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- HBO Max is an ad-free, on-demand
streaming service with access toHBO original series, as well as a growing collection of additional WarnerMedia TV shows and movies. HBO Max costs $14.99 a month, and people who already subscribe to the HBO cable channel might be eligible for free access to the app.- The new streaming service is AT&T and WarnerMedia's attempt to compete with a growing number of streaming platforms, like Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime Video, and Disney Plus.
HBO Max is the latest contender in a growing field of on-demand video streaming services, combining the HBO cable channel's prestige television with a vast collection of movies and shows from WarnerMedia. The new service launched on May 27, effectively replacing HBO's previous streaming platform, HBO Now, at the same $14.99 per month price.
Like Netflix and Hulu, HBO Max offers more than 10,000 hours worth of TV and movies. WarnerMedia has spent years preparing the service for launch by acquiring the exclusive streaming rights to popular shows, like "Friends" and "South Park," and developing a slate of new original series for HBO Max.
Streaming was once considered an alternative to costly and confusing cable packages, but the proliferation of different streaming services, like HBO Max, Disney Plus, and Peacock, is forcing viewers to consider which subscriptions they want to keep for the long-term.
We spent a week checking out HBO Max to see what it has to offer when compared to the competition.
HBO Max shows and movies
HBO Max's greatest strength is its library — the service supplements HBO's highly regarded prestige TV series with more than 1,300 movies and popular TV comfort food for binge watchers. This means you'll find shows like "Friends," "Big Bang Theory," and "Rick and Morty" alongside HBO's "Westworld" and "Game of Thrones."
The movie catalog includes big franchises, like the "Harry Potter" series and "The Lord of the Rings," along with a collection from Turner Classic movies. There's also a selection of films from Japan's Studio Ghibli, which are available for streaming for the first time in the US, along with collections from DC Comics and the Crunchyroll anime streaming service.
If you have kids or just want to get nostalgic, HBO Max has decades' worth of Sesame Street, Scooby Doo, and Cartoon Network shows at the ready as well.
A casual scroll through Netflix will bring up dozens of lesser known films, but nearly every movie in the HBO Max selection will be recognizable to cinephiles.
It would appear that HBO also wants to generate interest by cycling the platform's titles relatively quickly. Though the service has been live for less than a week at the time of this review, there's already a "Last Chance" section on HBO Max showing movies that will leave the service in July, and a "Coming Soon"section for new movies and premieres arriving in the next few weeks.
While other services, like Netflix, regularly refresh their film lineups as well, seeing highly touted HBO Max exclusive movies, like "Justice League" and "The Hobbit," already due to leave the platform is a bit disappointing. There are also some curious gaps within the HBO Max library, like the notable absence of Christopher Nolan's "The Dark Knight" trilogy from the larger DC Comics and Batman collections.
HBO Max originals
At launch, HBO Max includes a mixed bag of exclusive new shows, including the Anna Kendrick-led anthology series "Love Life." There's also "On the Record," a feature-length documentary about the sexual assault allegations against hip-hop mogul Russell Simmons, and an all-ages late-night show starring Elmo from Sesame Street.
"Craftopia" is a children's crafting competition hosted by YouTube star LaurDIY, while "Legendary" is an adult voguing competition show focused on members of the Black and Latinx LGBTQ community with celebrity hosts Law Roach, Megan Thee Stallion, Jameela Jamil, and Leiomy Maldonado. A reboot of the short-form "Looney Tunes Cartoons" can also be found on HBO Max, with 10 episodes that run about 12 minutes each.
The six series so far all seem to be targeted towards very different audiences with a mix of scripted and reality programming, making it hard to judge the overall direction of HBO Max's content. While these HBO Max originals offer some value to their respective crowds, they mostly feel like window dressing designed to add something fresh to the platform's massive library of classic shows and movies.
Pricing and plans
HBO Max offers a single monthly subscription plan for $14.99 a month, and you can stream ad-free on up to three devices at the same time with a single account. The service is essentially being positioned as an upgrade and replacement for the HBO Now and HBO Go apps. HBO Max offers a ton of iconic shows and movies for a relatively low price, but it's a bit more expensive than its primary competitors.
In comparison, Disney Plus costs $6.99 per month with support for up to four devices and no extra cost for 4K (Ultra HD) playback. Hulu's basic streaming package costs $5.99 for a single device, with no additional charge for 4K, and ad-free Hulu costs $11.99. Meanwhile, Netflix's basic plan costs $8.99 per month for standard definition streaming on a single device. With that said, a premium Netflix subscription actually costs a bit more than HBO Max, coming in at $15.99 per month for viewing on four devices and support for 4K quality.
If you already subscribe to the HBO cable channel via AT&T TV, DirecTV, AT&T U-Verse, Hulu, Comcast, or Spectrum you can get access to HBO Max for no extra cost. AT&T is working to offer HBO Max to HBO subscribers using other cable providers in the future.
New users can receive a free seven-day trial of HBO Max before paying $14.99 for their first month. Unfortunately, however, the trial doesn't apply if you previously signed up for a free trial of HBO Now.
Setup
HBO Max is easy to access via the official website and a variety of devices. You can find the HBO Max app on Apple and Android mobile devices, Android TV, Apple TV, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Chromecast, and Samsung smart TVs. On the downside, Roku and Amazon Fire TV products don't support HBO Max yet, though you can still gain access to HBO Max content through the Hulu app if you subscribe to both services.
When visiting the HBO Max website or opening the app, you'll be able to browse the streaming selection immediately, but once you choose something to watch you'll be prompted to sign-in to an account or create an HBO login. If you've used HBO Now or HBO Go in the past, you can sign-in with your existing account. Once your account and subscription are active, you'll be able to watch the full HBO Max catalog and start building your own watch list.
As an upgrade from HBO Now, account holders can create up to five different viewer profiles for different family members on HBO Max. Each profile can create their own personal watch list that will carry over between multiple devices.
Adults can create kid profiles with age-based content restrictions for different children in the household too. Parents can choose appropriate movie and TV ratings for kid profiles and children will need to enter a pin number if they want to switch to an adult profile while viewing.
Unsurprisingly, setup seems to be easiest on a computer, but you can download HBO Max and sign-up through the app on your mobile device too.
Interface
The HBO Max interface is similar across all devices, giving you a large listing of movies and shows to choose from with a sidebar containing categories. In addition to categories for each genre, HBO Max has several different hubs for high profile collections, like HBO originals, Turner Classic Movies, Studio Ghibli films from Japan, and DC Comics productions. Blockbuster movie series, like "Harry Potter," "Godzilla," and "The Lord of the Rings," are grouped together as well, highlighting HBO Max's focus on movie franchises.
The large thumbnails and clean design make the app easy to browse. Managing the watch list is straightforward too, allowing you to add individual episodes from your favorite TV shows and edit the list on the fly within the HBO Max app. When viewing on a mobile device, you can store up to 30 downloads to view while offline. However, downloads expire within 30 days, and only last for 48 hours after you've started watching. After that, you'll have to re-download a title.
The interface is largely the same between the iPad app, the website, and the Xbox One app, and I had no issues downloading episodes or organizing multiple profiles.
Performance and features
HBO Max is a bit behind the competition when it comes to video quality, as it lacks the 4K playback option offered by Netflix, Disney Plus, and Amazon Prime Video. Sadly, HBO Max doesn't support high dynamic range (HDR) either. HDR offers enhanced colors and contrast on compatible TV models. The lack of 4K HDR is a shame especially given the number of big blockbuster movies that are available in 4K HDR on Blu-ray, like "Joker," "La La Land," and "Hobbs & Shaw."
Disney Plus' support for 4K has made it the premium choice for streaming several big franchises, like "Star Wars" and "Avengers," but fans of "Justice League" will have to invest in a 4K Blu-ray or 4K digital purchase for the best possible resolution, since HBO Max is limited to 1080p.
In terms of audio, HBO Max offers Dolby Digital 5.1 surround sound and Dolby Digital Plus on supported devices. This is also a step behind many other services, including Netflix, Disney Plus, and Amazon Prime Video, which all offer Dolby Atmos audio on select titles. Dolby Atmos enables expanded surround sound performance with overhead audio effects on compatible home theater systems.
Though HBO Max's 1080p video playback and Dolby Digital audio will satisfy most casual streaming fans, enthusiasts may be a bit disappointed by the platform's streaming quality compared to some of the competition.
The bottom line
Though there's a lot to like about HBO Max's lineup and interface, the service is more expensive than most competing streaming platforms. It's also limited to 1080p quality and it's compatible with less devices. These factors all make it hard to recommend over a more flexible service, like Hulu. Given more than year of buildup to the launch of HBO Max and the known limits of the HBO Now app, it's disappointing that WarnerMedia couldn't figure out a way to deliver more technical improvements for HBO Max.
However, HBO Max does have one of the most robust collections of movies I've seen on a streaming platform to date, and if your streaming habits lean more towards movies than binge watching TV, HBO Max could offer more value than Netflix, Hulu, or Disney Plus.
Even if you're simply a fan of "Friends" or "The Big Bang Theory," and you're signing up just to binge your favorite show, there will still be plenty of other content to watch on HBO Max if you do ever get bored.
Ultimately, HBO Max has built a strong foundation with its current library of hits, but for $14.99 per month, the service will have to keep delivering a strong rotation of new movies and exclusive content to match its relatively high price.
Pros: Large, impressive catalog of films and HBO original series, tons of kids content, easy to navigate app
Cons: A bit more expensive than other streaming services, lack of 4K playback is disappointing for new releases, currently missing support for Roku and Fire TV devices