Read a New User’s First Impressions About the HBO Streamer Max
Take a deep-dive into the multifaceted streaming service from Max and see what types of content you can watch, learn about its user interface and more.
It may be a bit more confusing since Max dropped the “HBO” from its name last year, but the streamer still has a reputation for delivering high-quality content like prestige TV. But does it live up to that reputation? I subscribed to Max for the first time to see what I thought about the streamer, its content library, and its interface in order to share those thoughts with prospective subscribers.
What Do You Need to Know About Max Before Subscribing?
No Free Trial
I’m choosing to interpret Max’s failure to offer new customers a free trial of any length as a sign of its confidence that once users are signed up, the value of its library will speak for itself. Customers who are looking to get a little extra from Max should look into the bundle of Disney+, Hulu, and Max that first became available earlier this year; customers can sign up to all three services starting at $17 per month.
Varied Content Selection
One of the biggest plusses about a Max subscription is that the streamer leverages content from across the Warner Bros. Discovery spectrum. The streamer houses a substantial array of content from WBD cable channels, such as Cartoon Network, Food Network, HGTV, Magnolia Network, TLC and others.
Max also carries live sports from TNT, TBS, and truTV in its Bleacher Report Sports Add-On, as well as news content from CNN via the CNN Max hub. It’s an impressive display of the amount of content WBD has to its name, and it’s convenient that all of this content can be found in a single place.
Expansive, But Simple User Interface
One thing I noticed when taking my first stroll through the Max UI was how far I could keep scrolling if I wanted to. Max has seemingly no end of ways to organize its content, including some highly specific content rows; examples that caught my eye include titles based in New York City, shows that allow you to tune in and zone out, and the “Raunchy Fun” row.
It can be a bit overwhelming, though I will also say Max does a good job of putting content carousels viewers are more likely to use closer to the top of the screen. Its top 10 movies and shows lists, as well as brand spotlights, make it easier to access content from specific channels like Food Network, or other WBD brands like HBO.
Indeed, the streamer really wants to make it apparent to users that HBO is a key part of its catalog, despite dropping those three letters from its moniker last year. An HBO tab at the top of the screen takes you to a selection of HBO original shows, as well as movies currently streaming on HBO linear channels.
Other tabs help bring you to the live sports and news options available on Max, which means you don’t have to scroll through the seemingly unending number of rows Max has to find them. The Sports tab puts live events right at the top of the screen, and the News tab shows you personalities from CNN like Anderson Cooper and Kate Bolduan that are highly popular among audiences.
It’s Just Max
One thing to note about Max and its all-in-one approach is that what you see is what you get, even though there’s a lot to see. There’s no opportunity to subscribe to other apps and watch through the same interface as with Prime Video, and no way to stream shows and movies from other services as you can on Disney+ if you subscribe to Hulu also. Even signing up for the Disney+, Hulu, and Max bundle will not grant you the ability to watch titles from those streamers within Max.
I don’t think this is necessarily a bad thing; the Max user experience is crowded enough. But it is something for viewers to note when they’re considering signing up.
Inconsistent Ad Experience
One of the most frustrating things about my Max subscription was the inconsistent ad experience I had. The streamer promises around four minutes of ads per hour, but the way those ads are broken up can be maddening. Sometimes I saw more than five ad breaks in a single TV episode, and many times I saw the same ads repeated over and over. Not only that, but most of the ads I saw were for products that I didn’t need or would never buy.
Final Thoughts
Overall, I enjoyed my time with Max, but mostly because of the content itself. Prestige TV shows like “The Penguin” are the real draw for the service to me, as well as the sports now found on the streamer. That’s the strength of a service like Max, and while it does a good job of leaning into that strength, there’s nothing remarkably innovative about its user interface. Its ad experience needs a lot of work, but its content library will be more than enough to keep many users subscribed.
Max
Max is a subscription video streaming service that gives access to the full HBO library, along with exclusive Max Originals. There are hubs for content from TLC, HGTV, Food Network, Discovery, TCM, Cartoon Network, Travel Channel, ID, and more. Watch hit series like “The Last of Us,” “House of the Dragon,” “Succession,” “Curb Your Enthusiasm,” and more. Thanks to the B/R Sports add-on, users can watch NBA, MLB, NHL, March Madness, and NASCAR events.