# HBO Max launch thread
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hbo-max-launch-thread/854571
**Category:** Cafe Society
**Tags:** hbomax-wb-dc
**Created:** [May 27, 2020, 11:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hbo-max-launch-thread/854571 "2020-05-27T23:42:05Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@CastletonSnob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CastletonSnob)
#### Post date: [May 27, 2020, 11:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hbo-max-launch-thread/854571/1 "2020-05-27T23:42:05Z")
HBO Max launched today.
Here’s a look at everything that’s available right now: [HBO Max](https://play.hbomax.com/page/urn:hbo:page:home?reentered=true&userProfileType=liteUserProfile)
I spent all day watching shows on HBO Max. While I’m disappointed by the lack of old Cartoon Network shows, there’s still MORE than enough content to keep me happy.
Just a heads-up, HBO Max is not available on Roku or FireStick at the moment, and does not support 4K or HDR.
Did you get HBO Max today? Are you interested?
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### Author:  [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)
#### Post date: [May 28, 2020, 12:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hbo-max-launch-thread/854571/2 "2020-05-28T00:24:05Z")
Is it different than the HBO that I added to Amazon Prime?
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### Author:  [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)
#### Post date: [May 28, 2020, 1:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hbo-max-launch-thread/854571/3 "2020-05-28T01:50:20Z")
From what [The New York Times says](https://www.nytimes.com/article/hbo-max-amazon-roku.html), if you bought HBO through Amazon Channels, you do not get access to HBO Max. You might want to cancel and subscribe to HBO Max separately.
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### Author:  [@Dag\_Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dag_Otto)
#### Post date: [May 28, 2020, 2:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hbo-max-launch-thread/854571/4 "2020-05-28T02:19:04Z")
As a Roku user and an unwilling AT&T customer (I have DirecTV) I have no doubt that AT&T will fuck this up. They have no idea what they are doing.
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### Author:  [@madsircool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madsircool)
#### Post date: [May 28, 2020, 2:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hbo-max-launch-thread/854571/5 "2020-05-28T02:47:01Z")
This is awesome. It has such a huge variety of movies and series. Watched a doc on andre the giant which was quite moving and better than I expected. Watched another on mel Brooks which was a little disappointing and self indulgent. One film I was shocked to see was the 80s Central american classic El Norte.
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### Author:  [@Quimby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quimby)
#### Post date: [May 28, 2020, 12:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hbo-max-launch-thread/854571/6 "2020-05-28T12:23:54Z")
I found out I have access to this because I have HBO through Hulu but then found out it’s not available on Roku because of a pissing contest over rights which makes it exactly useless to me.
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### Author:  [@iiandyiiii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iiandyiiii)
#### Post date: [May 28, 2020, 2:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hbo-max-launch-thread/854571/7 "2020-05-28T14:03:53Z")
So far the app hasn’t been working for me, even though AT&T tells me I have access. Gets stuck at the loading page.
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### Author:  [@OttoDaFe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OttoDaFe)
#### Post date: [May 28, 2020, 2:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hbo-max-launch-thread/854571/8 "2020-05-28T14:08:42Z")
I tried a couple of things last night but “stuttering” (for want of a better word) made them unwatchable. May be something to do with my wifi, though the computer has had no problem with YouTube, Netflix &.
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### Author:  [@madsircool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madsircool)
#### Post date: [May 28, 2020, 2:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hbo-max-launch-thread/854571/9 "2020-05-28T14:10:10Z")
> [@OttoDaFe](#):
>
> I tried a couple of things last night but “stuttering” (for want of a better word) made them unwatchable. May be something to do with my wifi, though the computer has had no problem with YouTube, Netflix &.
Probably the servers are overloaded with so many wanting to watch at launch.
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### Author:  [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)
#### Post date: [May 28, 2020, 2:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hbo-max-launch-thread/854571/10 "2020-05-28T14:13:58Z")
HBO thought that they’d be able to handle the load because they were able to handle the load when millions streamed the final episode of Game of Thrones. But perhaps they need to scale up their servers.
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### Author:  [@filmore](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/filmore)
#### Post date: [May 28, 2020, 2:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hbo-max-launch-thread/854571/11 "2020-05-28T14:30:20Z")
I see they have TCM and Studio Ghibli. I might join just for those. Is there any other way to stream Studio Ghibli movies in the US?
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### Author:  [@Drum\_God](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Drum_God)
#### Post date: [May 28, 2020, 2:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hbo-max-launch-thread/854571/12 "2020-05-28T14:49:51Z")
> [@Dewey\_Finn](#):
>
> From what [The New York Times says](https://www.nytimes.com/article/hbo-max-amazon-roku.html), if you bought HBO through Amazon Channels, you do not get access to HBO Max. You might want to cancel and subscribe to HBO Max separately.
That’s what I did. I came out three bucks a month cheaper, too.
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### Author:  [@NAF1138](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NAF1138)
#### Post date: [May 28, 2020, 2:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hbo-max-launch-thread/854571/13 "2020-05-28T14:50:13Z")
So, am I dumb or is it only possible to watch HBO max on a laptop or cell phone? I can’t get my Roku or FireTv to find an app. I’m willing to believe I’m dumb though.
Also, I was already an HBO subscriber through Comcast. We were told we had to pay for Max so we subscribed early on their free trial, which is ended up costing $12. (not that I don’t have $12, but it’s also not free). We are now being told that Comcast customers get HBO max free… Eventually. When is unclear as it’s also not actually available on Comcast yet.
The whole rollout feels like a cluster fuck to me.
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### Author:  [@madsircool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madsircool)
#### Post date: [May 28, 2020, 2:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hbo-max-launch-thread/854571/14 "2020-05-28T14:56:18Z")
> [@NAF1138](#):
>
> So, am I dumb or is it only possible to watch HBO max on a laptop or cell phone? I can’t get my Roku or FireTv to find an app. I’m willing to believe I’m dumb though.
>
> Also, I was already an HBO subscriber through Comcast. We were told we had to pay for Max so we subscribed early on their free trial, which is ended up costing $12. (not that I don’t have $12, but it’s also not free). We are now being told that Comcast customers get HBO max free… Eventually. When is unclear as it’s also not actually available on Comcast yet.
>
> The whole rollout feels like a cluster fuck to me.
> **[HBO Max: Movies Streaming Now and Everything Else to Know](https://www.cnet.com/tech/services-and-software/hbo-max-movies-shows-premieres-watch-free/)**
>
> Top movies on HBO Max now include The Batman -- here's the biggest movies available to stream and all your other questions answered.
> [@](#):
>
> On top of that, HBO Max isn’t available on some of the most important devices either. Neither Roku nor Amazon Fire TV have HBO Max apps
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### Author:  [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)
#### Post date: [May 28, 2020, 2:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hbo-max-launch-thread/854571/15 "2020-05-28T14:58:00Z")
No, it’s not available via Amazon Fire or Roku devices but is via other devices, as shown [here](https://help.hbomax.com/Answer/Detail/20). And I’m an HBO subscriber through Comcast, so I tried last night and was able to get to it for free via my PC.
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### Author:  [@NAF1138](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NAF1138)
#### Post date: [May 28, 2020, 4:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hbo-max-launch-thread/854571/16 "2020-05-28T16:58:14Z")
> [@Dewey\_Finn](#):
>
> No, it’s not available via Amazon Fire or Roku devices but is via other devices, as shown [here](https://help.hbomax.com/Answer/Detail/20). And I’m an HBO subscriber through Comcast, so I tried last night and was able to get to it for free via my PC.
Via PC though.
Its not 2011 anymore. I don’t want to watch on my PC or phone. I can’t even cast from my phone to my TV.
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### Author:  [@Wheelz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wheelz)
#### Post date: [May 28, 2020, 5:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hbo-max-launch-thread/854571/17 "2020-05-28T17:19:15Z")
> [@Dewey\_Finn](#):
>
> No, it’s not available via Amazon Fire or Roku devices but is via other devices, as shown [here](https://help.hbomax.com/Answer/Detail/20). And I’m an HBO subscriber through Comcast, so I tried last night and was able to get to it for free via my PC.
I also have HBO via Comcast. I just successfully logged on and started streaming on my laptop, no extra charge. I then went to my TV to check it out. After a bit of searching, I found an icon that reads “HBO Max coming soon to X1! In the meantime, you can stream on your smart phone or other device.”
So yes, you get it with your HBO, but no, you can’t watch it on your TV just yet.
(If you have Comcast/Xfinity. I can’t speak for other providers.)
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### Author:  [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)
#### Post date: [May 28, 2020, 5:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hbo-max-launch-thread/854571/18 "2020-05-28T17:20:26Z")
> [@NAF1138](#):
>
> Via PC though.
>
> Its not 2011 anymore. I don’t want to watch on my PC or phone. I can’t even cast from my phone to my TV.
Can you connect a laptop to the TV via HDMI? That would be my solution until the Firestick comes online.
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### Author:  [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)
#### Post date: [May 28, 2020, 5:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hbo-max-launch-thread/854571/19 "2020-05-28T17:24:40Z")
> [@NAF1138](#):
>
> Its not 2011 anymore. I don’t want to watch on my PC or phone. I can’t even cast from my phone to my TV.
From what I understand, kids today watch everything on their phones. So for them, his isn’t a problem.
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### Author:  [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)
#### Post date: [May 28, 2020, 5:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hbo-max-launch-thread/854571/20 "2020-05-28T17:40:41Z")
I’m trying to figure out what HBO Max has that regular HBO does not have. I don’t expect anyone to do my homework for me but if anyone knows off the top of their head, I’d appreciate it if you’d let me know.
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