# F U HBO and Apple! **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [March 10, 2015, 1:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/f-u-hbo-and-apple/714657 "2015-03-10T01:25:17Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![CinnamonBabka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/bbce88/32.png) [@CinnamonBabka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CinnamonBabka)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2015, 5:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/f-u-hbo-and-apple/714657/21 "2015-03-10T17:54:43Z")
I’ll never understand why people get all butthurt over things like this. If you don’t like the manners in which HBO sells their content, don’t buy it. ---
**Author:** ![D\_Odds](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/d_odds/32/2882_2.png) [@D\_Odds](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/D_Odds)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2015, 6:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/f-u-hbo-and-apple/714657/22 "2015-03-10T18:41:22Z")
> [@LibrarySpy](#): > > The Oscars were on ABC. Free over broadcast. Why couldn’t you just turn on your TV? He may not get good reception in his area. I’m in a major market and weather, time of year, and I’m sure a host of other factors play into which station my non-cable TVs can and cannot pull in. ---
**Author:** ![wguy123](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wguy123/32/3161_2.png) [@wguy123](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wguy123)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2015, 7:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/f-u-hbo-and-apple/714657/23 "2015-03-10T19:39:38Z")
> [@LibrarySpy](#): > > The Oscars were on ABC. Free over broadcast. Why couldn’t you just turn on your TV? Not everyone gets over-the-air broadcasts. I get a grand total of one fuzzy station over-the-air and it is PBS. I don’t have cable. Therefore, I couldn’t have watched it by simply turning on my TV (not that I wanted to). ---
**Author:** ![Cheesesteak](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cheesesteak/32/3694_2.png) [@Cheesesteak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cheesesteak)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2015, 7:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/f-u-hbo-and-apple/714657/24 "2015-03-10T19:48:04Z")
As an owner of an Apple TV, I’m thrilled, and hope it gets opened up to all streaming devices without too much delay. I’m also with Happy Fun Ball on the disappointment in trying to get OTA Network shows to stream. The offerings are spotty at best, frequently are Computer Only, and often give you a limited run, which makes picking up that new show you heard about pretty difficult. ---
**Author:** ![Kinthalis](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kinthalis/32/16084_2.png) [@Kinthalis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kinthalis)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2015, 8:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/f-u-hbo-and-apple/714657/25 "2015-03-10T20:10:25Z")
Yeah this pissed me the hell off as well. I wanted to give HBO money. I really did. Although the price point is also a bit ridiculous. Netflix costs me $8, and that brings with it a sizable movie library. I’m basically watching HBO for one show. $15 a month is too much. Even so, I was prepared to pay it, but I guess I can’t because apple. I guess I’ll just have to continue watching HBO shows the way I’ve been watching them… Maybe soon I’ll be able to give you money HBO, all I’m asking is for a fair avenue to do so. ---
**Author:** ![Damuri\_Ajashi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/898d66/32.png) [@Damuri\_Ajashi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Damuri_Ajashi)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2015, 8:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/f-u-hbo-and-apple/714657/26 "2015-03-10T20:16:29Z")
> [@friedo](#): > > Yeah, fuck those guys for bringing an innovative product to market that people want. They might be engaging in price skimming. Apple is notorious for engaging in price skimming and their customers are notorious for tolerating it. In three months they will want to capture the rest of the market and they will open it up to windows and android based customers. ---
**Author:** ![OneCentStamp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/13edae/32.png) [@OneCentStamp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OneCentStamp)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2015, 8:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/f-u-hbo-and-apple/714657/27 "2015-03-10T20:17:34Z")
I think in five years, we’ll think of the era of competing streaming sticks (Chromecast/Roku/Fire Stick/Apple TV) that purposely refused to play nicely with each others’ programming as quaint, dated, and frankly stupid. It will be one of those things that was “so 2013.” ---
**Author:** ![Kinthalis](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kinthalis/32/16084_2.png) [@Kinthalis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kinthalis)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2015, 8:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/f-u-hbo-and-apple/714657/28 "2015-03-10T20:25:36Z")
> [@OneCentStamp](#): > > I think in five years, we’ll think of the era of competing streaming sticks (Chromecast/Roku/Fire Stick/Apple TV) that purposely refused to play nicely with each others’ programming as quaint, dated, and frankly stupid. It will be one of those things that was “so 2013.” But it’s 2015! ---
**Author:** ![Simplicio](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c37758/32.png) [@Simplicio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Simplicio)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2015, 8:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/f-u-hbo-and-apple/714657/29 "2015-03-10T20:31:27Z")
> [@CinnamonBabka](#): > > I’ll never understand why people get all butthurt over things like this. If you don’t like the manners in which HBO sells their content, don’t buy it. Eh, I think there’s just a general exhaustion with how many hoops one has to jump through to buy a lot of products these days. Ideally if someone makes something I want, I’d like to just give them money and get that thing. But everything seems wrapped up in six layers of subscriptions, loyalty programs, bundled services, exclusivity agreements, etc. ---
**Author:** ![Merneith](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/57b2e6/32.png) [@Merneith](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Merneith)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2015, 8:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/f-u-hbo-and-apple/714657/30 "2015-03-10T20:40:47Z")
> [@Shakes](#): > > HBO Go doesn’t do any good to cable cutters as I indicated in my op. No, actually, in your OP, you didn’t mention HBO GO at all. In your OP, you said the bit that I quoted, that HBO streaming is only available on Apple TV, which is incorrect. It’s true that the new HBO NOW service, which is aimed at cable-cutters, is Apple Only, but that’s just temporary. By the time most cable-cutters get out of their current cable contaracts, HBO NOW will be available on other devices. In the mean time, HBO GO streaming is available right now on non-Apple devices. ---
**Author:** ![Grrr](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grrr/32/146_2.png) [@Grrr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grrr)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2015, 9:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/f-u-hbo-and-apple/714657/31 "2015-03-10T21:14:36Z")
> [@Merneith](#): > > No, actually, in your OP, you didn’t mention HBO GO at all. In your OP, you said the bit that I quoted, that HBO streaming is only available on Apple TV, which is incorrect. > > It’s true that the new HBO NOW service, which is aimed at cable-cutters, is Apple Only, but that’s just temporary. By the time most cable-cutters get out of their current cable contaracts, HBO NOW will be available on other devices. In the mean time, HBO GO streaming is available right now on non-Apple devices. Why would I mention HBO GO when I’m not talking about HBO GO? My exact words were: “So HBO Now, their new streaming service for cable cutters,…” It’s very clear in the OP I’m talking about a streaming service for people who don’t have cable. I suppose if you want to focus on my later sentence where I said: “So if ya’ want HBO streaming (For now anyway), ya’ gotta have an Apple product!..” you could pounce on that, but god damn if that isn’t being overly pedantic and showing little grasp of context. ---
**Author:** ![friedo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8edcca/32.png) [@friedo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/friedo)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2015, 9:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/f-u-hbo-and-apple/714657/32 "2015-03-10T21:25:39Z")
> [@Damuri\_Ajashi](#): > > They might be engaging in price skimming. Apple is notorious for engaging in price skimming and their customers are notorious for tolerating it. In three months they will want to capture the rest of the market and they will open it up to windows and android based customers. Who’s “they?” Apple or HBO? Surely Apple doesn’t have much of a say what HBO does after their exclusive deal runs out. ---
**Author:** ![jasg](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f0a364/32.png) [@jasg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jasg)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2015, 9:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/f-u-hbo-and-apple/714657/33 "2015-03-10T21:31:05Z")
It looks like HBO Now is not quite a direct consumer-to-HBO arrangement. You will have to go through Apple, Roku, Amazon, Google etc for billing. > [@gigaom](#): > > \*\*Where not to sign up: \*\* > > On HBO Now’s home page. This isn’t a direct-to-consumer service, which is the biggest difference to Netflix. HBO still wants others to handle the billing and customer relationships, and has no intention to ask you for your credit card any time soon. “No, a subscription directly through HBO is not something that is currently in our plans,” said a HBO spokesperson when I asked her specifically about this. > > \*\*What you’ll be watching: \*\* > > HBO Now promises “instant access to every episode of every season of the best of HBO’s award-winning original programming,” which means you’ll be able to binge on Game of Thrones, Girls, True Detective, Veep and more. The service will also offer Hollywood movies after they air in the theaters, documentaries, sports and comedy specials. Oh yeah, and John Oliver’s Last Week Tonight will be part of the mix as well. All in all, HBO Now will have more than 2000 episodes of content at launch, according to Monday’s announcement. > > \*\*What you won’t be watching: \*\* > > Anything live. HBO Now is a pure on-demand service, and won’t carry a live feed of HBO’s cable programming. That also means you won’t be able to tune in live to any of HBO’s boxing games. [https://gigaom.com/2015/03/09/hbo-now-price-availability-devices-apple-exclusive/](https://gigaom.com/2015/03/09/hbo-now-price-availability-devices-apple-exclusive/) ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2015, 9:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/f-u-hbo-and-apple/714657/34 "2015-03-10T21:55:41Z")
Dumb ass ignorant pitting. HBO is only exclusive to Apple for 3 months. HBO does not have experience directly selling to customers but instead has always relied on cable companies for sales to customers. So they teamed up with Apple for a whole 3 months to gauge interest and get this new thing off the ground. Seriously lame pitting as the least bit of looking around would have explained this to you. ---
**Author:** ![Projammer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/projammer/32/559_2.png) [@Projammer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Projammer)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2015, 9:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/f-u-hbo-and-apple/714657/35 "2015-03-11T21:58:51Z")
I wonder if George R. R. Martin would be as good at planning an HBO/Apple board meeting as he is at weddings. ---
**Author:** ![Absolute](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b2d939/32.png) [@Absolute](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Absolute)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2015, 12:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/f-u-hbo-and-apple/714657/36 "2015-03-12T00:55:47Z")
Boo fucking hoo, you can’t get the latest TV programming the way you want, so outrageous. HBO paid for the show, HBO gets to decide how to sell it to you. You really want to say “Fuck you” to HBO and Apple? Don’t buy any of their shit, ever, and get off the fucking couch and go ride a bike or something. Otherwise, pay your money and line up with the rest of the cattle to digest your 55-minute telescreen presentation. ---
**Author:** ![Grrr](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grrr/32/146_2.png) [@Grrr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grrr)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2015, 1:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/f-u-hbo-and-apple/714657/37 "2015-03-12T01:00:24Z")
> [@Absolute](#): > > Boo fucking hoo, you can’t get the latest TV programming the way you want, so outrageous. HBO paid for the show, HBO gets to decide how to sell it to you. > > You really want to say “Fuck you” to HBO and Apple? Don’t buy any of their shit, ever, and get off the fucking couch and go ride a bike or something. > > Otherwise, pay your money and line up with the rest of the cattle to digest your 55-minute telescreen presentation. LOL. ---
**Author:** ![Spiderman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spiderman/32/230_2.png) [@Spiderman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spiderman)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2015, 1:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/f-u-hbo-and-apple/714657/38 "2015-03-13T01:40:14Z")
> [@Absolute](#): > > Boo fucking hoo, you can’t get the latest TV programming the way you want, so outrageous. HBO paid for the show, HBO gets to decide how to sell it to you. > > You really want to say “Fuck you” to HBO and Apple? Don’t buy any of their shit, ever, and get off the fucking couch and go ride a bike or something. > > Otherwise, pay your money and line up with the rest of the cattle to digest your 55-minute telescreen presentation. Who fucking pissed in your corn flakes? HBO says they’re coming out with a way to get their product w/o forking over an arm an a leg for a monthly cable bill, (seriously, can you get cable + HBO for less than $100?) only to make it a [del]tease[/del] flat out lie because you need to fork over an arm & a leg on a crapple product to get it. That’s bullshit fine print if ever there was bullshit fine print! Oh you want to see “Game of Thrones”? It’ll cost you hundreds of dollars over & above the $15/month that we quoted you. Waterboarding should only be a start for assholes who quote me a price I can’t actually get! Oh, BTW, I only ran 5 miles tonite; is it okay for me to sit on the couch now? ---
**Author:** ![Cheesesteak](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cheesesteak/32/3694_2.png) [@Cheesesteak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cheesesteak)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2015, 11:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/f-u-hbo-and-apple/714657/39 "2015-03-13T11:28:03Z")
> [@Spiderman](#): > > Oh you want to see “Game of Thrones”? It’ll cost you hundreds of dollars over & above the $15/month that we quoted you. Apple TVs are available for $69 including shipping. ---
**Author:** ![jsc1953](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/5daacb/32.png) [@jsc1953](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jsc1953)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2015, 4:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/f-u-hbo-and-apple/714657/40 "2015-03-13T16:09:01Z")
> [@CinnamonBabka](#): > > I’ll never understand why people get all butthurt over things like this. If you don’t like the manners in which HBO sells their content, don’t buy it. Here’s my story, and why I’m also annoyed: I have Roku. I also have DirecTV. I’m _this_ close to cutting the cord when my DirecTV contract expires next month. I’m a Game of Thrones fan. So the ideal scenario would have been that HBO NOW was Roku-friendly: I gladly give HBO my $14/month for the duration of GoT, cut the cord with DirecTV, and life is good. Now, my choices are to keep DirecTV and add-on HBO; buy HBO NOW and watch GoT sitting at my computer; or find an HBO GO account I can steal, so I can watch GoT on my nice big living room flat-screen. Or wait for the DVD to come out. I don’t like any of those choices. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/f-u-hbo-and-apple/714657.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/f-u-hbo-and-apple/714657.md?page=3)