RIP HBO Max: 'Max' Streaming Service Launches in May With an Annoying Tweak

pcmag.com:

Do you subscribe to HBO Max? Big changes are coming on May 23, when the streaming service is replaced with Max, which will merge HBO Max with content from Discovery+. 

Warner Bros. Discovery today officially announced the rebrand, which is designed to better compete with Netflix and Disney+ for viewers. The good news is that Max will retain the same $9.99-per-month ad-supported tier that HBO Max currently offers.

But on the downside, Warner Bros. Discovery is taking away a few perks previously available on HBO Max. The company is dropping 4K video quality for the ad-free plan, relegating it to 1080p quality, and reducing the number of concurrent streams from three to two. 

Instead, the company is bringing the 4K quality to a new “Ultimate” tier for Max, which will cost $19.99 per month and offer subscribers four concurrent streams. That's in line with Netflix's 4K Premium plan, which also costs $19.99 per month for four concurrent streams.

Warner Bros. Discovery is making several interface changes to Max that promise to improve the service's performance and make it easier to find content subscribers will like. In addition, the company announced numerous titles headed for Max, including an upcoming live action Harry Potter TV series and another series from the Game of Thrones universe. 

Existing subscribers to HBO Max will “still have access to their current plan features for a minimum of six months following launch," the company said. Warner Bros. Discovery will then serve them up a prompt, asking them if they’d like to switch to the Ultimate plan. 

Meanwhile, users on Discovery+, which costs $4.99 per month, will see no changes. The company is keeping the streaming service since it remains profitable. Warner Bros.