HBO Max: Everything you need to know

HBO max, the HBO-based streaming service with additional shows and films, came out last week after months of hype. The arrival also brought some confusion about fairly simple questions: how much does it cost me? Why can’t I look at Roku or? Fire TV?

CNET’s rating of HBO max reflects that HBO feels that it is still under construction until the service solves these problems.

Like rivals Netflix and Disney Plus, HBO Max has an extensive catalog of hit shows and Filmsas well as a large list of exclusive originals on a large budget. HBO maxhowever, is the most expensive of all. New subscribers can sign up after a one-week free trial and pay a basic subscription for $ 15 a month. This is the same price that HBO is already charging for its regular channel with most pay-TV providers and for its existing independent streaming service HBO Now.

But if you’re already paying for HBO in some form, the amount you’re paying for Max – or if you have to pay anything extra at all – that’s complicated.

For one, HBO Max isn’t available on some of the most popular streaming devices. Neither Roku nor Amazon Fire TV have offers to support HBO Max – together they are eye-catchers 70% of streaming devices in the country. And if HBO Max users were something like people streaming Netflix, the vast majority of airtime would be on TVs. Ask Quibi If you want to get a feel for how consumers feel when they can’t stream large budget programs to their TVs.

HBO Max says it has Apps for Roku and Fire TV ready go. But the service must first do business with both companies.

To tempt you to try it out, HBO Max has filled up with more content than you can find on the regular HBO channel and HBO Now. HBO Max doubles the programming effort for the same price. AT&T, the HBO as part of its WarnerMedia The TV and film department has spent billions of dollars on its budgets for original programs and expensive offers for streaming blockbuster films DC, Harry Potter, Studio Ghibli and the Criteria collectionas well as popular shows like Friends, The big Bang Theory, Rick and Morty, Doctor Who and new episodes of Adventure time. (A deeper insight into Max’s shows and films is given at the end of this article.)

To make it easier to locate these franchises, the HBO Max app has hubs based on many of them, so you can quickly jump to programming HBO, DCs, or Ghiblis. Compared to Netflix’s data-driven recommendations, a more curated approach to viewing content is also used.

The so-called Max Originals from HBO Max offer new shows and films that are not available anywhere else. The latest high-quality exclusive product is the legendary “Snyder Cut” from the movie Justice League 2017. This alternative editing of the DC film by director Zack Snyder costs more than $ 30 million and will be streamed to the service in 2021. The service also has six originals at launch, including one Anthology series Love life with Anna Kendrick. HBO Max will add 11 more originals this summer, including the premiere of Seth Rogen’s comedy film An American Pickle on August 6.

At the start, however, an eagerly awaited original is missing. A Friends Reunion Special should serve as that Service marquee exclusively on the first day. But like most things in the world, the original HBO Max productions were made by the Corona virus Pandemic.

People across the country are confined to their homes and stream much more, but the novel coronavirus and its respiratory diseases COVID-19have also stopped television productions worldwide. HBO Max has announced that it will deliver 95% of the new shows and films planned for and shortly after the launch.

But the The reunion with friends doesn’t come as quickly. The company was in the process of recreating the sitcom set to present its six stars to a live audience in early March when lockdowns and social distancing shut it down. The company now plans to film by the end of summer and says the Max team is “determined to make it a very special experience for the fans”.

The $ 15 monthly price for HBO Max equals the cost of HBO Now and the regular HBO channel if you purchase it from most pay TV providers. By comparison, Disney Plus costs $ 7 a month and Netflix’s most popular tier costs $ 13 a month.

For brand new HBO customers, pricing is straightforward. Just sign up and pay the $ 15 monthly fee after a seven-day free trial. Early next year, HBO Max will add a new tier that is cheaper every month but includes commercials to support the discount.

However, if you’re already paying for HBO, the question of whether you can get a free upgrade to HBO Max isn’t an easy answer. Some people who already have a regular HBO subscription or HBO Now will get one Max at no additional cost, but not every.

To get the automatic upgrade to Max, HBO must sign a contract with the company that HBO is already charging you, regardless of whether it’s a cable television company like Charter or a digital provider like Apple. HBO Max has stepped up these offerings, and there is a growing list of providers that allow their HBO customers to upgrade to Max. (See the full list below.)

HBO Max was still doing good business after the launch. In the middle of the launch day of the service, Comcast and HBO Max announced that the country’s largest cable provider would do so unlock HBO Max for Xfinity X1 and Flex Customers with existing HBO subscriptions at no additional cost. Comcast was one of the biggest gaps in HBO Max’s distribution at launch that day.

However, HBO Max does not have offers with every provider. If you are in this boat, you may have to choose: either pay twice – one bill for regular HBO and another for HBO Max – or cancel your current HBO subscription to sign up for Max again.

Another big hole? HBO Max does not offer 4K Resolution or image quality with high dynamic range at startup.

So yes, it’s complicated. Below you will find more detailed information about the costs, discounts, the app and the shows and films of HBO Max.

What does HBO Max cost?

HBO Max costs $ 15 a month to start with and is tested free for seven days.

Last week said John Stankey, new CEO of AT & T. HBO Max will introduce a cheaper, ad-financed tier early next year. He gave neither the price nor the exact start date or catalog restrictions for this level.

Before the start, people who pre-ordered the service from HBOMax.com unlocked a discount offer that reduced the price for the first year to $ 13 a month. Pre-ordered accounts do not qualify for the free 7-day trial.

HBO’s current standalone streaming service, HBO Now, also costs $ 15 a month. Although HBO Now will continue to operate, HBO Max will essentially replace it.

HBO Now subscribers are welcome to use this service, but essentially pay the same amount for less programming. HBO Max will have the same shows and films on HBO Now, as well as a large catalog of licensed programs and exclusive originals. On mobile devices, the HBO Max app replaced the HBO Now app with automatic software upgrades on Apple and Android phones and tables.

Compared to competing streaming services that started before HBO Max, this pricing can feel steep for many consumers. Disney Plus costs $ 7 a month Apple TV Plus is $ 5. Both offer offers that can further reduce the price or offer options for longer free periods of up to one year. Apple, for example, awards an annual subscription to anyone who has bought an Apple device since early September. And Disney has signed a contract with Verizon to give each cellphone subscriber to the cellphone provider a year for free.

When does HBO Max start?

HBO Max launched overnight in the U.S. on May 27.

After that, the first international expansions of HBO Max will give priority to Latin America and Europe. Latin America will receive HBO Max in 2021, the company said.

HBO Max’s U.S. timing will bring it towards the end of a parade of streaming service launches. Disney Plus and Apple TV Plus were launched in November. April brought Quibi, a mobile-only streaming service that contains short, episodic originals. Also in April, NBCUniversals Peacock started a “sneak peek” at Comcast. Peacock’s national launch is scheduled for July 15th.

Which devices can stream HBO Max?

HBO Max will be available on a variety of devices, including phones, tablets, the Internet, connected TVs, and game consoles.

However, two important streaming devices did not have HBO Max apps when they started. Neither Roku nor Amazon Fire TV support HBO Max, although these devices represent the vast majority of streaming devices in the United States. Researcher Parks Associates It is estimated that almost 70% of the streaming TVs installed in the country are Roku or Amazon Fire TV products.

In early May, John Stankey, new CEO of AT&T, warned that Amazon’s Fire TV products may not have an HBO Max app. “I am happy to say that we will be in virtually all app stores or one exception. It looks like we may not be in the Amazon Fire App Store when all of this is said and done,” he said.

The service has confirmed support for the following devices and platforms:

• Most Apple devices that can stream video support HBO Max – iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch, Apple TV 4K and Apple TV HD. However, customers with second and third generation Apple TV models will need to stream HBO Max content from their iPhone or iPad to their TV using AirPlay.
• Google’s Android operating system for mobile phones and tablets will have an app. Android TVs, Chromebooks, Google Chromecast and built-in Chromecast devices also support HBO Max.
• Sony’s PlayStation 4 systems can download the HBO Max app from the PlayStation Store.
• Microsoft’s Xbox One game consoles can also download the HBO Max app from the Microsoft Store.
• Selected Samsung Smart TVs connected to the Internet – models from 2016 to 2020 – can download and buy HBO Max directly.

What are the product features of HBO Max?

HBO Max is a long-awaited feature for anyone streaming HBO Go. It offers downloads for its mobile apps. Unfortunately, like most things at HBO Max, the company doesn’t have a clear answer as to whether there are any programming limitations that you can download.

“We don’t have a clear answer for you about how many downloads are allowed, but it will be a very comfortable number for most people,” said Andy Forssell, Product Manager at HBO Max. “The limit will likely be how much space you have in your Device, compared to our limit, and that will liberalize over time. ”

With HBO Max, you can stream to three different devices at the same time. In comparison, Disney Plus allows four simultaneous streams and Netflix between one and four, depending on how much you pay each month.

You can also create multiple profiles to keep recommendations for different household members separate, and there are also child accounts that can be unlocked by entering a PIN. This parental control allows mothers and fathers to determine the level of maturity of the programs that each child’s profile can access based on ratings such as PG and TV-14.

For HBO Now members, HBO Max automatically replaces the HBO Now app with a software update.

However, the transition from HBO Now and HBO Go to HBO Max has one disadvantage: HBO Max does not retain part of your watch history when you switch from an existing HBO streaming account. So your personal recommendations start with a clean slate, and HBO Max won’t know, for example, whether you’ve watched every episode of Game of Thrones three times or whether you’re in the middle of the movie Joker and want to go back to where you left off .

Another missing element: HBO Max does not offer 4K Resolution or image quality with high dynamic range at startup.

Where can I get HBO Max?

The easiest way to get HBO Max is to register directly with hbomax.com.

Via Apple, HBO Max will be an iOS app for iPhone and iPad, which you can use to register and pay via an in-app purchase. Apple will also integrate HBO Max into its own TV app, which allows you to collect certain streaming channels to watch in one place.

Through Google, HBO Max has an app for Android phones and tablets in the Google Play Store, and you can log in to the app with an in-app purchase. You can also stream HBO Max to Android TV, Chromebook and Google Chromecast. If you have already subscribed to HBO Now via Google Play, you can automatically log in to HBO Max when you start and will continue to be billed via Google. HBO Max will also be broadcasting YouTube TV, the streaming pay TV service operated by Google’s YouTube.

People with Samsung Smart TVs who support the HBO Max app can also register there directly.

How do I get Max if I already have HBO? How much does it cost?

It gets more complicated if you already have HBO and want to know what starting HBO Max means for you. Some people who already have a HBO subscription can unlock HBO Max at no additional cost. but not every.

Here is some good news for anyone who subscribes to HBO Now through Apple or Google: You hardly need to do anything to unlock HBO Max. Your HBO Now app should be automatically replaced by the HBO Max app via a software update on devices that support HBO Max. In these cases, when you open the new HBO Max app, you only have to agree to the HBO Max terms of use and data protection guidelines and select “Access to all HBO Max” HBO Now support page.

Some HBO Max distributors unlock an HBO Max upgrade for their current HBO and HBO Now customers at no additional cost, thanks to the offers HBO Max has made with them. You qualify for the HBO Max upgrade at no additional cost if you already pay HBO through:

• AT & T. (HBO’s parent company) and DirecTV, U-Verse, AT&T TV Now, AT&T TV and AT&T Wireless users who can add HBO with certain unlimited plans
• Charter and its spectrum services
• YouTube TV or Google
• Apple
• Hulu
• Altice USA and its Optimum and Suddenlink services
• Verizon and its Fios services
• Cox Communications
• The NCTC group of independent cable and broadband companies – including WOW !, Atlantic Broadband, RCN, Grande Communications & Wave, MCTV and others. (Check if your pay TV provider is an NCTC member.)
• Comcast X1 and Flex customers

However, it is unclear whether HBO Max will do more business with other pay TV providers, whether they are traditional providers like Dish Network or internet-based providers like Amazon Prime Video Channels and The Roku Channel.

Amazon said in a statement that nearly 5 million HBO streaming customers access their subscription through Amazon’s prime video channels. “Unfortunately, with the introduction of HBO Max, AT&T decides to deny these loyal HBO customers access to the expanded catalog,” the company said. “We believe that if you pay for HBO, the method you are already using entitles you to the new programming. This is just good customer service and that is a priority for us.”

AT&T also offers a complex matrix of promos for HBO Max. Some customers get Max at no additional cost, while others qualify for a one-month, three-month, or one-year free trial. The best way to find out whether you qualify is to check your account or the myAT & T app. However, CNET also lists AT & T’s qualification requirements HBO Max Promos.

Shows and films: what can I see?

In general, HBO Max includes all shows and films on HBO, as well as a selection of high-quality licensed content such as Friends, The Big Bang Theory, Rick & Morty and South Park. It will layer exclusive original programming Furthermore. HBO Max originally planned to have 31 originals in the first year and up to 50 originals in the second year. Despite the corona virus, HBO Max now says it will have 30 originals in the first year and 60 originals in the second year.

Now that the service is live, you can easily see what is available without logging in, like a third-party catalog browser Reelgood. The following section summarizes what HBO Max has and what’s coming.

The easiest part of the catalog to understand is HBO itself. HBO Max contains everything that has to do with normal HBO. That means that all movies come and go from the channel. new episodes from all HBO series such as Westworld and Last Week Tonight With John Oliver; and the past seasons of these programs, as well as the full HBO back catalog such as Game of Thrones, Silicon Valley, Veep and The Wire; as well as all original HBO films, documentaries and specials.

Films are an integral part of the catalog. And any film that can be seen on the traditional HBO network can also be streamed on HBO Max. The highlights of the HBO Max film catalog include: (but do not necessarily have to be available at the start):

• The so-called Snyder cut of the Justice League should appear on HBO Max in 2021
• The complete sets of the trilogies The Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings and The Matrix.
• The Lego films.
• DC films like Joker, Wonder Woman, Suicide Squad, Shazam, Aquaman and all Batman and Superman films of the past 40 years.
• Studio Ghibli Anime movies that have never been released for streaming in the U.S.
• Anime selections like Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood and other top titles from the anime-focused streaming service Crunchyroll, which is also owned by AT&T.
• Classic films like The Wizard of Oz, Casablanca, Citizen Kane, Gone with the Wind, The Glow, Sing in the Rain, 2001: A Space Odyssey, The Goonies, Blade Runner: The Final Cut, The Nightmare in the Elm Street Franchise and many more other.
• Newer hits like Crazy Rich Asians and A Star Is Born.

In addition, AT&T has licensed external hit shows to improve the HBO Max catalog. The most striking offers were:

• A reported $ 425 million deal for all episodes of the hit of the 90s Friendsthat Netflix has ended to start streaming on HBO Max at launch
• A reported $ 500 million streaming deal The big Bang Theory

It has also secured past season offers from Rick and Morty; 11 of the last seasons of Doctor Who plus three more; CW dramas such as Pretty Little Liars, Batwoman and Riverdale spinoff Katy Keene as well as other upcoming CW series; The Prince of Bel-Air; The western wing; and British series like Luther and Ricky Gervais’ Original The Office, among many others.

The animated satire South Park will not only contribute its full back catalog to HBO Max, but will also stream new episodes. South Park’s latest episodes will air on HBO Max 24 hours after Comedy Central airs for the next three seasons.

And HBO Max will have exclusive new shows and films called Max Originals. In the original HBO Max series, new episodes are mostly released weekly.

To start, the originals are:

• Love Life, the romantic comedy with Anna Kendrick, produced by Kendrick and Paul Feig, known for blockbuster comedies like Bridesmaids
• On the Record, a controversial Me Too documentary about record manager Russell Simmons.
• Legendary, a competition show based on underground drag balls.
• Craftopia, a series of handicrafts hosted by YouTuber.
• New Looney Tunes cartoons.
• The not too late show with Elmo.

After the start are the next Max Originals, the publication of which is planned:

• Karma, a blank Children’s adventure competition series – June 18.
• Doom Patrol, the second season of the DC Universe series – June 25th.
• Esme & Roy, the second season of the pre-school animation series from Sesame Workshop – June 25th.
• Search Party, the third season of the comedy thriller that originally aired on TBS – June 25.
• Adventure Time: Distant Lands-BMO, the first of four specials to revive Cartoon Network’s Adventure Time franchise – June 25.
• Expect Amy, a three-part documentary about the life of comedian Amy Schumer on tour during her pregnancy – July 9th.
• Close Enough, an animated comedy about millennial roommates – July 9th.
• The Ho House, a multi-generation family document – July 16.
• Tig n ‘Seek, an animated children’s series from Cartoon Network Studios about an 8-year-old and his cat who builds equipment – July 23.
• Frayed, a screenplay comedy about a wealthy Londoner who returns to her Australian hometown on July 30th.
• The Dog House, an unwritten British animal rescue series – July 30th.
• American Pickle, the Seth Rogen comedy, which is HBO Max’s first original film, is about an immigrant from the 1920s who has been kept in brine for 100 years and his great-grandson (both characters portrayed by Rogen) in what is now Brooklyn – August – meets. 6.

During the fall and beyond, HBO Max will add more originals, including:

• The Flight Attendant, with and by Kaley Cuoco based on the novel by Chris Bohjalian.
• The Friends unscripted Cast Reunion Special.
• Sci-Fi epic Raised by Wolves by director and executive producer Ridley Scott. The 10-episode series focuses on two androids raising human children on a mysterious planet. The show had already completed production in South Africa.

About half of the originals from HBO Max are aimed at young adults aged 16 to 34. The rest is shared between more adults and children, and family content outside of the HBO brand.

Some of the other highlights of the originals set for HBO Max are:

• New DC titles. A Green Lantern The series, which producer Greg Berlanti (a TV guru for young adults behind Riverdale and Arrow) says, will travel into space and “promises to be our biggest DC show ever made”. Weird adventure, a one-hour drama anthology series, also produced by Berlanti, that explores the overlapping lives of mortals and superhumans. DC Super Hero High will be a half-hour comedy by Elizabeth Banks, the producer and actress best known for the Hunger Games films and 30 rock, that focuses on a group of teenage students at a boarding school for “gifted” children.
• J.J. Abrams. Abrams, known for a parade of television and box office hits, signed one Mega deal with AT&T and WarnerMedia To make projects for the company. On HBO Max, he helps produce one Show in the Dark Universe of the Justice League;; Overlook, a thriller based on Stephen King’s The Shining and set in the Overlook Hotel; and a 1970s crime series called Duster.
• A half-hour comedy by actress producer Issa Rae. Raes Rap Sh * t Researches the music business in Miami through the eyes of three women: an aspiring hip-hop duo and their busy manager.
• A half-hour comedy by actress / producer Mindy Kaling. College girls (a working title) tracks three 18-year-old roommates at Evermore College in Vermont.
• The boondocks The animated series receives “two reinterpreted seasons” as well as a 50-minute special that was originally planned for autumn 2020.
• A new Jellystone animation series with the classic Hanna Barbera characters from Warner Bros. Animation.
• A new cartoon series from Cartoon Network Studios is called The fungies, as well as a hybrid live action / animated comedy, Tooned Out, by Oscar winner Robert Zemeckis.
• Comedy specials from Conan O’Brien and the team behind his TBS show. You will develop five stand-up specials for HBO Max: O’Brien will host two specials that include short sets of several upcoming comics and curate sets of three comedians for hours. This panel will join another one-hour special by comedian James Veitch.

The service will have a smaller list of original films, between five and ten a year, according to the original plan. The first highlights on the original film include:

• A two-picture deal with Reese Witherspoons Hello Sunshine.
• A documentary about Anthony Bourdain.
• A four-picture deal with Berlanti, including Unpregnant, about two teenage girls who take a road trip to New Mexico after finding out she is pregnant, based on the young adult novel by Jenni Hendriks and Ted Caplan.
• Super Intelligence, a comedy starring Melissa McCarthy about a woman whose romantic life was selected for observation by artificial intelligence.
• Bobbie Sue, a comedy film starring Gina Rodriguez by Jane the Virgin as an aspiring young lawyer who joins a stuffy law firm in Boston.

How does HBO Max match HBO Go and HBO Now?

HBO Max resembles HBO Go and HBO Now but with additional programming.

Generally speaking HBO now and HBO Go are almost the same product. The main difference is who uses it: anyone can sign up for HBO Now for $ 15 a month, while HBO Go is the app for people who already have an HBO subscription through a live TV provider like cable or satellite. Both HBO Now and HBO Go stream all programs available on WarnerMedia’s traditional HBO network.

People who already have HBO Now can switch to HBO Max at no additional cost. The HBO Now app was automatically switched to the HBO Max app by a software update. People wishing to upgrade to Max only have to accept the terms of use, a privacy policy, and a selection that confirms that they want the expanded catalog.

For HBO Go users it is more complicated. HBO Go is unlocked through a Pay TV subscription, and HBO Max isn’t unlocked for all Pay TV customers. (Go back to the “How do I get Max if I already have HBO?” Section for these details.)

How does HBO Max differ from all other AT&T streaming services?

AT&T offers even more streaming services.

AT&T TV is similar to a cable or satellite pay TV service, but is provided over the Internet. AT&T TV Includes live channels, DVR and video-on-demand that subscribers are familiar with, and the ability to stream from apps like Netflix and Pandora. In order to be able to watch TV on television sets, AT & T TV has its own streaming box, which AT & T must use. Subscribers can also see everything on mobile devices with one app. At the moment it starts at $ 50 a month for the first year of the cheapest tier. The price jumps to $ 93 a month in the second year.

AT&T TV nowon the other hand is a Live TV streaming service modeled on Sling TV or YouTube TV. If you were familiar with DirecTV Now, AT&T TV now is just the renamed version of this service. Instead of requiring a specific box, subscribers can stream live channels to Rokus, Apple TVs, Fire TVs, and more. The channels are also available in a mobile app. It also has a cloud DVR. Services like this are sometimes referred to as skinny bundle streaming services, but the cheapest package from AT&T TV Now isn’t particularly thin – $ 55 a month for more than 45 live channels (excluding HBO). Nevertheless, it is not quite as robust as AT & T TV, which is supposed to replicate the huge cable packages of traditional television.

After all, AT&T Watch TV is closer to a traditional skinny bundle. It offers more than 35 live channels, including TBS, TNT and CNN from AT&T. AT&T Watch TV is a free perk that is included in certain unlimited AT&T wireless data plans. However, anyone can sign up for $ 15 a month. Es wurde als Mobile-First-Dienst konzipiert, aber Sie können AT & T Watch TV mit einigen Boxen, einschließlich Apple TV und Amazon Fire TV, auf Fernseher streamen, andere werden jedoch nicht unterstützt, wie z. B. Roku-Boxen.

Easy, isn’t it?