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*** HBO MAX ***

38,242 Views | 355 Replies | Last: 7 mo ago by Mega Lops
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HBO Max finally launches tomorrow (May 27th), so I figured I'd get an official thread going since I've already seen a few questions in various threads about the service...

  • If you currently pay for HBO, your subscription/credentials will roll over to the new app. So no additional charges there. Otherwise, it's $14.99 per month.
  • Basically, the service is primarily all things HBO / TBS / TNT / Warner Bros., but then also includes Cartoon Network, Adult Swim, and few other notable "hubs."
  • In terms of TV, it will ultimately be HBO's entire library (some of which will apparently be in 4K for the first time) + notable series like Friends, The Big Bang Theory, and The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, along with all shows ever produced by TBS and TNT, in addition to every other Warner Bros. series ever made.
  • In terms of film, it will ultimately be all of the DC films (from the Reeves Superman films to the Keaton and Nolan Batman films to the DC movies of today), along with the Conjuring, Dune, Godzilla, Harry Potter, LEGO, Mad Max, The Matrix, Ocean's, and Rocky franchises + all other Warner Bros. films/franchises (which you can find here (1918-1999) and here (2000-present)).
  • The entire Warner Bros. library won't be available on day one (for instance, I think it'll be a while - like 2021 or 2022 or so - before the Harry Potter films make their way over), but I'll include a tweet below of everything that *will* be available on day one.
  • HBO Max original series will be billed as "Max Originals" and will NOT be part of the HBO experience/catalogue. HBO itself will still operate as normal.

Personally, HBO Max has more value to me than Disney+ and maybe even Netflix. Once they start releasing their Max Originals series on a regular basis (which have mostly been delayed due to the pandemic), I have a feeling this will be the streaming platform I use more than any other.
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mazzag
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I've seen commercials for this. So there's HBOGO, HBONOW, and HBOMAX? Why so many? We have DirecTv which we can't give up. We use Verizon mifi's for internet service (live a mile from an interstate and can't get provided service) which isn't always compatible with streaming services. With my ditectv account, this is free for my but what's the advantage?
mazzag
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I've seen commercials for this. So there's HBOGO, HBONOW, and HBOMAX? Why so many? We have DirecTv which we can't give up. We use Verizon mifi's for internet service (live a mile from an interstate and can't get provided service) which isn't always compatible with streaming services. With my ditectv account, this is free for me but what's the advantage?
expresswrittenconsent
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You should have access through your cable provider. The advantage is all the back catalog content TCCTS outlined in OP and all of the new 'max' content which will not be airing on the hbo stations on your cable/dtv. For some people that is a game changer, but for many it won't move the needle much.
mazzag
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If the max content that doesn't air on HBO is comparable to the product HBO puts out, I see the value but I'm a satellite sub so it's free to me. The rest I could care less. I have prime video thru Amazon prime, and I pay OOP for Netflix and Disney+. My daughter insisted. I can't cut the cord but good grief. I'd think I'm paying the same for all these accounts. I'd have to have Sling, Hulu and YouTube TV. And whatever esipn charges.
Fenrir
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Not gonna lie. I wasn't really that interested originally when I heard about it. I typically get a free trial once a year and just binge Westworld and whatever other shows/movies I want to watch. That's really all I have ever needed to get the shows I want knocked out.

With that said, the Adult Swim, Boomerang, & CN content as well as the Crunchyroll partnership moves the needle for me. Gonna have to consider this.
Sex Panther
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shovel pass
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The HBO Max head of original content was my friend back in law school. I hope she does well.
TCTTS
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mazzag said:

I've seen commercials for this. So there's HBOGO, HBONOW, and HBOMAX? Why so many? We have DirecTv which we can't give up. We use Verizon mifi's for internet service (live a mile from an interstate and can't get provided service) which isn't always compatible with streaming services. With my ditectv account, this is free for me but what's the advantage?

Check my post and the tweets. HBO Now will transition/convert to HBO Max tomorrow. Also, I have DirecTV as well, but our DirecTV login/credentials will work on the HBO Max app if you're already paying for HBO through DirecTV. There's nothing more to pay for or do.
mazzag
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So what about HBOGO?
kapon
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So, how do I get a free trial/pass?
use AT&TNow for "regular" TV, but do not subscribe to HBO.
TCTTS
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It'll just remain as HBO GO for the time being. But the entirety of all that HBO GO offers - i.e. the entire HBO library - will be available in HBO Max. So you can either continue paying $14.99 for HBO/HBO GO and get *just* HBO content for that price - or - you can download the HBO Max app, login with your DirecTV/HBO credentials, and get all the other HBO Max content as well at no additional charge. In a year or two or I imagine that HBO will discontinue HBO GO as well, but until then, during the transition, both will exist and both will be available for one price.
TCTTS
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https://gizmodo.com/even-hbo-knows-its-streaming-services-are-confusing-as-1843681735

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https://www.polygon.com/2020/5/21/21265370/get-hbo-max-subscription-hbo-go-now-cable-att-plans
NastyNate
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What's the deal with the app not being available on Roku? If true that is going to suck! That is where I stream all my content from.
double aught
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Just paid for a year of Boomerang four days ago so my daughter could watch Scooby Doo.
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https://www.theverge.com/2020/5/26/21268490/hbo-max-launch-price-warnermedia-att-dc-harry-potter-friends-disney-netflix-peacock
scoop12
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I subscribe to HBO through my Amazon Prime account, but apparently they haven't struck a deal to upgrade Prime accounts to Max automatically. First world problems, but I like having it on the prime app so I don't have to switch between so many different apps, so will likely wait it out a bit to see if they strike a deal.
TCTTS
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double aught said:

Just paid for a year of Boomerang four days ago so my daughter could watch Scooby Doo.

hph6203
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Can't believe how badly they've messaged this thing, but it's not surprising when they've already dealt with the confusion of launching HBO Now when HBO Go was already a thing. Identical services with different names and different subscription points. Their authentication back end must be horrifically structured if their marketing team couldn't convince them this was a bad idea. Should've been HBO Go for streaming regardless of how you gained access, and then they could just say HBO Go is becoming HBO Max.

Mind blowing.
TCTTS
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Yeah, I never understood that. Why didn't they just launch a single, stand-alone "HBO" app a few years ago that you could either login to using your cable provider credentials - or - pay for a la carte if you didn't have cable. There's no way that wasn't doable through a single app. And then to bungle that even further by calling this newest app "HBO Max" is beyond me. I get that it's a TV app, and that HBO is AT&T's crown jewel in the TV space. So on one hand it makes sense to want to capitalize on that brand name/recognition. But Warner Bros is by far the more popular overall brand, and it feels weird having it play second fiddle to HBO. Never mind that the "Max" moniker in conjunction with "HBO" someone now makes HBO feel cheaper and more diluted in a way.

They should have either named the app after AT&T in some way (surely there's some old slogan word they could have utilized), or just called it the "Warner" app or something. Then, when folding HBO in, it could have still remained its own, recognizable brand, not to be confused with these "Max Originals" that everyone is already mistaking for new HBO shows, which they aren't.

I love the overall product itself, and that all of these brands/libraries are finally coming together under one roof. But the app desperately needed a different name. How "HBO Max" wasn't focused grouped like crazy and then rejected out of confusion by every last participant is beyond me.
TCTTS
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People are starting to see the app pop up...







hph6203
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The reason it's screwy isn't so much the name, it's that they already created a mental division in their customer base with HBO Go and HBO Now, and now they're creating even more division, because not only are customers going to be using different "apps" they're going to be giving their customers different service for the same price.

I don't think a Warner or AT&T branded streaming platform would garner much attention. I'm way more interested in "HBO Max" as a person not informed of what it is than "Warner something" or "AT&T something", those would be like Peacock, which garners zero interest from me.

If everyone that was subscribed to HBO got HBO Max the messaging would be easy, "HBO Go and HBO Now are combining to become HBO Max, all the HBO content you already love with additional favorites from DC, Warner, Cartoon Network etc etc", basically just HBO plus more, but they can't do that messaging, because not every streaming platform is going to have it so they have to maintain HBO Now and not every cable provider is on board so you have to keep HBO Go. Now you have 3 "different" streaming services, operating at the same price with some people getting less for their money.

It'll work out in the long run, but how they haven't gotten those deals done by launch is beyond me. I think it'll be a good service, I'm not personally confused about what it is, but those that are confused aren't exactly an insignificant minority.
TCTTS
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Agreed. I don't know a single person who *isn't* confused by what this is and how to get it. But yeah, I think it'll work out in the long run, it's just off to such a rocky start.

For the record, though, HBO Now is literally becoming HBO Max. As in, apparently the HBO Now app is automatically being replaced/upgraded for all Now users today, so the confusion will presumably only be between HBO Go and HBO Max.
hph6203
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On eligible platforms, but Amazon and Roku are not eligible, so it presumably will stay HBO Now until they get a deal hammered out. If you exclude tablets/phones I'd wager there are more ineligible devices than eligible.

From what I can tell Tizen (not surprising), WebOS (somewhat surprising), FireTV and Roku won't be getting the upgrade.
TCTTS
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Ah, gotcha.
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Quote:



So apparently this is a big surprise...

Teddy Perkins
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If you're looking to keep the wife or gf busy while you dive into the catalog this also has The Bachelor/Bachelorette for the UK, Australia, New Zealand, and Canada.
Teddy Perkins
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I really wish they'd give you an option to sort movies by some ratings metric like rotten tomatoes or IMDB rating. Same for the other guys too. It'd make it a lot easier to take a flyer on a movie if you knew it was highly rated instead of scrolling and hunting forever.
Max Power
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Updated the app this morning, just have to select HBO Max content and it's all there. And just to confirm if you're already pay $15/month for HBO the upgrade to Max is included. Considering the arrival of Disney Plus and HBO Max in less than a 12 month period it's going to further strengthen the grip of streaming over cable and satellite. You're money goes so much farther than those other options.
BQ2001
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I was going to do a trial of this, but no Roku app? Guess I'm passing
 
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