HBO Max is 'Max'. 5 Key Things To Know

The new service started on May 23 and features a plethora of content from both HBO and Discovery.

PUBLISHED MAY 25, 2023

Everybody knew this was coming after AT&T's WarnerMedia and Discovery merged in 2022. Now, one of the major streaming services HBO Max will be officially known as Max. The new service, which started on May 23, features a plethora of content from both HBO and Discovery.

The new Max service is not a complete merger of the streaming service. Instead, Discovery Plus is planning to continue their separate service with the New Max bringing in an extra "selection of Discovery favorites", as reported by TechRadar.

What does it mean for the subscribers of the platform, with the new system in place? Here are five key things to note about the new streaming service.

1. Max Will Cost More Than Hbo Max For 4k Streaming

If you are already a subscriber, most things remain unchanged except for the fact that the new service will make 4K streaming exclusive to a new high tier. There were two HBO Max plans before the merger, the 'With Ads' plan that cost $9.99 a month, and the 'Ad-Free' plan that cost $15.99 a month.

Now the new price plan looks similar but not identical.

2. Max Price Plan

There are three tiers instead of two. Starting with Max Ad-Lite which will cost the subscriber $9.99/month or $99.99/year, with 1080p streaming, two screens, 5.1 surround sound quality, and no offline downloads. The second tier comes at $15.99/month or $149.99/year with 1080p streaming, two concurrent screens, 5.1 surround sound quality, and 30 offline downloads. Lastly, the third tier is priced at $19.99/month or $199.99/year, which allows 4K UHD resolution streaming and can be simultaneously streamed on four screens with Dolby Atmos sound quality and 100 offline downloads.

3. Discover Plus To Continue As Stand-Alone Service

Warner Bros. and Discovery haven't fully combined and Discovery Plus will continue to function separately. The only new change comes in the new category of content added to Max called, "a selection of Discovery favorites." So we know that Discovery Plus will continue with the same pricing schemes that is, 4.99 per month with ads, or $6.99 per month without ads. Another quick thing to note is that the subscriber's watch history, profiles, and HBO Max settings will automatically shift to Max and the only thing the subscriber will need to do is re-download the TV shows and movies on the new streaming platform.

4. We've Got News, Potterheads!

This is arguably the most exciting news following the merger. The new streaming platform announced a brand new "Harry Potter" series that will be coming to the platform. The series will feature a brand new cast. While some are not fascinated by the idea of turning the celebrated book and movie series into a TV show, we can't help but get excited.

5. Game Of Thrones Spin-Off and More...

ASOIAF fans can never get enough of Westeros and George RR Martin has seemingly written enough source material for the showrunners to churn out fabulous content like "Game of Thrones" and "House of the Dragon". Next in line is a spin-off called "A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms: The Hedge Knight." Apart from these the world awaits, a new comedy series from "The Big Bang Theory makers and also the brand new series, "The Penguin" which is slated to release in 2024.