HBO Max failing to play content for some Apple TV 4K users

AppleInsiderAppleInsider
Posted:
in iPod + iTunes + AppleTV
A "can't play title" error has been appearing for users of any model of the Apple TV 4K running tvOS 16.1, but there is a workaround.

Apple TV 4K users encountering issues with HBO Max
Apple TV 4K users encountering issues with HBO Max


HBO Max users may encounter an intermittent error when trying to play content on an Apple TV 4K. It prevents playback of media with an error that reads "can't play title," and a fix is in the works.

According to a report from The Verge, users can try a handful of workarounds to get the app to work if they encounter the error. However, the fixes don't always work, and the app will need an update to fix things permanently.

First, simply force quitting the app and relaunching may be enough to force the content to play. Since this error is randomly affecting users, it may not appear every time.

If the error persists, HBO support suggests that users turn off HDR and content-matching settings. These can be found in Settings -> Video and Audio. Some users are even being advised to set their TV output to 720p.

AppleInsider employees were unable to recreate the error, so it may only affect a select set of users. It can affect anyone running any Apple TV 4K model on tvOS 16.1, with the HBO Max app on version 52.50.1.

HBO says it is aware of the issue and is working on a fix. Users with automatic app updates enabled will not need to take any further action.

Read on AppleInsider

Comments

  • Reply 1 of 9
    AppleZuluAppleZulu Posts: 2,008member
    When the workaround is to change your settings so that all content is crap, it’s probably better just to wait for the broken app to issue an update with the fix. 
    winstoner71FileMakerFeller
  • Reply 2 of 9
    ihatescreennamesihatescreennames Posts: 1,904member
    I’ve had this happen lately with HBO Max, and it’s happened for a long time with Disney+. I usually go to Settings and restart my TV from there and that resolves the issue for HBO Max and Disney+. 
    MrBunside
  • Reply 3 of 9
    winstoner71winstoner71 Posts: 114member
    AppleZulu said:
    When the workaround is to change your settings so that all content is crap, it’s probably better just to wait for the broken app to issue an update with the fix. 
    Yeah I’d rather read a book and wait than watch my television in 720p. 
  • Reply 4 of 9
    MrBunsideMrBunside Posts: 56member
    ihatescreennames said:
    I’ve had this happen lately with HBO Max, and it’s happened for a long time with Disney+. I usually go to Settings and restart my TV from there and that resolves the issue for HBO Max and Disney+. 
    This exactly - I've had to do this frequently with AppleTV over the last two years, especially for the HBO Max app.
  • Reply 5 of 9
    badmonkbadmonk Posts: 1,295member
    I have had this problem, restarting the AppleTV fixes it for me.
  • Reply 6 of 9
    MadbumMadbum Posts: 536member
    HBO crap app, crap engineers
  • Reply 7 of 9
    gol10gol10 Posts: 1member
    I’ve had this issue with partially played videos instead of changing settings, I just choose to restart the video.
  • Reply 8 of 9
    AppleishAppleish Posts: 691member
    Yep. They told me to turn off "HDR and content-matching settings." I'm just hitting the "Go Back" button in the error to restart the title. Sometimes it works on the first try. Sometimes it takes two tries. I'm not downgrading my video settings because their engineers are garbage.
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