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Calling it broken is a relative statement. On a technical level, they had to do something to prevent mirroring from functioning as the article wants. So, they i

Calling it broken is a relative statement. On a technical level, they had to do something to prevent mirroring from functioning as the article wants. So, they implement AirPlay, but audio only. But, I'd argue this works exactly as HBO wants it to, so it's not broken, it just doesn't do what you want it to. HBO's business model isn't terribly friendly to watching their programming on a TV unless it comes via cable or one of their heavily licensed, and generally stationary, partner products. You are a lot less likely to take a Roku or Xbox to a friends' house to watch Game of Thrones, but you always have your iPhone. Of course you could have them over and this falls apart, but you could do that with their cable feed as well. They're trying to slow the bleeding since they can't stop it.

Domenic_S 14y ago
> But, I'd argue this works exactly as HBO wants it to, so it's not broken, it just doesn't do what you want it to. You're nitpicking. It's broken in the colloquial sense -- the app makes an implicit promise and then delivers only partway. That it was built to spec is immaterial; if the spec is "broken" (anti-user, antipattern, etc) it doesn't matter if you build exactly to spec... it's still broken.
- eddieroger 14y ago
  No I'm not, and I think you are. Just because it doesn't do what you want doesn't make it broken. That's like buying a car, but being upset it can't drive distances with a flat tire. It's not supposed to do that, so other than a faulty tire, the car isn't broken. And the spec isn't either - they aren't being anti-user, because they don't have to release the app at all. I can come up with a dozen business cases for audio only (the iPad/iPhone speakers being mono only for one, being a crappy speaker for two), but they are interests to protect. This app is a compromise that you don't have to use, not meant to replace the television experience, but be an additional screen for occasional viewing.
  - Domenic_S 14y ago
    What are you, project manager for HBO GO? Just because it doesn't do what you want doesn't make it broken. Promising functionality with an Airplay button and delivering partially is the failure. If you can't see that then I pray you never write specs.
  - rhizome 14y ago
    Does the car in your example prevent you from changing the tire to one that isn't flat? Does it actually come with a flat tire from the dealership?
ricardobeat 14y ago
I'd say they are squeezing the wound, speeding up the bleeding.
brown9-2 14y ago
You are a lot less likely to take a Roku or Xbox to a friends' house to watch Game of Thrones, but you always have your iPhone But if you have access to HBOGO as a HBO subscriber in the first place, you could just log in to the website on your friend's laptop (or Roku, or Xbox) and watch the same content that way.
- jeffgreco 14y ago
  Can you log into an unlimited number of Xbox Live accounts with one set of HBO Go credentials?

Domenic_S 14y ago

> But, I'd argue this works exactly as HBO wants it to, so it's not broken, it just doesn't do what you want it to. You're nitpicking. It's broken in the colloquial sense -- the app makes an implicit promise and then delivers only partway. That it was built to spec is immaterial; if the spec is "broken" (anti-user, antipattern, etc) it doesn't matter if you build exactly to spec... it's still broken.

eddieroger 14y ago
No I'm not, and I think you are. Just because it doesn't do what you want doesn't make it broken. That's like buying a car, but being upset it can't drive distances with a flat tire. It's not supposed to do that, so other than a faulty tire, the car isn't broken. And the spec isn't either - they aren't being anti-user, because they don't have to release the app at all. I can come up with a dozen business cases for audio only (the iPad/iPhone speakers being mono only for one, being a crappy speaker for two), but they are interests to protect. This app is a compromise that you don't have to use, not meant to replace the television experience, but be an additional screen for occasional viewing.
- Domenic_S 14y ago
  What are you, project manager for HBO GO? Just because it doesn't do what you want doesn't make it broken. Promising functionality with an Airplay button and delivering partially is the failure. If you can't see that then I pray you never write specs.
- rhizome 14y ago
  Does the car in your example prevent you from changing the tire to one that isn't flat? Does it actually come with a flat tire from the dealership?

ricardobeat 14y ago

I'd say they are squeezing the wound, speeding up the bleeding.

brown9-2 14y ago

You are a lot less likely to take a Roku or Xbox to a friends' house to watch Game of Thrones, but you always have your iPhone But if you have access to HBOGO as a HBO subscriber in the first place, you could just log in to the website on your friend's laptop (or Roku, or Xbox) and watch the same content that way.

jeffgreco 14y ago
Can you log into an unlimited number of Xbox Live accounts with one set of HBO Go credentials?