TL;DR
- HBO Max is switching over to its Max branding today.
- The new service is also adding a ton of fresh 4K content to the platform.
- All Warner Bros. movies released this year and in the future will be available in 4K UHD on Max.
HBO Max will officially switch over to the new Max branding today. The repacked service from Warner Bros. Discovery will not only add content from Discovery Plus but will also boost its library of 4K movies and TV shows.
The company announced in a press release that the new Max will offer eight times more films and episodes in 4K than HBO Max. Of course, these benefits have been put under a higher pricing tier — $19.99/ month or $199.99/year for the “Ultimate” plan. This will include programming such as Game of Thrones, The Last of Us, Harry Potter, The Lord of the Rings trilogy, The Dark Knight trilogy, The Matrix films, and more.
HBO Max offered pretty limited 4K content, with most of the titles capped at 1080p. So the additional 4K content and growing support for more high-quality streams in the future is a welcome upgrade, even if it’s available only to the highest-paying customers.
“Max will offer more than 1,000 films and episodes in 4K at launch, and we’ll be adding more every month as we move forward,” said Sudheer Sirivara of the Global Technology Platform at Warner Bros. Discovery.
Max will also support Dolby Vision, Dolby Atmos, and HDR 10 formats
Max will also support Dolby Vision and HDR 10 for content that supports the tech. Dolby Atmos audio will also feature in select content.
Popular HBO titles such as Succession, The Undoing, the Watchmen series, Sharp Objects, and Chernobyl will also be available in an amplified experience, including 60fps content.
Beginning June 7, movies like The Dark Knight, Harry Potter movies, and Avatar: The Way of Water will be able to stream in 4K UHD, HDR 10, Dolby Vision, and Dolby Atmos on the Ultimate Ad-Free tier. Nostalgia tiles like The Wizard of Oz, Casablanca, Goodfellas, and Singin’ In the Rain will also join the 4K family.
Additionally, all Warner Bros. movies released this year and in the future will be available in 4K UHD when they arrive on Max following their theatrical windows.
The company also clarified that current HBO Max subscribers will still have access to their existing plan for a minimum of six months following the Max launch on May 23.
