously happy that Broadway is accessible to me outside of NYC. Would give the app 5 stars if they would provide more description about each show (like what year recorded?) I often google Wikipedia to learn more about the shows. It would be helpful to have it available in the app.
For $20/month, you would think this app would actually perform well. It has a great selection of shows, the only issue is the excessive buffering makes it miserable to sit through an entire performance. Not to mention, the app isn’t available on my smart tv, & it doesn’t allow me to AirPlay from my phone to my tv so I’m not sure what I’m paying for.
The recommendation boxes when paused are very annoying. What are you that worried about screenshots? Also, picture-in-picture is broken. Y'all seriously have the nerve to ask for $15 a month and you can't even have a working app? The selection is wonderful, I just wish y'all would take some pride in this especially for the prices y'all are demanding.
Video players should be really, really, really standard. Skip forward, skip backward, cast from your iPhone to your Apple TV…. But holy smokes is this app bad. Only because I’m skilled in finding workarounds was I able to get back to my 2-hours mark in a show, and not have to sit through 1-hour of “double-speed fast-forwarding.” We live in the age of digital content, and the player is worse than going back to VHS.
I was looking forward to using my subscription to view a wide selection of theatre offerings. Since I don’t have an Apple TV or Roku, I assumed I could just plug my iPhone into my smart TV via HDMI cable to view the shows. Bad assumption. Broadway HD deliberately blocks viewing this way, both from their website and their app. Come on, I want to buy your service, why make it so hard?
My daughter got this for me for a Christmas gift. At 1st it was not working on my Roku. I learned my Roku was a bit older and not compatible. We need a new Roku for the living room so I picked one up and Broadway HD works fine in there. Sometimes the issue is not the Service but your Device.
Been over a year that casting availability was “in the works” and you still can’t cast. Unfortunately this made me cancel the subscription. I don’t want to sit by the computer or watch it on my phone. Plus, I shouldn’t have to go out and buy “another” device in order to stream it. Multiple streaming services, and multiple devices. It’s really getting out of control! Very disappointed!
This company should be ashamed of itself. It’s buggy, doesn’t work on various devices and in no way is this ready to sell to people. We got it to load through our updated Roku and thought we would be able to watch on a tv monitor and when we tried, every show was out of synch between visuals and audio. It was so frustrating I’m cancelling it during the free week. Spare yourself the frustration you will be billed for.
When I initially got the app, I was very excited to see musicals without interruption. However, most of the musicals I wanted to watch were not on the app and when I tried to cancel my subscription I couldn’t. All of the sites and directions telling me how to log out made total nonsense because the app has no button to sign out. I tried unsubscribing through my Apple ID but it showed no subscription through my Apple ID. I have no idea how to stop the payments.
For the love of gravy, it's 2017. You can't put out a video streaming app with both phone and tv versions and not be able to skip ahead or rewind in either version in seemingly any show. Especially since you are streaming Shakespeare. A Shakespeare streaming app in which you can't skip back, you know which would be really useful when watching televised dramatizations in Elizabethan English and iambic pentameter. C'mon, you can do better than this. :(
This app allows BroadwayHD subscribers to watch content on iPhone and iPad. A BroadwayHD subscription or individual rental is required for full-length shows. BroadwayHD® is an online streaming service on a mission to promote and preserve live theatre, extending the reach of Broadway and Broadway caliber shows to anyone, anywhere. Founded by Broadway producers Stewart F. Lane and Bonnie Comley, BroadwayHD® is capturing and then transporting the magic of performance from the stage to your screen. With titles from Broadway, Off-Broadway, London's West End, and professional touring productions, this channel has something for every theatre lover. BroadwayHD's subscription library includes both classics and newly produced, exclusive theatre content that you won't see anywhere else. BroadwayHD® is Broadway -- Your Way! BroadwayHD subscriptions purchased with an in-app purchase are valid for either one month or one year. Both kinds of subscriptions automatically renew at the end of the period unless you turn off automatic renewal in iTunes or Account Settings on your device. Renewals are processed approximately 24 hours before the expiration of the subscription period. You can also choose to rent some shows individually for 48 hours. For both subscriptions and individual show rentals, payment will be charged to your iTunes account once you confirm the purchase. For complete terms of service for the BroadwayHD subscription and rental service, please visit broadwayhd.com/legal.
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