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The HBO Max saga is really tiresome. They really want you to think of Amazon and Roku as the bad guys, but they really, really aren’t. HBO threw so many loyal

by mlthoughts2018 6y ago

The HBO Max saga is really tiresome. They really want you to think of Amazon and Roku as the bad guys, but they really, really aren’t. HBO threw so many loyal customers under the bus by not having Prime Video channels or Roku devices as supported options at launch. If you have been a loyal, full paying customer of HBO via Prime for years, suddenly you’re a second class customer paying the same price as Max, but without access to the expanded content. Even if you were willing to migrate that engagement to HBO’s preferred Max app, if you happen to have set up your home to rely on Roku devices, you are out of luck. It’s crazy town. Apparently HBO expects customers to just wholesale switch their preferred home device setup that is working well for use of Netflix, Prime Video, Hulu, Disney+, ESPN, Showtime, etc. etc. just for the Max app. Crazy. I really hope the pressure ratchets up on them as nobody moves to Max as the early numbers have shown. HBO is a channel. It is not a competitor of Netflix or Hulu, and its whole value proposition of producing significantly higher quality original content rests on this. It should want to be a channel and not a platform. The whole strategy is rotten, and the tactical execution of Max is something really HBO should be ashamed of. What a way to damage customer loyalty.

kgraves 6y ago
Just get a device that supports HBO Max? I’m pissed they don’t support OS/2 but I can view HBO Max on my iPad instead.
- mlthoughts2018 6y ago
  It’s deeply unrealistic to expect customers to change their viewing habits and buy new devices for this. People rely on the supported devices to stay stable over time because they may set up larger aspects of their home entertainment systems to rely on one device in a way that’s not cheap or easy to switch. People using Roku devices to watch HBO on a large television are not going to switch to a tablet or phone. Many of those people don’t have a smart TV with built in apps, nor any interest to pay the price for a video game system like PS4, nor the ability to switch everything to Apple TV (which frankly doesn’t work as well as Amazon Fire or Roku, just my opinion). And the costs for new devices are totally not justifiable if the only reason is one minor streaming app. Everything _but_ HBO Max works great on my Roku - that sounds like an HBO problem. “Just get another device” absolutely is not a feasible solution for most customers affected by this. As the numbers have shown, the vast majority of HBO’s ~36 million subscribers are not moving to Max, and are more likely to switch back to HBO on a linear cable subscription than switch platforms just for one minor app. If a few people were complaining, it would be their problem to deal with the device change. If 33 million people are complaining and ignoring HBO Max, it’s HBO’s problem. To boot, even if today the issue is with HBO Max not supporting Amazon Prime Video channels or Roku, they are just teaching customers to be wary - tomorrow it could be that they don’t like the deal from Apple TV or Playstation, and they are setting a disturbing precedent of throwing customers under the bus when that happens.
  - kgraves 6y ago
    > It’s deeply unrealistic to expect customers to change their viewing habits and buy new devices for this.... People using Roku devices to watch HBO on a large television are not going to switch to a tablet or phone. How do you know this? are there any statistics on this? Are you going to bring your Roku TV on the tube on the way to work? You can use your phone to watch HBO Max. I had no problem switching between my laptop and my iPad, I just did it today? > “Just get another device” absolutely is not a feasible solution for most customers affected by this. Well, it solved my problem, what is yours? because I don't see yelling at HBO to support 4% of a userbase a productive use of my time. I normally see people watching their devices anywhere they please, it isn't like they are shackled to Linux are they?
    - mlthoughts2018 6y ago
      I don’t know where you’re getting this 4% number. Together Roku & Amazon Fire account for about 70% of the US streaming market, 5 million subscribers to HBO do so through Amazon Prime Video channels (that’s about 15% of total HBO subscribers). The customer base being affected is huge, and your comparison with Linux is totally off the mark.

kgraves 6y ago

Just get a device that supports HBO Max? I’m pissed they don’t support OS/2 but I can view HBO Max on my iPad instead.

mlthoughts2018 6y ago
It’s deeply unrealistic to expect customers to change their viewing habits and buy new devices for this. People rely on the supported devices to stay stable over time because they may set up larger aspects of their home entertainment systems to rely on one device in a way that’s not cheap or easy to switch. People using Roku devices to watch HBO on a large television are not going to switch to a tablet or phone. Many of those people don’t have a smart TV with built in apps, nor any interest to pay the price for a video game system like PS4, nor the ability to switch everything to Apple TV (which frankly doesn’t work as well as Amazon Fire or Roku, just my opinion). And the costs for new devices are totally not justifiable if the only reason is one minor streaming app. Everything _but_ HBO Max works great on my Roku - that sounds like an HBO problem. “Just get another device” absolutely is not a feasible solution for most customers affected by this. As the numbers have shown, the vast majority of HBO’s ~36 million subscribers are not moving to Max, and are more likely to switch back to HBO on a linear cable subscription than switch platforms just for one minor app. If a few people were complaining, it would be their problem to deal with the device change. If 33 million people are complaining and ignoring HBO Max, it’s HBO’s problem. To boot, even if today the issue is with HBO Max not supporting Amazon Prime Video channels or Roku, they are just teaching customers to be wary - tomorrow it could be that they don’t like the deal from Apple TV or Playstation, and they are setting a disturbing precedent of throwing customers under the bus when that happens.
- kgraves 6y ago
  > It’s deeply unrealistic to expect customers to change their viewing habits and buy new devices for this.... People using Roku devices to watch HBO on a large television are not going to switch to a tablet or phone. How do you know this? are there any statistics on this? Are you going to bring your Roku TV on the tube on the way to work? You can use your phone to watch HBO Max. I had no problem switching between my laptop and my iPad, I just did it today? > “Just get another device” absolutely is not a feasible solution for most customers affected by this. Well, it solved my problem, what is yours? because I don't see yelling at HBO to support 4% of a userbase a productive use of my time. I normally see people watching their devices anywhere they please, it isn't like they are shackled to Linux are they?
  - mlthoughts2018 6y ago
    I don’t know where you’re getting this 4% number. Together Roku & Amazon Fire account for about 70% of the US streaming market, 5 million subscribers to HBO do so through Amazon Prime Video channels (that’s about 15% of total HBO subscribers). The customer base being affected is huge, and your comparison with Linux is totally off the mark.