HBO Max has become one of the top streaming service providers today along with Netflix, Disney Plus, and Amazon Prime Video. Its user-base has gone leaps and bounds since its launch in May 2020. Many users have had to make the switch mainly because of the promising line-up of exciting content HBO Max has to offer.
For instance, you can only watch Friends on HBO Max not to mention the slew of popular titles Warner Bros is throwing into the platform the same day with their theatrical release in 2021. It began with the release of Wonder Woman 1984 a few days ago.
On top of its own content, HBO Max also has the regular catalog of HBO. But, what is the difference between HBO and HBO Max then? Learn from our comparison below.
HBO vs HBO Max Streaming Platform: What’s the Difference
Before anything else, let’s just get it straight that HBO NOW has been rebranded as simply HBO. While HBO GO is merged into HBO Max. Thus, there’s only two existing streaming service from WarnerMedia right now.
What is HBO
HBO, formerly HBO NOW, is a streaming service that is included free with your paid HBO subscription through a TV provider.
What is HBO Max
HBO Max a streaming platform from WarnerMedia that bundles all of HBO together with a collection of classic TV favorites, blockbuster movies, as well as new Max Originals. The 10-year old HBO Go streaming service was also merged into HBO Max recently.
What Can you Stream?
One of the most noticeable differences between the two streaming services from WarnerMedia is the content catalog available for streaming.
HBO
Stream all of your HBO favorite series, plus hit movies, specials, and more.
HBO MAX
Stream all of your HBO favorites plus the premium collection of classic TV hits, more blockbuster movies, and new Max Originals films and series.
Supported Devices
HBO and HBO Max also differ in the list of supported platforms and devices. HBO Max is available in a lot of smart TVs, streamers, mobile devices, and computers while HBO is available only in HBONOW.com and the HBO app on Chromebooks, PC, and Mac computers.
HBO
- HBONOW.com
- Chromebooks
- Windows 10 PC
- Mac Computers
HBO Max
- Amazon Fire TV devices
- Amazon Fire tablets (4th gen and later)
- Android phones and tablets (with Android OS 5+)
- Android TV (including most Sony Android TVs—2015 models and later, the AT&T Streaming TV box, and the TiVo Stream 4K)
- Apple TV (4th gen and later)
- Chromebooks
- Chromecast
- iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch (with iOS 12.2+)
- PC and Mac computers
- PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5
- Roku streaming devices (with Roku OS 9.3+)
- Samsung Smart TV (2016 models and later)
- Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S
- Xfinity X1 and Flex
Were you enlightened as to the key differences between the HBO and HBO Max streaming service? Which Max Originals did you watch lately? Have you been bingeing on classic TV hits on HBO recently?