WB's rebranded Max app launch has some issues on Apple TV

AppleInsiderAppleInsider
Posted:
in General Discussion edited May 2023
The HBO experience on Apple TV hasn't always been great, and the new Max app has fallen back on bad habits.

WB/Discovery's new Max app
WB/Discovery's new Max app


HBO Max has been around for a long time, at least by streaming standards. It launched in May of 2020 and, at the time, officially supported Apple's native video player for Apple TV.

However, things stopped going so smoothly around June of 2021. As cataloged by Sigmund Judge on Twitter noted, HBO updated the HBO Max app that month and officially removed support for the native video player for Apple's set-top box.

Now, in May of 2023, there's a new app, called Max. Just Max. HBO Max has been kicked to the curb, in favor of this new experience.

Unfortunately, as some have already seen, the new app is causing familiar headaches.

Judge notes that with the arrival of the Max app, some Apple TV users are experiencing sync issues with the Apple TV app's "Up Next" feature. And, maybe even worse, the new Max app doesn't support Frame Rate Match or Dynamic Range.

Judge also notes in a subsequent tweet that there are several other missing features:

  • Siri Remote jogg support

  • "What did he/she/they say?"

  • Picture In Picture

  • System wide audio/ subtitle preferences

  • Reduce Loud Sounds

  • Dim Flashing Lights

  • Up Next

HBO has had a bit of a rollercoaster relationship with the Apple TV for years now. But the HBO Max streaming app did smooth over some of the issues as time went on.

As for the service itself, most of the content that was available on HBO Max is now available on Max. The service also supports a lot more 4K content across the board, but customers will need to subscribe to a specific tier of service to actually access that content.

Pricing starts at $9.99 per month for the ad-supported tier. The ad-free option is priced at $15.99 per month, and Max Ultimate drops the ads, all the 4K content, for $19.99 per month.

Given the reversion in the HBO Max app, it doesn't seem that likely that Warner Bros./Discovery will fix the Apple TV app as time goes on. To see so many issues on launch day, after such a grand build up, is not great for customers.

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Comments

  • Reply 1 of 5
    22july201322july2013 Posts: 3,571member
    In Canada, I believe the service called Crave TV (which is available as an app on Apple TV, iOS or iPadOS) is the only way you can get access to HBO Max (starting later this week, I think.) Crave sells a low-cost plan for $10/month which is maxed at 720p and a standard plan for $20/month which usually comes at 1080p, I think. But Crave may charge an additional monthly cost for HBO MAX content, just as they do for STARZ content. I can't deny that 3 million Canadians subscribe to Crave TV, but there are too many things about their app that repel me.
  • Reply 2 of 5
    AppleishAppleish Posts: 691member
    Taking away our 4K and jacking up the price means we will be cancelling when our subscription ends next month.

    "Max" is now just another flavor of overpriced Netflix.
    edited May 2023 ronnStrangeDaysbeowulfschmidt
  • Reply 3 of 5
    StrangeDaysStrangeDays Posts: 12,877member
    The new Warner Brothers owners of HBO are both greedy and incompetent. Their app has always been plagued with issues, has a poor UI, and now they’re jacking the price up to $20/mo if we want 4K, which IMO is just the new normal. “Oh but we’re throwing you more CONTENT!” they say, as if that statement meant anything. Tons of low-quality and reality-TV programming is just buffet-filler. It’s just making themselves another Netflix with mostly junk. 

    On the technical/incompetency side, when these bozos abandon the native player controls we users lose many of the great features which is are the very reason we use an Apple TV. I wonder if it still supports SharePlay, if they can’t even get Up Next or What Did They Say? correct.

    Thank you, MBAs.
    edited May 2023
  • Reply 4 of 5
    carnegiecarnegie Posts: 1,078member
    The HBO Max app worked on MacOS, but it seems this new Max app does not. That's unfortunate.
    mac daddy zee
  • Reply 5 of 5
    bestkeptsecretbestkeptsecret Posts: 4,265member
    It is absurd how many streaming apps have absolutely horrible controls and UI. There are a couple of apps I have where I do not dare to rewind or fast forward the video by 10 seconds because it is so cumbersome.

    WB continues to be a shit show, which is a pity because I love a lot of the stuff they've produced.
    mac daddy zeeStrangeDays
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