HBO Max exec admits to the app’s early flaws

Viewers have long complained about the early HBO Max app’s tendency to crash, and its lack of discoverability features. There have been a number of overhauls and fixes since then. Now we know why. Turns out that HBO Max launched its apps before they were ready in order to keep up with its competitors. The app was “never intended to go global” or to suit the needs of a direct-to-consumer market, according to an interview that Sarah Lyons, HBO Max’s head of product experience, gave Protocol. The network wanted to build an audience first, and then fix the app’s flaws as the service scaled up.While Lyons admits that the early days of HBO Max were rocky, she thinks the company made the right decision. We’ve been changing out the engine of the plane while we’re flying the plane,” she said. “I do think it was the right decision to try to balance both,” said Lyons.HBO Max first released its app in May 2020, to join an already saturated streaming ecosystem that included Netflix, Hulu, Disney+, Apple TV+ and others. At the time, both HBO Go (the network’s on-demand app for cable subscribers) and HBO Now (the standalone app for cord-cutters) were still available, a fact that confused many subscribers. The network has since retired both apps.Viewers have flocked to Reddit since the app’s initial launch with complaints that spanned platforms and devices. “We’ve been trying to watch the Harry Potter movies and literally every 15 min or so we get an ERROR message and have to force close... Continue reading at 'Engadget'

[ Engadget | 2022-04-14 23:32:58 UTC ]
News tagged with: #apple tv+ #streaming platforms #home page #biggest change #harry potter

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Amazon opens way for apps on Fire TV to sell ads with The Trade Desk, Dataxu

Amazon has struck a deal with The Trade Desk and Dataxu, two sources of online advertising, to deliver commercials to Fire TV. On Friday, Amazon announced the new arrangement developed for media companies that stream video on Fire TV. The video publishers can now set up what are known as... Continue reading at Advertising Age

[ Advertising Age | 2019-07-27 00:05:42 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #living rooms #media partners #ad campaigns #share data #ad business #growing rapidly #e-commerce site #$3 billion

PRH publishes gender pay gap nine months early and unveils plans for parental leave

Penguin Random House has revealed its gender pay gap figures nine months early with a largely unchanged balance sheet but with a new initiative which sees all new parents at the company given the opportunity to take 12 months off from next year. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2019-07-24 23:00:06 UTC ]
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Separation of Church and State Is (Mostly) Dead in Media, Execs Say

The age-old sacred barrier that once separated media companies' editorial and sales teams has all but disappeared in the age of branded content and marketing services—and that isn't necessarily a bad thing, a panel of media-company CEOs suggested at a recent Folio:-hosted roundtable in New... Continue reading at Folio Magazine

[ Folio Magazine | 2019-07-18 17:39:35 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #long term #community building #connection point #tech giants

Your library's audiobook app now supports Apple CarPlay

Digital reading app Libby has for some time allowed bookworms to play its audiobooks through Android Auto. Following an update that arrived today, folks with CarPlay-enabled infotainment systems can listen to the app's books through their setups too. Continue reading at Engadget

[ Engadget | 2019-07-15 19:07:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #audiobook app #audiobook

HBO's Years and Years Unlocks Sci-Fi's Ultimate Potential

At its core, science fiction is a tool for building thought experiment machines. That's the game Russell T Davies' new show is playing so beautifully. Continue reading at Wired

[ Wired | 2019-07-11 12:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #science fiction

The Best of Early Wyndham

In this week’s Dispatches from The Secret Library, Dr Oliver Tearle enjoys some vintage science fiction courtesy of The Best of John Wyndham, 1932-1949 I’ve blogged before about my discovery of John Wyndham’s science fiction in a local charity shop, which had a number of old paperbacks for 99p... Continue reading at Interesting Literature

[ Interesting Literature | 2019-07-05 14:00:22 UTC ]
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ALM Cuts Three Top Execs in Management Shakeup

Three top executives are out at ALM Media in what the company is describing as a change to its organizational structure. Chief marketing officer Carol Eversen, media division president Jay Kirsch and intelligence division president Andrew Neblett—all of whom joined ALM in 2016, around the time... Continue reading at Folio Magazine

[ Folio Magazine | 2019-07-03 17:40:40 UTC ]
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Hearst Magazines Enters SVOD Space With New Fitness App

Hearst Magazines is getting into the SVOD (subscription video on demand) space with a new fitness app, called "All Out Studio." The app, downloadable July 11 on mobile and Apple TV, has more than 35 hours of video content from Hearst brands, including Men's Health, Women's Health, Cosmopolitan,... Continue reading at AdWeek

[ AdWeek | 2019-07-01 11:00:38 UTC ]
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Reuters Names IDG Exec as New CMO | People on the Move

[caption id="attachment_160867" align="alignright" width="150"] Josh London[/caption] Reuters named Josh London as its new chief marketing officer, effective immediately. Most recently the CMO at IDG Communications, London will now be responsible for all aspects of marketing at the company,... Continue reading at Folio Magazine

[ Folio Magazine | 2019-06-26 15:38:09 UTC ]
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Quartz Is Shutting Down its Quartz Brief Mobile App July 1

Quartz Brief, the award-winning news mobile app, is being put out to pasture so the digital news publisher can focus Continue reading at Editor & Publisher

[ Editor & Publisher | 2019-06-24 17:45:29 UTC ]
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'Harry Potter: Wizards Unite' is available to play a day early

Niantic's Harry Potter: Wizards Unite officially debuts on June 21st, but you won't have to wait until then to play if you live in the right country. The location-based game is already available for would-be Android and iOS spellcasters in the US an... Continue reading at Engadget

[ Engadget | 2019-06-20 16:42:00 UTC ]
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Google's Chromebook App Hub for students and teachers is live

We can argue about the merits and flaws of Chromebooks all day long, but one thing is clear: They've found a strong foothold in the education market. Indeed, today Google is announcing that more than 30 million Chromebooks are in use by students arou... Continue reading at Engadget

[ Engadget | 2019-06-19 13:30:00 UTC ]
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How to use L.A. Library apps to read for free

Angelica Gonzalez used to read about a book a year. Then she discovered the Libby app, which allows anyone with a Los Angeles Public Library card to borrow e-books, audiobooks and other electronic media — for free. Now Gonzalez regularly checks out titles and transfers them to her Kindle.... Continue reading at Los Angeles Times

[ Los Angeles Times | 2019-06-12 10:00:00 UTC ]
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An irresistible tale of early cinema makes for perfect summer reading

Dominic Smith’s “The Electric Hotel” explores the volatile intersection of art and commerce, among other themes. Continue reading at The Washington Post

[ The Washington Post | 2019-06-08 14:00:00 UTC ]
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What's behind the exec exodus at Comscore

Comscore remains the best hope for a serious challenge to behemoth Nielsen in U.S. TV ratings or cross-media measurement. But that hope grows dimmer as the stock nears record lows amid two new C-suite departures that follow a senior-leadership shakeup just two months ago. Chief Operating... Continue reading at Advertising Age

[ Advertising Age | 2019-06-07 16:42:47 UTC ]
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Goodbye X-Men—You Flawed, Frustrating Cinematic Revolution

Eighteen years ago, 'X-Men' taught audiences that comic books could live onscreen, as vast and rewarding as they were in their original form. Continue reading at Wired

[ Wired | 2019-06-07 14:43:31 UTC ]
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Facebook stops apps being pre-installed on Huawei phones

The block on pre-installed apps on Huawei smartphones will also apply to Instagram and Whatsapp. Continue reading at BBC News

[ BBC News | 2019-06-07 11:40:07 UTC ]
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AT&T’s Streaming Ambitions Hit a Snag: The Cost of HBO

The corporate home of Wonder Woman, Harry Potter and “Friends” weighs how its streaming service can compete on price with Disney, Netflix and Amazon. Continue reading at The New York Times

[ The New York Times | 2019-06-03 00:03:36 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #harry potter #streaming service