Lost amid the hype over the rebranding of HBO Max to Max and a content launch that will include a revamp of the Harry Potter series, is the news that a big change is coming to accessing 4K content, and not it will fit in well with existing HBO Max Subscribers.
Launching in the US on May 23, Max is a partial combination of the HBO Max streaming service and Discovery content that includes three tiers:
Slip to move horizontally Price Maxlevelmax Ad-Litemax Ad FREEMAX Ultimate Ad Freeprecio € 9.99/MONTH O € 99.99/year € 15.99/month or € 149.99/year € 19.99/month or € 199.99/years Resolution 1080 PRESOLUTION 1080 PRESOLUTION 4K UHDSTRESOLUTION 5.15K .1 surround sound quality. 30 Surround Sound Quality Dolby Atmos Sound Quality Offline No Offline Downloads 100 Offline Downloads XNUMX Offline DownloadsAt the Max Ad-lite (some commercial breaks in content) and Max Ad Free (no ads) tiers, 4K content is not supported. Only Max Ultimate promises what Max's parent company, Warner Media, describes as "an expanded catalog" of 4K content that includes The Last of Us, Harry Potter, and Game of Thrones.
Warner Media has confirmed to TechRadar that starting May 23, new Max ad-free subscribers won't find any 4K content.
Additionally, existing HBO Max subscribers, like, yes, myself, after a six-month grace period on the new $15.99 ad-free Max tier, will also lose access to 4K content. Of course, they can upgrade to the ad-free Max Ultimate level for an additional €4 per month.
This is how Warner Media described the changes to me:
Now = HBO Max ad-free, some 4K
May 23 =
New subs: no ads, no 4K; Ultimate Ad Free - Extended 4K
Existing ad-free subscribers switching from HBO Max: 4K extended by at least six months; they can then choose to upgrade to Ultimate Ad-Free if they want to continue accessing Extended 4K
It's true that an extra $48 per year for high-quality visual content that matches the capabilities of the best 4K TV investment you've probably made in recent years may seem like a small price to pay. On the other hand, we are in the midst of a cost of living crisis where each increase in the monthly bill is like one more wound in the death of a thousand reductions.
While we're excited about the prospect of accessing more content through the partial integration of Discovery content and the promise of new shows like The Penguin, taking a feature away from dedicated subscribers seems wrong and unfair.
Even that six-month grace period seems like a bit, as it's only there to tease existing customers to $15.99 per month with what they could get if they paid a little more each month.
I've asked Warner Media to comment on how this news might upset some existing subscribers, but they haven't responded yet. Yes, the press releases and tiers speak for themselves, but I don't know how Warner Media and HBO can ignore the inevitable backlash from customers.
As for those who say we won't notice the difference, I'd say 1080p on a 4-inch 65K rig won't look as sharp, even upscaled, as native 4K. Most people probably only watch HBO Max in 4K because most top-tier content like Last of Us and Succession currently streams in 4K.
Obviously, on the scale of the problems, even the technical ones, it's a small concern. But when it comes to our wallets, small issues easily turn into monthly budget headaches.
Warner Media and Max still have time to adjust this. They could drop the ad-free tier with 4K and keep it off the ad-supported tier. It's a fair compromise of, as the great Logan Roy (opens in a new window) would say, serious people.