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Streaming TV services may be struggling with attention as well as subscription costs

Streaming TV services | Apple TV apps shown on modern flatscreen

A report yesterday revealed that a set of popular streaming TV services can now cost more than traditional cable TV packages.

It pointed out that subscription costs have risen dramatically, which creates an obvious risk of people cutting back on the number of services. But I think there’s a second issue, too, and that’s the competition for attention …

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Streaming TV costs now higher than cable, as ‘crash’ finally hits

Streaming TV costs | Old-fashioned TVs with streaming company logos

Streaming TV costs are now higher than cable packages, says a new analysis. It follows warnings that a “crash” was on the way – a day that has now arrived.

The report says that after price rises by Apple TV+, HBO Max, Disney, Hulu, and others, the total cost of a basket of popular streaming TV services has now hit $87 per month …

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‘Don’t Call It HBO’ Max video service launching next month

What do you get when you mix HBO Max and parts of Discovery+? Max. That’s the name of the new streaming video service from Warner Bros. Discovery launching next month. The totally original, utterly distinctive, completely creative name has been rumored since December. The marketing department either couldn’t conjure a better name or, more likely, couldn’t convince their bosses that something including HBO, you know, signaled that this is the HBO stuff.

The top brass at the merged media companies certainly aren’t married to the HBO brand, despite those three letters being synonymous with prestige television. The Apple TV+ approach of having fewer shows with a higher value (than, say, Netflix) is regularly described as the HBO strategy. (Apple also inked an exclusive deal with the HBO guy.) It could be that the Discovery brand is just boring or too closely associated with reality shows and ex-HGTV talent, and the bros from WBD are showing max hubris.

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HBO Max for Apple TV rebuilt with new features, stability improvements, more

HBO Max Apple TV

A new version of the HBO Max application is now rolling out to Apple TV users, and it promises some major improvements. As reported by Variety, this update will roll out over the next two weeks. WarnerMedia says that the app has been “rebuilt on its next-generation platform,” promising improved stability, new features, and faster performance.

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Latest HBO Max glitch means you can’t watch on iPhone or iPad with AirPods [U]

Update: The latest version of the HBO Max app on the App Store fixes this issue.

You may remember that earlier this year, HBO rolled out a new HBO Max application for Apple TV that abandoned the native tvOS video player in favor of a custom solution. After backlash, HBO reverted to the native tvOS player a few weeks later. Now, the HBO Max application for iPhone and iPad is facing criticism because of a bizarre bug affecting video playback when connected to AirPods.

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HBO Max follows Apple TV+ strategy, offers free episodes of its best TV shows for non-subscribers

More than one year since HBO launched HBO Max, it’s now following an Apple TV+ strategy. The streaming service will start to offer free episodes of its best TV shows for non-subscribers. According to a blog post by WarnerMedia, starting now, “potential new subscribers in the US” are offered “the opportunity to watch select episodes of some of the platform’s most popular programming in-app before they sign up.”

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HBO officially shuts down its Apple TV Channel, cutting off HBO Max access for some users [U: Promo from Apple]

When WarnerMedia launched its new expanded streaming service, HBO Max, earlier this year, HBO simultaneously stopped participating in Apple TV Channels. This meant that new subscribers could not sign up for HBO through Apple TV Channels, but existing subscribers could continue to access their subscriptions.

HBO appears to have flipped a switch today, however, that completely shuts off access to HBO via Apple TV Channels, including the ability to sign in using your Apple TV Channels subscription information.

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Latest HBO Max app update for tvOS breaks multiple key features on Apple TV

HBO Max shuffle

Following the HBO Max launch, HBO has decided to leave Apple TV Channels — which let users subscribe to and watch HBO content directly in the Apple TV app. Unfortunately, it seems that the experience with its own app has been disappointing users, as a recent report notes that the latest version of the HBO Max app for tvOS “breaks several key features.”

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