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

Other Publishing stories related to: 'HBO Max exec admits to the app’s early flaws'


Audible app integrates with Android Auto for easier listening while on the road

Your next cruise down the highway may be more enjoyable if you have Amazon’s Audible app and Android Auto.The audiobook app now works with Google’s car interface so you can more easily fire up a book and use the Android Auto interface to control playback. The update allows you to fine tune... Continue reading at PC World

[ PC World | 2016-02-10 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #audiobook app #android app #latest version


Snapchat Runs Its First App-Install Ad, and It’s for Mobile Game Cookie Jam

Snapchat is getting closer to forking over the data that advertisers want, and the stats will be coming in the form of mobile app-install ads. Today, a short video ad promoting SGN's mobile game Cookie Jam is running within iHeartRadio's Discover channel—the app's hub of daily content from... Continue reading at AdWeek

[ AdWeek | 2016-02-04 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #app-install ads #ad format


Magazine Company Execs Talk About Taking On Tech, Disruption

The five magazine media company executives who graced the stage at the Grand Hyatt in Midtown Tuesday night all had specific (well, somewhat specific) ideas for how to grow their companies and take advantage of industry-wise disruptions, but only one called for an across-the-board increase in... Continue reading at Advertising Age

[ Advertising Age | 2016-02-03 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #tech giants #grand hyatt #meredith corp


What apps next? Publishers and developers embrace 'unprintable' fiction

Developers and authors explain how they are experimenting with technology to publish ‘unprintable’ books – including a love story told through Google street view and a prison break with swappable recipesPublisher Anna Gerber isn’t trying to kill off the printed book – she’d just like you to... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2016-02-03 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #publishing project #online bookstore #angry birds


Booksellers Pick Their Top Early 2016 Books

What will independent booksellers be handselling this season? We spoke with 12 booksellers throughout North America who are looking forward to pushing everything from buzzed-about debuts and under-the-radar experimental novels. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2016-01-29 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #independent booksellers


A New Romance Book App “Crave” Promises to Save the Novel

Launched last year, the Crave app for romance ebooks is experimenting with a new form of reading, one that serves text and multimedia content in short, addictive bursts. The post A New Romance Book App “Crave” Promises to Save the Novel appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2016-01-22 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this |


Millie Marotta releases colouring in app

Pavilion Books and app developers Touchpress are to release a new animal-inspired colouring app from author Millie Marotta. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2016-01-15 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #pavilion books


Archer's Clifton Chronicles titles published early

Macmillan is publishing the final two books in Jeffrey Archer’s bestselling Clifton Chronicles series in the same year due to "reader demand". Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2016-01-14 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #jeffrey archer


Open Road Restructures, Adds New Execs

Open Road has implemented a new organizational structure that it said will help it become a broader digital content company. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2016-01-08 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #open road #organizational structure


Publishers Association Names New Chief Exec

Stephen Lotinga will succeed Richard Mollet as chief executive of the U.K.-based advocacy group for publishers. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2016-01-05 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #stephen lotinga


Orion releases 'groundbreaking' Julian Fellowes app

Orion is releasing a serialised novella by "Downton Abbey" creator and writer Julian Fellowes as part of a “groundbreaking” new app and storytelling experience. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2016-01-04 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #downton abbey


Fry narrates two Max Carrados stories for Audible

Stephen Fry will voice two classic detective stories exclusively for Audible. Fry, who voiced all seven of J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter books, will voice The Coin of Dionysius and The Game Played in the Dark by Ernest Bramah, which features the blind detective Max Carrados who was first... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2015-12-17 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #stephen fry #literary world


Mark Tavani Joins Putnam as Exec Editor

Tavani will join Putnam on February 8, after 15 years with Ballantine Bantam Dell. At BBD he worked with such authors as Justin Cronin and Steve Berry. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2015-12-16 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #justin cronin


Obituary: Penguin Exec Carl L. Jolley

Carl L. Jolley, a longtime Penguin Group (USA) distribution executive who retired in 2009 as v-p, corporate director, distribution, passed away on Monday, December 14, at his home in Pennsylvania. He was 70. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2015-12-16 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this |


Ben Greenberg Named Exec Editor at Random House

Greenberg, who is currently executive editor at Grand Central Publishing, will join Random House on January 11. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2015-12-10 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #random house


Frankfurt Book Fair Considers an Early Start for Agents

Frankfurt Book Fair officials this week confirmed that talks are underway to possibly open the Frankfurt Book Fair Literary Agents & Scouts Centre (LitAg) at a day earlier in 2016. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2015-12-10 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #early start #day earlier


Police ditch pocket books for app

Two Welsh police forces are scrapping traditional pocket notebooks in favour of mobile devices complete with an app. Continue reading at BBC News

[ BBC News | 2015-12-08 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this |


Could online apps help save indie bookshops?

With fewer than 1,000 stores in the UK, a number of online initiatives are aiming to help shoppers find their way back to local independent bookshopsThe rise of online retailers and ebooks have had a devastating impact on the UK’s independent bookshops. According to the Booksellers Association,... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2015-12-08 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #fighting back #online apps #shoppers find #online retailers #devastating impact #independent bookshops #booksellers association


Google’s Answer to Facebook Instant Articles — The AMP Project — is Coming Early Next Year

Google introduced its Accelerated Mobile Pages (AMP) program to allow publishers and advertisers to create good-looking mobile content that loads very quickly.   The company launched the program in early October with a select set of pa ... Continue reading at Editor & Publisher

[ Editor & Publisher | 2015-11-25 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #mobile content #company launched #early october


Facebook Launches Notify, a New Twitter-Like App for Following Publishers

Facebook is already dominating peoples’ phone time, and now it wants a crack at your lock screen, too. The social network rolled out a new app called “Notify” on Wednesday specifically to send you mobile notifications fr ... Continue reading at Editor & Publisher

[ Editor & Publisher | 2015-11-12 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this |