Here’s our first look at HBO Max − one of the most expensive streaming services
AT&T and Warner Media investors were treated to a glimpse of HBO Max this week.
It looks very different to HBO Now, the existing HBO streaming platform. It’s pretty sleek but not a million miles away from the interfaces we’ve seen on other platforms, so the images won’t surprise you.
The video, in the tweet below, shows off a lot of the content coming to HBO Max, as well as the user interface in action.
Related: Apple TV Plus vs Netflix
No more searching. The most beloved TV, movies, and family favorites, plus new originals, all on #HBOMax pic.twitter.com/7ZKfi0mWLj
— HBO Max (@hbomax) October 29, 2019
What will differentiate them from Netflix and Amazon Prime Video then? HBO argues that its push towards human curation will improve the user experience on HBO Max and give it a leg up on algorithm-curated competitors.
On HBO Max, movie stars and celebrities have pages of their own recommendations, so you can find films recommended by your idols. This is all wrapped up in the imaginatively named ‘Recommended by Humans’ feature.
Another HBO Max feature sees users answer ‘Who is watching?’ when they log in. This will help to tailor recommendations later.
Related: Is HBO Max coming to the UK?
Image credit: HBO Max
This seems to be a reaction to user experiences on Netflix. When account-sharing, many people have found that their recommendations feature is essentially rendered useless if their account-sharing friend doesn’t watch similar shows.
The platform is set for launch in May 2020, with over 10,000 hours of content available from day one. It will cost $14.99 a month though, making it one of the most expensive streaming services going.
However, there are some amazing titles lined up. One strong draw for the HBO platform will, of course, be Game of Thrones and related content, like the spin-off series House of the Dragon.
#HouseOfTheDragon, a #GameofThrones prequel is coming to @HBO.
The series is co-created by @GRRMSpeaking and Ryan Condal. Miguel Sapochnik will partner with Condal as showrunner and will direct the pilot and additional episodes. Condal will be writing the series. pic.twitter.com/9ttMzElgXm
— Game of Thrones (@GameOfThrones) October 29, 2019
There’s all this to get excited about too…
In the first year, we'll bring together beloved franchises and some new installments from @wbhomeent and more:
✅The Lord of the Rings
✅The Matrix
✅ The Conjuring
✅The LEGO Movies
✅Gremlins— HBO Max (@hbomax) October 29, 2019
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Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.