Lost in the hoopla for Renamed HBO Max to Max and a content rollout that includes a repeat of the Harry Potter Series is the news that there will be a significant change in accessing 4K content that existing HBO Max subscribers won’t like.
Max, which launches May 23 in the US, is a sub-combination of the HBO Max Streaming service and discovery content that includes three tiers:
| level | Max Ad Lite | Maximum ad-free | Max Ultimate ad-free |
| Price | $9.99/month or $99.99/year | $15.99/month or $149.99/year | $19.99/month or $199.99/year |
| resolution | 1080p resolution | 1080p resolution | 4K UHD resolution |
| streams | Two simultaneous streams | Two simultaneous streams | Four simultaneous streams |
| sound | 5.1 surround sound quality | 5.1 surround sound quality | Dolby Atmos sound quality |
| Offline | No offline downloads | 30 offline downloads | 100 offline downloads |
Max Ad-lite (some ad breaks in the content) and Max Ad Free (no ads) tiers do not support 4K content. Only Max Ultimate promises what Max parent company Warner Media describes as “an expanded catalog” of 4K content that includes The last of us, Harry PotterAnd game of Thrones.
Warner Media confirmed to TechRadar that starting May 23, new ad-free Max subscribers won’t find 4K content.
Additionally, existing HBO Max subscribers, like, yes, myself, will also lose access to 4K content after a six-month grace period at the new $15.99 Max Ad-Free tier. You can of course upgrade to the ad-free Max Ultimate tier for an additional $4 per month.
This is how Warner Media described the changes to me:
Current ad-free HBO Max subscribers will have access to 4K content for at least six months after transitioning to Max. After that, they can switch to the ultimate ad-free tier if they prefer a more premium viewing experience.
New subscribers can choose between three pricing options, depending on which plan best fits their household needs. The Ultimate Ad-Free tier exclusively offers an expanded collection of 4K content, in addition to Dolby Atmos sound quality, 4 simultaneous streams and up to 100 offline downloads.
To be clear, the difference between existing ad-free HBO Max subscribers and new ad-free Max subscribers is that new customers don’t get 4K. The existing ones will keep the 4K content for another six months and then it’s gone. If they want it back, they can pay for the Ultimate tier.
Granted, an additional $48 per year for quality visual content that matches the capabilities of the best 4k tv Investments you’ve probably made over the past few years may seem like a small price to pay. On the other hand, we’re in the midst of a livelihood crisis, where each monthly bill increase is like another dash in the death of a thousand cuts.
While we’re excited at the prospect of accessing even more content thanks to the partial integration of Discovery content and the promise of new shows like The Penguinit seems wrong and unfair to take a feature away from loyal subscribers.
Even that six-month grace period feels like a small thing since it’s only there to tease existing $15.99-a-month customers with whatever they want could if they had only paid a little more every month.
I have reached out to Warner Media for comment on how this news may upset some existing subscribers, but they have yet to respond. Yes, the press releases and tiers speak for themselves, but I’m not sure 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 argue that 1080p on a 65-inch 4K device isn’t going to look anywhere near as sharp – even with upscaling – as native 4K. Most people probably only watch HBO Max in 4K because most of the premium content, such as last of us And successoris currently streaming in 4K.
Obviously given the scale of the problems, even the technical problems, this is a small problem. But when it comes to our wallets, small problems easily turn into monthly budget problems.
Warner Media and Max still have time to adjust this. They could leave the ad-free stage with 4K and keep them away from the ad-supported stage. That turns out to be a fair compromise, as that’s great Logan Roy (opens in new tab) could say serious people.
Update 4/13/2023: This post has been updated to clarify Warner Media’s explanation of its new Max plans.
