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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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 ]
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Breaking cycling’s color barrier, and world records, in the early 20th century

The enigmatic Major Taylor was one of the first black sports superstars, writes Michael Kranish. Continue reading at The Washington Post

[ The Washington Post | 2019-05-31 12:52:18 UTC ]
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Stephen King Explains Why HBO's 'Chernobyl' Reminds Him Of Donald Trump

The horror writer said it was “impossible” to watch the show without thinking of the president. Continue reading at The Huffington Post

[ The Huffington Post | 2019-05-31 09:36:40 UTC ]
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BookExpo 2019: Max Brooks Knows How to Win the Game of Thrones

Brooks thinks 'Game of Thrones' reminds us of mistaken military assumptions after the Cold War ended. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2019-05-31 00:00:00 UTC ]
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BookExpo 2019: S&S Welcomes Angelina Ballerina and Max & Ruby

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[ Publishers Weekly | 2019-05-30 04:00:00 UTC ]
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Ex-Vice exec launches pot-focused agency with ties to Snoop Dog’s media company

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[ Advertising Age | 2019-05-21 10:00:00 UTC ]
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‘Game of Thrones’ finale sets an HBO record

The much griped-about series finale of HBO’s “Game of Thrones” on Sunday night broke the premium cable network‘s all-time ratings records, as nearly 20 million viewers tuned in to find out who would get to sit on the Uncomfortable Pointy Chair. According to Nielsen live-plus-same-day data, the... Continue reading at Advertising Age

[ Advertising Age | 2019-05-20 20:41:27 UTC ]
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'We don't understand the impacts': Former Facebook exec calls for more government scrutiny

The tech giant's former NZ and Aus boss calls for more examination following the surprise election win in Australia. Continue reading at Stuff

[ Stuff | 2019-05-19 21:15:47 UTC ]
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MSN Messenger 2019 Edition is the messaging app you didn't know you needed

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[ Betanews | 2019-05-16 19:05:22 UTC ]
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Apple Pay can be used for iTunes, App Store and Apple Book purchases

You can now use Apple Pay to make purchases from iTunes, the App Store and Apple Books. You can also use it for Apple Music and iCloud storage subscriptions. MacRumors spotted the change in a recently updated support document. The added Apple Pay opt... Continue reading at Engadget

[ Engadget | 2019-05-15 00:00:00 UTC ]
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WhatsApp flaw let spies take control of phones

Spyware crafted by a sophisticated group of hackers-for-hire took advantage of a flaw in Facebook Inc.’s popular WhatsApp communications program to remotely hijack dozens of targeted phones without any user interaction. The Financial Times identified the hacking group as NSO Group, an... Continue reading at Baltimore Sun

[ Baltimore Sun | 2019-05-14 21:55:00 UTC ]
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WhatsApp flaw let spies take control of phones

Unit Sales Had Small Gain in Early May, Led by Nonfiction

Unit sales of print books inched up by just under 1% in the week ended May 3, 2019, over the comparable week in 2018, at outlets that report to NPD BookScan. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2019-05-10 00:00:00 UTC ]
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‘Race to the bottom’: Top publishing execs sound off on the biggest challenges in the industry

See our five major takeaways from the Digiday Publishing Summit. The post ‘Race to the bottom’: Top publishing execs sound off on the biggest challenges in the industry appeared first on Digiday. Continue reading at Digiday

[ Digiday | 2019-05-02 00:00:00 UTC ]
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