HBO Max is becoming more expensive, and this is why it is unjustified

HBO Max will change to Max next year. That new name probably comes with a higher price tag, but did this streaming service deserve it?

HBO Max more expensive? Solve these problems first

Things are about to change for one of the newest streaming services on the market: HBO Max. We are already hearing about a name change and probably a significant price increase.

This all has to do with the merger of the companies WarnerMedia and Discovery, Inc. The former owned HBO Max and the latter owned Discovery Plus. Next year, both services will become one in the Netherlands in the form of Max. Just simple Max.

Name change makes sense

This name change seems a bit strange, because the name HBO almost equates to quality. It’s the name behind classics like The Sopranos and The Wire and new hits like succession and The WhiteLotus. Every time big “HBO” comes on screen with that static noise, you can expect quality television for the next hour.

But Warner Bros. Discovery wants to appeal to a broader target group. Including lovers of reality TV, but also children. The little ones are an important target group for streaming services, but you don’t send your kids to HBO quickly. The brand is not only known for its high quality, but also for series that contain a lot of violence, sex and cursing.

By changing the service to Max, the streaming service should be attractive to everyone.

HBO Max more expensive

But with that change, HBO Max is also likely to get more expensive. That’s because you now not only have to pay for the HBO series and HBO Max Originals, but also for all those Discovery series that you may not be waiting for.

Prices for this service are quite high in the United States. The cheapest plan costs $10 a month and then you get to see commercials. Then there’s a more expensive plan of $16 a month with no ads, but only the ultimate plan of $20 a month gets you 4K resolution.

It is not yet known what the prices will be in the Netherlands and whether you will still receive your lifetime discount, but it is very likely that the service will become more expensive. Meanwhile, we are still facing the following problems.

Here are the problems

• Terrible subtitles: Many streaming services have errors in the subtitles, but with HBO Max it is very dramatic. It often seems as if the subtitles have been put through a translation machine, after which no one has looked at them.

• Not everything available immediately: HBO Max still fails to make everything from HBO available in the Netherlands immediately. That goes well with new episodes of large series, but for example on the making of The Last of Us we had to wait a week.

• Old series disappear: This is not a problem of HBO Max Netherlands specifically, but a big problem of HBO Max in general: a lot of older series are simply removed. Then you pay monthly to watch the HBO series, among other things Westworld removed and are even new HBO Max Originals like Minx and Generation away.

• Series played too fast: A problem that you may not notice at all is that a lot of series are played a bit faster on HBO Max. Series like Game of Thrones, The Leftovers and The Sopranos are played 4 percent faster than they should be. A minor irritation that really isn’t necessary.

There’s work to be done

There is of course nothing wrong with paying for a high-quality service, but then Max will have a lot of work to do. With a higher price, you can not only rely on those good HBO series, but your app and the offer must also be completely in order.

Fortunately, you can always go to one of the other streaming services on the market.

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