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Television Movies

HBO Max To Be Renamed 'Max' With Addition of Discovery+ Content, Launch Date and Pricing Revealed (variety.com) 68

Posted by msmash from the musical-chair dept.
It's not HBO Max -- soon it's just going to be Max. From a report: Warner Bros. Discovery officially announced Max as the new name of its flagship streamer, lopping off the HBO part of the name as it mixes in a big bucket of new content from Discovery+ and other new original series. The company announced the name change at a press event Wednesday, where it also revealed a slate of upcoming projects. The rebuilt Max (on the web at max.com) is set to launch first in the U.S. on May 23, featuring what the company promises will be an average of more than 40 new titles and TV show seasons every month. "Max is the one to watch," WBD CEO David Zaslav said on stage at the event, featuring thousands of shows and movies on the service for every member of the household.

According to the service's website, Max will be available in three different versions. The first two plans align with the existing HBO Max pricing, and WBD said current HBO Max customers will not see their pricing change (for now) when the new service debuts. The third tier, "Max Ultimate," expands to up to four streams and includes 4K content. The trio of options are:
Max Ad-Lite ($9.99/month or $99.99/year): Two concurrent streams, 1080p HD resolution, no offline downloads, 5.1 surround sound quality
Max Ad Free ($15.99/month or $149.99/year): Two concurrent streams, 1080p HD, up to 30 offline downloads, 5.1 surround sound quality
Max Ultimate Ad Free ($19.99/month or $199.99/year): Four concurrent streams, up to 4K Ultra HD resolution, 100 offline downloads, Dolby Atmos sound quality
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HBO Max To Be Renamed 'Max' With Addition of Discovery+ Content, Launch Date and Pricing Revealed More

HBO Max To Be Renamed 'Max' With Addition of Discovery+ Content, Launch Date and Pricing Revealed

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  • too many options, lose two.

    • Where is the real option?

      MAX Resonable ($5.99/month): Add free, 4 consecutive streams, 1080p HD, 5.1 surround sound

    • up to 4K Ultra HD resolution, Dolby Atmos sound quality

      I bet the ISPs are celebrating this announcement.

      • I have Fios, which is 5gig up and down. In America. Boonies SoCal. Many do. My backup Coax is 1gig down 50m up. Took a lot to get it around the house but it was fun. 10gig CAT6A everywhere, a bitchen UniFi setup with a USG-X8 router and a 10Gig core switch. Works wonders for remote play on Play Station, and I also backup my cloud content to a local server. This wont even stress is (unless Frontier isnt well peered).
        • Do you actually use it? My ISP offers 10Gig service and while i'm really really tempted, it seems like a lot of work to get the cabling and network gear up to spec. I feel like we're fairly data hungry, but i doubt we top 2 or 3 TB/month
          • Yes I RSYNC a server from my office home. It is my oh shit box. I put 12x16TB hdds on it with ZFS. Itâ(TM)s awesome. Also, I play a lot of online games and I have a few TVs around the house. I would say my usage is close to ~7TB/mo. I dont use it all the time every day, but when I want to upload a VM to my cloud system, or download a windows installer, it is fast. Worth it to me. The networking was a PITA but I was doing a remodel and has a lot of walls open, so I ran cable everywhere. I have a rack do
          • I would say it also helps having multiple people using it. Household of 5 who also play games (and the endless march of updates), stream movies, youtube, or twitch, FaceTime with friends, zoom, Teams meetings, ⦠all adds up. The speed more ensures people do not step on one anothers toes.
    • I'm surprised when coming up with the new name, they went with "Max"...rather than the MUCH more recognizable HBO part of the name.

  • what happens to cinemax and hbo (tv feeds)?

    and if you get HBO MAX with HBO do you get the full TOP version?

    • Re: (Score:3)

      by fermion ( 181285 )
      Clearly movies on TV is a thing on past and you get better skin on Tik Tok

    • Yeah, I'm curious about this as well.
      We've had HBO Max on our Cable TV as a bundle for quite some time now.

    • wtf is a TOP version? With MAX you get the streaming service, no live tv, but shows are available to stream at the same time.

  • Max is too generic a name. Quite forgetable, and lacks media gravitas/Heritage

    OTOH, the plans seem to have reasonable prices, at least compared to Netfilx's similar plans, Sadly, TFS does not say anything about HDR (or lack of it) in each tier...

    • Max is too generic a name. Quite forgetable, and lacks media gravitas/Heritage

      That's what I thought at first too, but on the other hand HBO isn't a brand that says, "Wow, I want that" it's more like a brand that says, "Is anything else on?" Although they did come out with good shows occasionally.

      • Re: (Score:1)

        by haralds ( 49530 )

        You don't fix that by slapping on a new label. You fix the programming.

        • You don't fix that by slapping on a new label. You fix the programming.

          How sweet.

        • You don't fix that by slapping on a new label. You fix the programming.

          I can see that you could objet to Discovery's library, after all, is becoming more and more unscripted pseudo reality each passing day, but...

          What is wrong with Warner Brother's film Library?
          You do not like the matrix? Batman? Harry Potter? Lord of the Rings?...

          Or DC comics Library?
          You do not like PEacemaker? HArley Quinn animated? Batman TAS? ...

          Or Warner Brother Television's Library?
          Do not like Frinds? The Winchesters? Rick and morty?...

          Or HBO's Library?
          Do not like the time travellers'wife? game of throne

          • I suspect the GP was objecting to the project cancellation spree HBO Max went on several months back. They used to feel like a premium brand... now they're just another generic streaming service, offering stuff after its run in the theaters is done.

            Their pricing doesn't really make sense in the current context.

      • That's what I thought at first too, but on the other hand HBO isn't a brand that says, "Wow, I want that" it's more like a brand that says, "Is anything else on?" Although they did come out with good shows occasionally.

        This point exactly.

        HBO does not produce enough blockbuster shows to merit an entire streaming service. I don't understand what is propping it up.

        As it is I only heard of culturally significant shows every few years, Sopranos, Game of Thrones, perhaps House of the Dragon. Perhaps the first two seasons of Westworld?

        • This point exactly.

          HBO does not produce enough blockbuster shows to merit an entire streaming service. I don't understand what is propping it up.

          HBO is a small limb of the Jugernaut that is Warner Brothers. They used the HBO name on the streaming service because it was one of their "premium brands". What was/is propping up the HBO streaming service is all the other content that was produced by all the other parts of Warner*. And now add to that "whatevur" fluff/filler that Discovery can bring to the catalogue.

          Similar to CBS all Access Renaming itself to Paramount+ to gain gravitas/heritage. What was propping CBS all access was not the content of CB

      • on the other hand HBO isn't a brand that says, "Wow, I want that"

        I would argue it is though (mostly)

        HBO had Game of Thrones, more recently it had House of the Dragon, and also Last of Us.

        Especially right now, the HBO name is I would even wager to say, "hot" because of those two.

        It seems pretty insane to throw away that brand for a name as (someone else said this) as forgettable as Max, and furthermore HBO is higher in the alphabet...

        Just all around makes no sense.

        • Of course you can't watch WestWorld. It's gone. Same with Bat Woman. Back catalog means nothing if you can't stream it

          • Of course you can't watch WestWorld. It's gone. Same with Bat Woman

            Yeah it's unfortunate they just get rid of stuff like that, should be around forever for streaming... however given how the last season of Westworld was, maybe for the better overall... though I still feel sad for someone not being able to watch the first two seasons.

      • Re: (Score:2)

        by AmiMoJo ( 196126 )

        Most of their good shows have been cancelled. Doom Patrol, Pennyworth, Westworld, Batgirl... I was even enjoying Titans.

      • Max is too generic a name. Quite forgetable, and lacks media gravitas/Heritage

        That's what I thought at first too, but on the other hand HBO isn't a brand that says, "Wow, I want that" it's more like a brand that says, "Is anything else on?" Although they did come out with good shows occasionally.

        Actually, HBO is a Brand that has media gravitas and heritage, although it has declined over the years, and their content was/is not everybody's cup of tea.

        Nonetheless, an important part of the content of "Max", (and the bulk of it's QUALITY content) comes from Warner Brothers... and Warner owns many a brand that could be slaped on the streaming service's name...

        Just like what CBS/Viacom did with Paramount+, they ditched "CBS All access" and did not go for some silly name like "MTv Plus Ultra" or "Comedy Ce

        • Actually, HBO is a Brand that has media gravitas and heritage

          It has heritage, and it has name brand recognition, but it doesn't have gravitas.

      • "That's what I thought at first too, but on the other hand HBO isn't a brand that says, "Wow, I want that" it's more like a brand that says, "Is anything else on?" Although they did come out with good shows occasionally."

          A long cry from the days when people risked life and limb to climb up telephone poles to tamper with cable equipment to get "Free HBO!"

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by Sebby ( 238625 )

      Max is too generic a name.

      and the name change is completely pointless - everyone will still refer to it as 'HBO', just like everyone still says Facebook/Google instead of Meta[stasize]/Alphabet (I have yet to hear anyone say "I work at Meta[stasize]/Alphabet")

      • Counter anecdote: Since the Facebook name change/PR dodge/whatever I have met exactly one employee, and they did introduce themself as an "engineer at Meta".

        It took me several long seconds searching memory for any notable or small hardware startups in the area with that name. Then I realized they meant Facebook and I was talking to an occulus hardware teammember.

        • Re: (Score:2)

          by Sebby ( 238625 )

          That's interesting - and it, to some degree, proves my point: while they introduced themselves as "working at [new name]", everyone else still thinks of it by the "old" name (yourself included, since it took some time for you to realize they were referring to their employer by its new name).

    • They'll probably only do HDR with the 4k streams, as that's how 99% of these services do.

  • can you trademark the word max?

    • HBO was a big thing in the 80s so "MAX" is very fitting.

        But calling it just "MAX", dunno about that one. Sounds very close to "PAX" which many people go "eww" upon hearing.

      (It was called ION television, last I've heard, and it's not so much the Ned Flanders version of NBC these days.)

  • Will just be "+"

    • ILet's go all the way and call it " ". Not sure how that would go.

      "See a lion rip a gazelle to shreds on (no audio)!"

      "How did a cruise ship go out of control and wipe out an entire port town? Find out on BLANKITY-BLANK!"

  • This endeavor tanks and they just license it to Netflix?

  • Time to Audit My Bills (Score:4, Interesting)

    by El Fantasmo ( 1057616 ) on Wednesday April 12, 2023 @02:13PM (#63444754)

    If I have to pay more than I do now simply to avoid adds, I will simply avoid their service. So much of what HBO Max offers is produced in-house (Warner Bros., DC Comics, Discovery etc), that I'm directly paying them to deliver content they created, not ads.

    I nearly replaced my Shield Android TV devices when they turned into add platforms, but it's hardware and I mitigated some of the obtrusiveness.

    I may as well go back to cable TV if this continues across the industry.

    • Yep, already thinking I'm going to be canceling my HBO service. Not worth it if I have to pay a bunch more money to have ad-free of what I'm already paying for today for less money and no ads. I don't need to the Discovery junk, so why should I have to pay more money? If this tread continues, I'm just going to stop watching TV altogether. Maybe this is a great opportunity to going back to reading books for entertainment? And I have 4 kids. Maybe this is an opportunity to get them to read more as well.

  • Congradulations Executives! (Score:5, Insightful)

    by zenlessyank ( 748553 ) on Wednesday April 12, 2023 @02:15PM (#63444772)

    You have successfully killed off your own revenue stream.

    Thanks for the memories.

    • I don't know if this will kill it, but I can't understand why they would bundle their precious HBO brand with all of this other crap. I guess this is just the transition period though, and eventually they will be squeezing the HBO portion harder. Long-term plan will be to get people to pay more for a package with a bunch of stuff we don't care about. Cable is dead, hail to the new cable!

  • iPad App? (Score:5, Funny)

    by bill_mcgonigle ( 4333 ) * on Wednesday April 12, 2023 @02:22PM (#63444800) Homepage Journal

    Will there be a Max iPad app?

    Just curious.

  • 40 new seasons PER MONTH? (Score:3)

    by nightflameauto ( 6607976 ) on Wednesday April 12, 2023 @02:23PM (#63444802)

    They're promising 40 new titles / seasons debuting EACH MONTH? How many of them will be anything worth watching? I have to think maybe two titles a year, at most, might be above "fog a mirror" intelligence levels. Throwing all the reality / home improvement garbage on Discovery into my current plan isn't a selling point.

    At least current subscribers have the inevitable losing of all their current watchlists to look forward to when the new name rolls out and they "update" the app. Again. And probably again in six months when they realize that name is absolute garbage.

  • Attention Streaming Services (Score:3)

    by Cpt_Kirks ( 37296 ) on Wednesday April 12, 2023 @03:30PM (#63445028)

    I can watch FREE services with ads if I want.

    I AM NOT paying to watch ads.

    NEVER AGAIN.

    This ain't cable, brah.

    • Anything that is actually worth watching can be watched for free, no ads, legally, by checking it out from your local library.

      All it takes is an ounce of patience if they need to ship it in from another library in their network.

      Do you have an ounce of patience?
       

      • Anything that is actually worth watching can be watched for free, no ads, legally, by checking it out from your local library.

        All it takes is an ounce of patience if they need to ship it in from another library in their network.

        Do you have an ounce of patience?

        No, but I do have a mouse.

        And an eyepatch.

  • Skinemax: Nickname for the premium cable channel Cinemax due to it's penchant for showing soft-core porn at night. "Skinemax is a lot cheaper than going to the strip club." https://www.urbandictionary.co... [urbandictionary.com]

  • Nope (Score:4, Informative)

    by vixel ( 10352474 ) on Wednesday April 12, 2023 @04:23PM (#63445168)
    *Straightens eye patch* This pricing is ridiculous.
  • The service is now called Max.

    Can we please, for the love of god, get skinemax back? We all have access to porn on the net but there is something comforting about good ole skinemax

  • You have two highly recognizable brands, one actually known for creating content people want.

    Step one, remove a lot of content people want.
    Step two, add content people don't want.
    Step three, rename to something with no brand recognition.

    Step four, write PhD study about how to destroy a product?

  • they IPO'd. Then I saw all the stupid shit their CEO (the one from Discovery took over) wanted to do and I didn't - among other things. Now I'm even more glad I didn't.

    HBO has been around for decades. If you wanted to drop part of the name it should have been the MAX. What a fucking moron. Limited streams? Costs more than Netflix? Good fucking luck.

  • At least now you can put "HBO" in your Google search and narrow down the results. In contrast, adding the term "max" to your search is going to be pretty useless.

  • Screw you guys. $20/month for 4k because you're adding shit I'm not interested in?
  • What does HBO Max / Max that I want ? What newer content does it have that I can't stream from somewhere else on the internet w/o ads for free ? I am not into watching old stuff while there is new stuff to watch...life is getting too short to waste my time, 66 years old.

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