HBO Streaming | How to Stream HBO Max, HBO Now and Can You Watch HBO Free?

As HBO Max keeps getting more popular, so many people have a lot of questions to ask about the network. For example, people want to know if HBO Max offers free trials, where they could watch the networks, what devices are the network available to, and how to get the best-discounted offer to stream the platform?

Well, all these questions about HBO Max are relatable and this article tries to cover all of them, including how to switch from HBO Now to HBO Max. However, on a quick note, HBO Max does not offer free trials anymore; the option was removed in late 2020.

1. HBO streaming explained

HBO is a premium American TV channel available on local cable TV; however, for cord-cutters that love HBO content, the company launched a digital platform to allow its subscribers to stream the HBO TV channel on various devices. With the HBO mobile app, you can access a lot of content from the HBO Libraries, as well as access HBO Max.

The primary essence of the HBO mobile app is to grant subscribers access to stream the network on various devices and from any location within the United States. Access the official HBO app, many other sister networks are being owned by this company, and it's quite confusing how you can stream all of them. The sister networks include HBO GO, HBO NOW, and HBO Max.

Actually, HBO GO and HBO Now have been relegated, while HBO Max is the only fully-supported sister network at the moment. Below is how you can stream HBO Now and HBO Max.

2. HBO Now streaming no longer exists

HBO Now was an American VoD streaming platform where users can access thousands of movies, TV shows, classics, and tons of entertaining stuff from major libraries. However, HBO Now didn't offer originals, and movies were not premiered on HBO Now the same day they are released to theaters.

Before the service was finally discontinued, it had almost 10 million subscribers, and was available across various devices, including PlayStations 4&5, Xbox X and S series, mobile phones, PCs, Roku, Firestick, Smart TV, and many other hardware streaming devices.

Actually, the service was an upgrade to HBO GO, and it provided a ton of features for its users. With the launch of HBO Max, the company is automatically pushing all active HBO Now subscribers to HBO Max. Here are things you should know:

50. All active HBO Now subscribers are automatically HBO Max subscribers
50. HBO Now subscribers can access HBO Max at no additional cost
50. The HBO Now app across various app stores has been replaced with HBO Max; if you attempt to update your HBO Now app, you'd automatically download HBO Max.
50. Most HBO Now subscribers are now on HBO Max but they don’t know yet.

There is a lot of new stuff available with HBO Max, and you'd definitely love them. The most interesting addition is HBO Max Originals; plus, as an HBO Max subscriber, you'd get to watch movies at the same time they premier on cinemas and theaters.

3. HBO Max streaming is the new premium portal

This simply means to stream HBO Max on your supported devices. Interestingly, the service is supported on various devices and systems. You can access HBO Max on almost all devices you had earlier got the previous HBO services on, which include PlayStation and Xbox consoles, streaming sticks, smart TVs, and of course, mobile phones. HBO Max offers more content, access to everything HBO has to offer, and it is available at the same $14.99 monthly subscription fee.

However, there is no HBO free trial to try out the service, you'd be prompted to pay at the instant while registering from the official website. You could get a free trial to access HBO Max for free when you sign up with third-party providers such as AT&T and Hulu. With HBO Max, you can watch exclusive movies and TV shows from anywhere - once you have a supported device to access the service. But, Max originals are not available on any other app asides from the official HBO Max app. In order words, for you to watch Max originals, you must install the HBO Max app on your devices. Regardless, the service itself is accessible from the HBO app, and other supported streaming apps too.

Note: if you’re an HBO Now subscriber, you don’t need to sign up for HBO Max; simply update your app or install the HBO Max app on your supported device and start streaming.

If you’re thinking of how to get HBO Max at no extra cost, these TV providers are actually offering HBO Max access at no additional cost, when you purchase specific plans and packages.

50. DirecTV/AT&T TV
50. YouTube TV
50. Hulu
50. Comcast
50. Altice (Optimum and SuddenLink)
50. Charter/Spectrum
50. Verizon
50. Cox Communications
50. NCTC

More so, you can access the list of all supported TV providers that allow you free access to HBO Max from here.

4. How to Sign-in and Access HBO Max

The sign-in process varies from device to device; however, the major thing here is, when you get to the sign-in page, if you got HBO Max from a 3^rd-party provider, you need to select the Sign in with TV Provider option. People who got upgraded from HBO Now to HBO Max can sign in directly using their HBO Now credentials. If you have an active subscription, you should be able to start streaming HBO Max immediately after signing in.

5. How to Stream HBO Max

It starts with signing up for an account; you need to have an HBO Max account to stream on the network. If you were an HBO GO subscriber, unfortunately, you won’t get HBO Max access, but HBO Now subscribers can get HBO Max automatically - and without additional payment. There are many ways to sign up for HBO Max; but if you’re signing up from the official website, you won’t have the option to try out the network with a limited free trial. In contrast, if you sign up with a provider, you could have up to 7 days or even six (6) months of free access to HBO Max.

A lot of people don't know that there's a cheaper package for HBO Max and not the most-mentioned $14.99 plan. Yes, you can get HBO Max ad-supported version at $9.99. This ad-supported version offers almost everything the pro version offers; the limitations include the inability to stream a movie on the day it is released and you'd get to view ads as you stream.

After you have gotten access to HBO Max, below is how to stream the network on your supported device.

• Step 1: You need to install the HBO Max on your device and when you're on the login page, you would either sign indirectly if you registered directly from the site or got upgraded from HBO Now to HBO Max.
• Step 2: Once you’re signed in, you start streaming immediately. Navigate the available categories and use the tags to discover movies and TV shows. Also, you can use the search function to find new movies quickly.

6. What Devices Support HBO Max

50. Amazon Fire TV
50. Android TV
50. Apple TV
50. Cox Contour 2 and Contour Stream Player
50. PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5
50. Roku
50. Samsung TV (2016 models and later)
50. Spectrum WorldBox (in select areas)
50. Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S
50. Xfinity X1 and Flex
50. Android and iOS phones

If you have any of these devices mentioned above, head on to the device’s app store and download the HBO Max app.

7. Can You Download HBO Max Movies?

This has been the question of many people, and the answer is quite straightforward. You can actually download any video from HBO Max network, but you need software to help you with that.

With a premium HBO Max downloader software app, you can easily grab videos and TV shows from the platform and have them saved on your computer. For this purpose, the StreamFab HBO Downloader makes perfect software for downloading content from HBO Now and HBO Max.

StreamFab HBO Downloader is a premium software app that runs on macOS and Windows computers. It helps users to download HBO movies seamlessly in MP4 and high-quality audio. This software is lightweight and easy to use; it is intuitive and downloads your HBO movies very fast.

7.1 Main Features of StreamFab HBO Downloader

50. Download and save your favorite videos to H.264 format
50. Pre-select audio and subtitles per the UI language
50. Save subtitles as SRT files or remux into video
50. Batch downloading and fast speed
50. Download media server-friendly metadata info

7.2 How to Download HBO Max with StreamFab HBO Downloader

First things first, you need to install the software on your Windows computer or macOS device.

i  Download for Win    i  Download for Mac 

After installation launches the program gets started with the steps below.

50. Step 1: On the main interface, click on the “VIP Services” option at the left pane to launch the Window of supported services.

50. Step 2: Click on the HBO Now or HBO Max card to launch the downloader. You will need to sign in to your account and then search for the movie or TV show you want to download.
50. Step 3: When you see the movie you want to download, play the movie, and then, when you see a popup window come up, clicking on the Download Now button on that window shall start your download immediately.

You can go ahead to search for other videos and play them too - they’d also join the downloading queue. To see the list of ongoing downloads, click on the “Task Queue” button.

You can download up to 10 movies at a go using StreamFab HBO Downloader. Thanks to the built-in hardware engine, this software works very fast and your movies would download at a 2X speed faster than regular software downloaders.

Summary

HBO streaming is available on various devices and you can also get it on your compatible TV. If you need to download movies from HBO, you can get them with StreamFab HBO Downloader. The software works on macOS and Windows computers. HBO Now and HBO Max are at the same prices and are available on various devices.

i  Download for Win    i  Download for Mac