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HBO GO and HBO NOW Will No Longer Be Available on 2nd and 3rd Gen Apple TVs Starting April 30

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HBO today announced that its HBO GO and HBO NOW streaming services will no longer be available on second-generation and third-generation Apple TV models starting April 30, 2020.

hbo_now_atv_discontinued.jpg

In a support document on its website, HBO says this change is being made "in order to provide the best streaming experience":
In order to provide the best streaming experience, we need to make some changes to our supported devices list. Starting on April 30, 2020, HBO GO will no longer be available on the Apple TV (2nd and 3rd generation). Not sure which Apple TV you have? Identify your Apple TV model

If Apple TV was your primary streaming device, here are some other ways to stream HBO GO on your TV:

- Stream HBO GO using another streaming player or a game console. For a list of supported devices, see Supported devices.
- Use AirPlay to stream HBO GO to your Apple TV.
- Use an HDMI cable to connect your phone, tablet, or computer to your TV.
- Use Chromecast to cast HBO GO from your phone, tablet, or computer to your TV.
Click to expand...
There is an identical notice for HBO NOW.

HBO's announcement comes just as a number of third-generation Apple TV users have also been struggling with accessing YouTube content.

Article Link: HBO GO and HBO NOW Will No Longer Be Available on 2nd and 3rd Gen Apple TVs Starting April 30
 
Article Link
https://www.macrumors.com/2020/04/08/hbo-go-now-being-discontinued-on-apple-tv-2-3/
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I wonder if copy protection is the reasoning. I believe the ATV3 is thoroughly hacked now, which makes it super-easy to rip video from streaming services. They may be attempting to close that hole.
 
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My old one is used exclusively for Airplay at this point. Honestly, that is the best way to use it. People like to complain about the current Apple TV interface, and while it isn't perfect, it still much better than the old model. As long as Airplay still functions, there is still good reason to keep these things plugged in 👍🏼
 
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I don't remember if my ATV is 3rd or 4th generation. Is there a way I can tell (besides waiting to see if HBO stops working?) Did the third generation come with the funky remote?
 
We just replaced our last 3rd gen with a new unit a couple weeks ago. It’s nice having 3 on the same layout and system.
 
Does anybody know how many 2nd & 3rd gen Apple TVs are in use? I held out until the 4th gen was released a few years ago. But if I had a 3rd gen ATV, I'm not sure I would upgrade the unit just to be able to continue with HBO Now, since there are way more premium channels now (like ATV+ and Disney) than there were when I first subscribed to HBO Now.
 
Hmm.. is this a HDCP issue? Is it possible these providers now require HDCP 2.2? I'm not certain but I thought the older gens were only HDCP 2.0, but I could be confusing with HDMI 2.0. I wasn't able to find the specs, Apple isn't super forthcoming about specifics of their hardware sometimes.

I have ATV 4th gens on my main screens for the occasional AirPlay, but I've moved on to Fire TV and/or Shield TV. The Shield TV is light years ahead of everything else and generally speaking, the Android based boxes have better intregration with Alexa (and Spotify). I love my iPhone and Macs, but Alexa is kicking Siri's butt, and HomeKit isn't near some of the other home automation standards... yet.
 
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PortoMavericks said:
You’d be surprise to learn that, until this day, there’s still no jailbreak for the ATV3.
Click to expand...
There is absolutely a jail break for ATV3. It entirely depends on what tvOS version is installed. Also, you can install Kodi without a JB using Xcode. If you ever sell an ATV on eBay, don't upgrade the tvOS, leave it deprecated... you'll get more interest that way.
 
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This is pretty terrible. While I have been using Roku, this would certainly push me away from ATVs. From a user standpoint, it works perfectly fine on a 3rd gen ATV.
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BGPL said:
Hmm.. is this a HDCP issue? Is it possible these providers now require HDCP 2.2? I'm not certain but I thought the older gens were only HDCP 2.0, but I could be confusing with HDMI 2.0. I wasn't able to find the specs, Apple isn't super forthcoming about specifics of their hardware sometimes.

I have ATV 4th gens on my main screens for the occasional AirPlay, but I've moved on to Fire TV and/or Shield TV. The Shield TV is light years ahead of everything else and generally speaking, the Android based boxes have better intregration with Alexa (and Spotify). I love my iPhone and Macs, but Alexa is kicking Siri's butt, and HomeKit isn't near some of the other home automation standards... yet.
Click to expand...

I think the 4K ATV is the only one that actually has HDCP 2.2, and IIRC that was mostly related to physical media.
 
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