While Warner Bros. Discovery warned ad-free subscribers about feature changes earlier this year, people were reportedly still surprised to see 4K support removed from their legacy plans. The Max ad-free plan only offers HD resolution and streaming on two concurrent devices–a downgrade from ultra HD and three, respectively, that these customers previously had from HBO Max accounts.
Variety notes WB began emailing legacy ad-free subscribers about the changes last week. This all stems from HBO Max becoming Max and how it affected memberships. The company stated that HBO Max customers would keep their plans and features for at least six months, which has now passed. Previously, the ad-free tier included 4K support, but with Max, WB introduced a new, more expensive Ultimate tier for $20 a month ($4 more than the ad-free) to view ultra HD content as well as stream on four devices simultaneously.
As such, the ad-free tier lost 4K support with the rebranding to Max. The Ultimate tier also provides Dolby Atmos sound and 100 offline downloads, versus 5.1 surround and 30 for the ad-free plan. Max also has an ad-lite subscription for $10 per month.
Looking ahead, Barbie is coming to Max soon, as the popular movie is supposed to arrive on the streaming service this fall. Next year, Max (and HBO) subscribers can look forward to House of the Dragon: Season 2 in early summer 2024.
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