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WarnerMedia today announced that it will be rolling out a revamped HBO Max app for Apple TV over the next few weeks.

hbo-max-apple-tv-shadow.jpeg

According to Variety and The Streamable, the new tvOS app provides much-needed performance and stability improvements. The updated app is said to look similar to the original version, but it will feature a new main screen view with a scrollable "hero" banner, a new "binge mode" with the ability to skip credits and automatically jump to the next episode in a series, and a simplified account sign-up and sign-in experience.

The new app will also provide users with a new "My Stuff" experience that lets users edit and sort their "My List" and "Continue Watching" lists.

WarnerMedia executive Sarah Lyons said the original HBO Max app for Apple TV was built on the same code base as the existing HBO GO and HBO Now apps in order to get the app to market faster, but the experience was subpar and led to widespread usability complaints from users. The new HBO Max app for tvOS is based on cross-platform technology from You.i, which WarnerMedia acquired in December 2020.

Tom's Guide's Henry T. Casey tested the new app and said it is improved:
The best thing I can say about the new HBO Max app is that I haven't seen the "Oops, something went wrong!" error — which often happened when opening the app after it being in the background — once since I've been testing it. That's been one of my biggest beefs with the app since it arrived, and to not encounter it in the weeks that I've had the app? That's a huge upgrade.

Overall, the new HBO Max app for Apple TV feels more on par with Netflix when it comes to loading times and navigation.
The updated HBO Max app will be rolling out into next week, so the revamped experience might not be available to all users immediately.

Article Link: HBO Max Updating Apple TV App With New Features and Improved Stability
 
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One of my biggest complains with pretty much all the streaming apps is that they don't put the "My Stuff" or "Favorites" front and center. On each of them I always have to scroll way down or to different tabs/pages to get back to the shows I am already watching etc. I know they are trying to get you hooked on new shows, but it gets frustrating when 90% of the time I just want to continue watching/binging what I was watching or watch a new episode that just came out. Hopefully they improve that interaction.
 
This hasn't rolled out to me yet. Can anyone confirm if it does away with the native Apple Video playing interface? A big loss if so because the 3rd party solutions are never better (as HBO should have learned the first time they tried this).
 
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Did they get rid of the sound bomb every time you back out of a show description?

That is the most annoying aspect of the app for me.

The sound bomb is the audio from the trailer of whatever show they are featuring at the top of the UI.
 
Recently, every time I opened the iOS app a pop up appears to advertise one of their shows, and you have to dismiss it before interacting with any part of the app. 👎
 
I find HBO Max's UI/UX practically user prohibitive. Their navigation is just irritating. Of the streamers, it's prob my leave fav to use. Too many little micro movements that prove to be far more frustrating than useful. And I hate that the large previews in the main navigation play without sound. Ummmm...
I hate that Netflix automatically plays previews with sound.
 
The HBO Max iPad version has been utter garbage. Buffering, freezing, saying I have no internet when I clearly do, choking on multiple 15s bumps ahead until ultimately quitting, failure to relaunch (takes multiple quits/attempts), the seemingLu backwards left and right sliding (hierarchy, you say? Nope!), the disappearing or hidden interface, the way-too-short “skip-the-credits” button that loves to skip post-credit scenes… Shall I go on?

content isn’t bad, but it’s so much trouble to watch it sometimes. I don’t have these issues on my phone.
 
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One of my biggest complains with pretty much all the streaming apps is that they don't put the "My Stuff" or "Favorites" front and center. On each of them I always have to scroll way down or to different tabs/pages to get back to the shows I am already watching etc. I know they are trying to get you hooked on new shows, but it gets frustrating when 90% of the time I just want to continue watching/binging what I was watching or watch a new episode that just came out. Hopefully they improve that interaction.
Every single one of them is designed the opposite from what any user would want. They are designed with the company's priorities in mind, and none of the user's.
 
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