HBO Max’s new streaming service ‘Max’ already subject to criticism day following release

By, HeyWire

“Max” is the new streaming service under HBO Max which will bring together both HBO’s high-end scripted programming and Warner Bros. films along with Discovery’s food, home and lifestyle content.

The service launched just yesterday, with promises to retain viewers who typically sign up for HBO Max for only a season of their favorite show. Max seeks to reduce the number of people canceling the service each month, and the company plans to evaluate customer feedback daily to prioritize new features and fixes.

“In markets where we had scripted entertainment and nonfiction sitting together, we know the proposition works,” said JB Perrette, Warner Bros Discovery’s president and chief executive of global streaming. “Despite the common perception of HBO viewers ‘as only living in an ivory tower of HBO,’ the reality is we all have guilty pleasures.”

Max will mine the media company’s rich trove of entertainment franchises, such as Harry Potter, Game of Thrones and DC. As part of the shift to Max, there is also a greater push for 4K content, offering more than 1,000 films and episodes at launch.

However, the launch hasn’t gone without its complications. Some Max users have reported technical difficulties, with the app using a wholly custom video player that lacks support for a number of native Apple TV and tvOS features. A Max spokesperson responded to the technical complaints, stating, “You must always anticipate issues on a tech rollout of this scale.” The company plans to roll out new updates for Max every few weeks, taking customer feedback into consideration for features and fixes.

Additionally, some have criticized the company’s decision to change the streaming service’s name from HBO Max to just “Max,” with NBCUniversal’s streamer “Peacock” taking a hit at the rebrand.

“I know you’re all very disappointed, but I will *not* be dropping the first half of my name any time soon,” the official Peacock Twitter account posted.

Despite these early issues, Warner Bros Discovery’s streaming unit, which includes HBO Max and Discovery+, posted adjusted pretax earnings of $50 million in its first-quarter results announced earlier this month. The media conglomerate has aspired to gain subscribers and a foothold in the industry’s digital future.

Max’s highlights range from HBO Originals such as “Succession” and “Watchmen” to Warner Bros. movies like “Joker” and “Dune.” As subscribers migrate over to Max, they will have their previous plans, usernames, passwords, billing information, profiles, avatars and settings migrated over so they can resume where they left off.

To enhance the consumer viewing experience, Max will offer more than 1,000 films and episodes in 4K at launch. Sudheer Sirivara, the Executive Vice President at Warner Bros., said, “We understand the value of offering our users a cinematic playback experience, and to that end, we’ve implemented more advanced technology workflows that allow us to release more 4K content in a faster, more efficient way. Max Ultimate Ad-Free, for $19.99 per month or $199.99 per year, allows up to four concurrent streams at up to a 4K resolution, Dolby Atmos sound, and up to 100 offline downloads.”

Despite the colorful language surrounding early complaints, Max marks a significant step forward for the combined companies. With both HBO’s high-quality scripted content and Discovery’s reality-based offerings, Max hopes to find a winning combination for its viewers and set itself apart from rival streaming platforms such as Netflix and Hulu.