HBO Max/Discovery+ Merger

[Bruce]

HBO Max to Be Renamed ‘Max’ With Addition of Discovery+ Content, Launch Date and Pricing Revealed

Warner Bros. Discovery announced Max as the new name of its flagship streaming service as merges HBO Max with content from Discovery+.

variety.com

• Max Ad-Lite ($9.99/month or $99.99/year): Two concurrent streams, 1080p HD resolution, no offline downloads, 5.1 surround sound quality
• Max Ad Free ($15.99/month or $149.99/year): Two concurrent streams, 1080p HD, up to 30 offline downloads, 5.1 surround sound quality
• Max Ultimate Ad Free ($19.99/month or $199.99/year): Four concurrent streams, up to 4K Ultra HD resolution, 100 offline downloads, Dolby Atmos sound quality

Kind of a let down announcement, I been posting this same info here for a couple of months.

I was hoping for a surprise, like adding the live feed of Warner owned channels, CNN, TBS, TNT, etc, similar to what Peacock has been doing.

And I like the increase in 4K, they need to offer more, like the content from the Discovery Channel and Animal Planet, not just movies and HBO type shows.

 

[mackie99]

Kind of a let down announcement, I been posting this same info here for a couple of months.

I was hoping for a surprise, like adding the live feed of Warner owned channels, CNN, TBS, TNT, etc, similar to what Peacock has been doing.

And I like the increase in 4K, they need to offer more, like the content from the Discovery Channel and Animal Planet, not just movies and HBO type shows.

Well, they are adding all the discovery stuff to max for the same price. That's going to save me $6.99 / month. But, you always have the option to drop them if you don't like what they offer.

 

[lakebum431]

Some content announcements too. A new Game of Thrones series (The Hedge Knight), a new Harry Potter series (already leaked but essentially 1 season per book), Big Bang Theory spin-off, The Penguin series

 

[klang]

Saving the cost of Discovery+ will offset some of the increase for the 4k Max subscription it is still darned expensive.

 

[lakebum431]

I pay $19.99 for Netflix 4K so I guess it is in line with that.

 

[klang]

I pay $19.99 for Netflix 4K so I guess it is in line with that.

I do as well but I watch a lot of Netflix. Not quite as much on HBO lately.

 

[NashGuy]

Kind of a let down announcement, I been posting this same info here for a couple of months.

I was hoping for a surprise, like adding the live feed of Warner owned channels, CNN, TBS, TNT, etc, similar to what Peacock has been doing.

And I like the increase in 4K, they need to offer more, like the content from the Discovery Channel and Animal Planet, not just movies and HBO type shows.

Yeah, it was a pretty underwhelming announcement. They went with the name I had suggested/predicted a year or more ago and the pricing follows what had been leaked. Not a ton is changing, except pay an extra $4 to get 4K, but also get all that Discovery content. Seems like they're moving a bit more toward having Discovery series premier same-day on linear and streaming.

I wonder if we'll see a big ramp-up in terms of HBO and Max Originals available in 4K HDR rather than just select major series like The Last of Us. At this point, all new seasons of their original series should be in 4K HDR, as is the case with Apple Originals and nearly all Netflix and Amazon Originals. But if they indicated that in today's presentation, I haven't read anything about it. As long as the 4K situation stays as-is, I don't know if I'd even bother paying the extra money for it.

 

[lakebum431]

I do as well but I watch a lot of Netflix. Not quite as much on HBO lately.

I think the content on HBO is much better than Netflix. I mostly use it as filler. I can't remember the last thing that was on Netflix that was a must watch for me.

 

[lakebum431]

I wonder which tier a person gets if they pay for HBO through their linear provider. I assume the middle one based on the pricing. It would be interesting if they had an add on so that you could get the HBO channels through your linear provider, but could still get UHD on the app.

 

[NashGuy]

I think the content on HBO is much better than Netflix. I mostly use it as filler. I can't remember the last thing that was on Netflix that was a must watch for me.

Yeah, for the past couple years I've just been getting Netflix (4K plan) for one month a year to watch the latest season of Stranger Things or The Crown. Also watched and liked Dead Like Me, which ended with season 3. ST and Crown each only have one season left.

The four services I mainly care about are Max, Apple TV+, Hulu, and Peacock.

 

[lakebum431]

Good point on Stranger Things. That was the last thing that I really cared about on Netflix.

 

[NashGuy]

I wonder which tier a person gets if they pay for HBO through their linear provider. I assume the middle one based on the pricing. It would be interesting if they had an add on so that you could get the HBO channels through your linear provider, but could still get UHD on the app.

I'd wager that HBO will come with the $16 HD ad-free tier of Max. Also seems likely that HBO subscribers will be able to contact their pay TV provider (or log into their account there) and upgrade their Max plan to 4K for an extra $4 on their cable bill.

 

[Scott Greczkowski]

But Netflix has a lot more 4K.

HBO’s 4K selection is small and keeps on shrinking.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Bruce]

But Netflix has a lot more 4K.

HBO’s 4K selection is small and keeps on shrinking.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Decided to start watching Succession, a show only just in it’s 4th season, in HD, checked the most recent season, still in HD.

There is no excuse in today’s world, a show that is almost 5 years since it premiered should be in 4K since it is on a streaming service that promotes that it has 4K.

I could almost see the reason the first 3 seasons being in only HD, but not the current one, just started up a few weeks ago.

 

[navychop]

“Red” cameras ain’t cheap.

 

[ncted]

I honestly don't see the need for UHD unless you are watching on a screen that is too large to look at all at once. I'd rather they just do HD with HDR. That makes a bigger difference to my eyes than UHD does. Although, even HDR is only really noticeable in some scenes, but it helps with the dark scenes which are so popular these days.

 

[Bruce]

“Red” cameras ain’t cheap.

It is shot with 35-mm film cameras, the digital resolution of 35mm film is 4K.

35mm Film Resolution vs 4k - Camera Snipe

The digital resolution of 35mm film is 4K, while that of 35mm Imax film is 6K, and that of 70mm Imax is closer to 12K. Regardless of how they are shot, most movies will be edited, colored, and enhanced digitally (called digital intermediate, usually at 2K resolution). Is 35mm Film Good Enough...

camerasnipe.com

 

[Bruce]

I honestly don't see the need for UHD unless you are watching on a screen that is too large to look at all at once. I'd rather they just do HD with HDR. That makes a bigger difference to my eyes than UHD does. Although, even HDR is only really noticeable in some scenes, but it helps with the dark scenes which are so popular these days.

Have a 85” Sony Z9K 8K , Real 4K looks incredible on it when unconverted to 8K, Sony’s processing is the best.

Also have a 165” Screen for my outdoor theater, but to be honest, the Optoma Laser Projector is only 1080P and is just fine for my 56 year old wearing progressive glasses eyes, does not have the wow picture but does have the feeling of being in a real theater because of the screen size and how far I sit back.

I primarily use the projector in the morning while on the Life Cycle and after the fall back time change since it gets dark at 6pm then.

 

[Don in CT]

“Red” cameras ain’t cheap.

Most of them are using Arri now.

 

[meStevo]

It is shot with 35-mm film cameras, the digital resolution of 35mm film is 4K.

35mm Film Resolution vs 4k - Camera Snipe

The digital resolution of 35mm film is 4K, while that of 35mm Imax film is 6K, and that of 70mm Imax is closer to 12K. Regardless of how they are shot, most movies will be edited, colored, and enhanced digitally (called digital intermediate, usually at 2K resolution). Is 35mm Film Good Enough...

camerasnipe.com

Yeah I didn't realize they shot on film until the after-episode bit on this weeks episode. A penultimate episode across the entire series and to capture the gravity of it after shooting everything individually they performed a 27 minute single take (much of which made it to air) and had to scheme old school-style to hide reels and stuff on set and overlap cameras on scenes to accommodate reloads, because they can only film 10 minutes at a time.