theverge--2020-11-13--Failure to launch: how we struggled to buy the PS5 and Xbox Series X

The Xbox Series X , Xbox Series S , and PlayStation 5 are finally here , and for many of us at The Verge , this has been one of the most highly anticipated weeks of the entire year .
But actually getting a console , even ones that were preordered , hasn ’ t been easy .
Like every major hardware launch , demand already is through the roof , meaning that consoles are selling out instantly .
The pandemic has almost certainly thrown many wrenches into the already-complicated logistical challenge of shipping millions of game consoles around the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a frustrating lack of communication from retailers about when and where to expect consoles , leaving customers to desperately search the web for any clue about how they can get their hands on the new machines — and often still come up empty .
A few of us at The Verge have been on the hunt this week , and we wanted to share our experiences .
Here ’ s hoping that everyone who wants one of Microsoft ’ s or Sony ’ s new consoles is able to get one soon .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ the lucky few to secure a PlayStation 5 preorder right when the floodgates opened in September .
I was also eyeing an Xbox Series S , too , but felt I would wait on that , thinking perhaps it would be easier to secure the less powerful , cheaper Xbox closer to launch day .
I was wrong .
Both Xbox consoles , like both variants of the PS5 , are pretty much sold out everywhere .
I ’ ve been watching with a mix of horror and relief at the lengths some @ @ @ @ @ @ @ random internet buyers have gone to try to snag a preorder or post-launch unit .
It ’ s been a mess , and I would have really liked to see both companies set better expectations around how many units were available and what retailers were doing to ensure fair and reasonable preordering processes that weren ’ t plagued by scalpers and bots .
We saw none of that — it ’ s been an utter free-for-all , and neither company seems willing to at the very least offer an explanation or simply point @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hurdle , something I think would have gone a long way in helping ease tensions around securing these products on day one .
Of course , I was also eyeing my PS5 Walmart preorder with increasing concern , as it hadn ’ t shipped earlier this week even as the PS5 ’ s launch was approaching in a matter of days .
I was then informed of a possible delay , sinking my hopes of getting the console on launch weekend .
But to my surprise , Walmart shipped my unit from Kentucky @ @ @ @ @ @ @ New York on Thursday evening .
It has since arrived via FedEx at my doorstep , and it ’ s now being fed hundreds of gigabytes of updates and game downloads as I prepare to actually play the thing at some point on Friday .
As for that Xbox Series S I ’ ve been eyeing , I guess I ’ ll wait until next year when Halo : Infinite launches .
I simply can ’ t be bothered to jump through the necessary hoops to get one before then .
Taylor Lyles @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and PS5 at launch , but how I got my PS5 was quite hilarious .
Every Thursday , I have a team meeting at 12:30PM ET , but my instincts were telling me that the package was going to come during that meeting .
I had my Ring doorbell camera feed running on my phone as the meeting started because I was afraid that someone would come to my porch and steal my unattended package .
Mama Tay was not gon na let a porch pirate steal her newborn baby .
As soon @ @ @ @ @ @ @ working on , I immediately saw the UPS man outside my house , and I sent a message on Zoom that said , “ My PS5 is here .
I ’ ll brb.
” I hauled ass down the steps with a mask on , freaking out the UPS man as he was not expecting anyone to be waiting outside on the porch on a cold rainy day .
I ran back upstairs , unboxed the PS5 , and decided to place my new console on my lap to let everyone know that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
A couple colleagues screenshotted my enthusiasm , and I had to post a tweet because this was the most Taylor way to get my PS5 , to be quite honest .
Cameron Faulkner : ( My boss is looking at me . )
My main focus for the arrival of next-gen consoles has been to give readers as many ways to get one .
That ’ s difficult to do during a pandemic , for many reasons : money ’ s tight , everyone is home and online at the same time @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the consoles and distributing these consoles to retailers are going through the pandemic just like everyone else .
( Okay , I think my boss stopped looking at me . )
As the PS5 released and a few of my colleagues shared stories of getting their own , the anticipation of getting one for myself set in .
I totally don ’ t need it , as I have a good PC that cost me more than enough to build .
And it ’ s not like the PS5 is bursting at the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at least .
I ’ m hoping there ’ s a PS5 left soon for ol ’ Cammy to buy Still , I ’ ve been reduced to setting restock reminders for myself .
Don ’ t worry , we ’ re still doing our best to make sure you come first , but I ’ m hoping there ’ s a PS5 left soon for ol ’ Cammy to buy .
Jay Peters : At the beginning of this week , I thought I was all set up to have two next-gen @ @ @ @ @ @ @ preordered an Xbox Series S from Newegg and a PS5 Digital Edition from Target weeks ago .
But here we are on Friday , and I won ’ t have either , both due to my own impulses and for reasons outside of my control .
I don ’ t have that Xbox Series S because I got my head turned by great reviews for the Xbox Series X and tried to hunt down a preorder for one of those .
On Monday night , I stayed up late to try to reserve @ @ @ @ @ @ @ But by sheer luck , I happened to see that Microsoft ’ s online store opened up orders for the Xbox Series X .
After minutes of frantic refreshes , I broke through and was able to actually check out a console — though with an expected shipping date of late December .
Despite that potential wait , I clicked the buy button , secured my order , breathed a sigh of relief , and canceled my Series S preorder .
There ’ s no way I would actually have to wait until @ @ @ @ @ @ @ order status for my Xbox Series X remains “ pending , ” with no indication of when it might actually ship .
And Target ’ s in-store reservation system was a bust — the website said I had reserved one , but I never got a confirmation email .
I called my nearby Target the next day to ask if they had the order , and the person I talked to said that there had been an issue with the online reservations and to try again the next day .
( Fortunately , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ . )
I don ’ t have my PS5 , either , even though I preordered it in September .
I didn ’ t get any concrete tracking information about it until yesterday — which is the day the PS5 officially launched .
Thankfully , it is supposed to arrive on Sunday .
But the lack of transparency from retailers and their overloaded checkout processes have made for a much more frustrating week than I expected .
Chaim Gartenberg : I had gone into this whole console season planning to skip both next-gen @ @ @ @ @ @ @ there ’ s not much in the way of exclusive games and I wasn ’ t willing to stay up until 3AM to try my hand refreshing Best Buy in hopes of snagging a day-one console .
However , I am also a huge technology nerd ( see : this entire job ) , and I ’ ve extremely predictably gotten caught up in the excitement and hype , so I spent all of launch day trying ( and failing ) to buy a PS5 .
I ’ ve never actually owned a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it as a way to catch up on a bunch of older games that I ’ ve never actually played ( looking at you , Persona 5 ) .
Unfortunately , buying a PS5 is , uh , virtually impossible these days , which means I ’ ve resigned myself to going back to my original plan : wait until there ’ s more stock ( and more games ) to play before picking one up .
After I go and check the Sony website one more time , that is , just @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is available .
It ’ s fine .
Really .
I ’ m not jealous of the shiny new gadgets at all .
Megan Farokhmanesh : All week I ’ ve watched my brilliant , kind , hardworking colleagues bitterly fight with digital carts for $ 500 disco bricks that barely fit into their TV stands .
Like the rising of the tide , hope swelled eternal with each new drop window .
And every time , my colleagues were thwarted by invisible forces — buyers with trigger fingers , a faulty internet @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , I ’ m not at all ashamed to say , have become my entertainment .
Like the rising of the tide , hope swelled eternal with each new drop window Look , I also want one or both of the big fancy boxes , but I ’ m just not willing to throw that much money at something with barely any exclusive games yet .
I know it would only be to taste fleeting happiness in the face of nonstop dread and insecurity about what the future might hold .
And I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , because I ’ ve asked them .
Anyway , I ’ m saving all my dead-eyed anxiety buys for the real champion ’ s choice , Black Friday .
Can ’ t wait to pick up my new console without any trouble in about three months .
Adi Robertson : I ’ m surprised everybody ’ s having so much trouble .
I figured I ’ d get a PlayStation to check out Demon ’ s Souls , so I ordered one off Amazon this week and it ’ s scheduled for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ !

Part of / The Verge guide to the PS5 and Xbox Series X
The Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, and PlayStation 5 are finally here, and for many of us at The Verge, this has been one of the most highly anticipated weeks of the entire year. But actually getting a console, even ones that were preordered, hasn’t been easy.
Like every major hardware launch, demand already is through the roof, meaning that consoles are selling out instantly. The pandemic has almost certainly thrown many wrenches into the already-complicated logistical challenge of shipping millions of game consoles around the world. And there has also been a frustrating lack of communication from retailers about when and where to expect consoles, leaving customers to desperately search the web for any clue about how they can get their hands on the new machines — and often still come up empty.
A few of us at The Verge have been on the hunt this week, and we wanted to share our experiences. Here’s hoping that everyone who wants one of Microsoft’s or Sony’s new consoles is able to get one soon.
Nick Statt: I was one of the lucky few to secure a PlayStation 5 preorder right when the floodgates opened in September. I was also eyeing an Xbox Series S, too, but felt I would wait on that, thinking perhaps it would be easier to secure the less powerful, cheaper Xbox closer to launch day.
I was wrong. Both Xbox consoles, like both variants of the PS5, are pretty much sold out everywhere. I’ve been watching with a mix of horror and relief at the lengths some of my friends, co-workers, and random internet buyers have gone to try to snag a preorder or post-launch unit.
It’s been an utter free-for-all
It’s been a mess, and I would have really liked to see both companies set better expectations around how many units were available and what retailers were doing to ensure fair and reasonable preordering processes that weren’t plagued by scalpers and bots. We saw none of that — it’s been an utter free-for-all, and neither company seems willing to at the very least offer an explanation or simply point to the COVID-19 pandemic as an obvious hurdle, something I think would have gone a long way in helping ease tensions around securing these products on day one.
Of course, I was also eyeing my PS5 Walmart preorder with increasing concern, as it hadn’t shipped earlier this week even as the PS5’s launch was approaching in a matter of days. I was then informed of a possible delay, sinking my hopes of getting the console on launch weekend.
But to my surprise, Walmart shipped my unit from Kentucky late Wednesday, and it arrived in New York on Thursday evening. It has since arrived via FedEx at my doorstep, and it’s now being fed hundreds of gigabytes of updates and game downloads as I prepare to actually play the thing at some point on Friday.
As for that Xbox Series S I’ve been eyeing, I guess I’ll wait until next year when Halo: Infinite launches. I simply can’t be bothered to jump through the necessary hoops to get one before then.
Taylor Lyles: I got an Xbox Series X and PS5 at launch, but how I got my PS5 was quite hilarious. Every Thursday, I have a team meeting at 12:30PM ET, but my instincts were telling me that the package was going to come during that meeting. I had my Ring doorbell camera feed running on my phone as the meeting started because I was afraid that someone would come to my porch and steal my unattended package. Mama Tay was not gonna let a porch pirate steal her newborn baby.
As soon as I reported what projects I was working on, I immediately saw the UPS man outside my house, and I sent a message on Zoom that said, “My PS5 is here. I’ll brb.” I hauled ass down the steps with a mask on, freaking out the UPS man as he was not expecting anyone to be waiting outside on the porch on a cold rainy day.
I ran back upstairs, unboxed the PS5, and decided to place my new console on my lap to let everyone know that I have the PS5 in my possession. A couple colleagues screenshotted my enthusiasm, and I had to post a tweet because this was the most Taylor way to get my PS5, to be quite honest.
Cameron Faulkner: (My boss is looking at me.) My main focus for the arrival of next-gen consoles has been to give readers as many ways to get one. That’s difficult to do during a pandemic, for many reasons: money’s tight, everyone is home and online at the same time, and the companies responsible for making the consoles and distributing these consoles to retailers are going through the pandemic just like everyone else.
(Okay, I think my boss stopped looking at me.) As the PS5 released and a few of my colleagues shared stories of getting their own, the anticipation of getting one for myself set in. I totally don’t need it, as I have a good PC that cost me more than enough to build. And it’s not like the PS5 is bursting at the seams with exclusive games — yet, at least.
I’m hoping there’s a PS5 left soon for ol’ Cammy to buy
Still, I’ve been reduced to setting restock reminders for myself. Don’t worry, we’re still doing our best to make sure you come first, but I’m hoping there’s a PS5 left soon for ol’ Cammy to buy.
Jay Peters: At the beginning of this week, I thought I was all set up to have two next-gen consoles by the weekend. I had preordered an Xbox Series S from Newegg and a PS5 Digital Edition from Target weeks ago. But here we are on Friday, and I won’t have either, both due to my own impulses and for reasons outside of my control.
I don’t have that Xbox Series S because I got my head turned by great reviews for the Xbox Series X and tried to hunt down a preorder for one of those. On Monday night, I stayed up late to try to reserve one for in-store pickup at Target. But by sheer luck, I happened to see that Microsoft’s online store opened up orders for the Xbox Series X. After minutes of frantic refreshes, I broke through and was able to actually check out a console — though with an expected shipping date of late December. Despite that potential wait, I clicked the buy button, secured my order, breathed a sigh of relief, and canceled my Series S preorder. There’s no way I would actually have to wait until December, right?
Well, the order status for my Xbox Series X remains “pending,” with no indication of when it might actually ship. And Target’s in-store reservation system was a bust — the website said I had reserved one, but I never got a confirmation email. I called my nearby Target the next day to ask if they had the order, and the person I talked to said that there had been an issue with the online reservations and to try again the next day. (Fortunately, my credit card wasn’t charged.)
I don’t have my PS5, either, even though I preordered it in September. I didn’t get any concrete tracking information about it until yesterday — which is the day the PS5 officially launched. Thankfully, it is supposed to arrive on Sunday. But the lack of transparency from retailers and their overloaded checkout processes have made for a much more frustrating week than I expected.
Chaim Gartenberg: I had gone into this whole console season planning to skip both next-gen consoles during the initial rush, since there’s not much in the way of exclusive games and I wasn’t willing to stay up until 3AM to try my hand refreshing Best Buy in hopes of snagging a day-one console.
However, I am also a huge technology nerd (see: this entire job), and I’ve extremely predictably gotten caught up in the excitement and hype, so I spent all of launch day trying (and failing) to buy a PS5. I’ve never actually owned a PS4, so I’m justifying it as a way to catch up on a bunch of older games that I’ve never actually played (looking at you, Persona 5).
Unfortunately, buying a PS5 is, uh, virtually impossible these days, which means I’ve resigned myself to going back to my original plan: wait until there’s more stock (and more games) to play before picking one up. After I go and check the Sony website one more time, that is, just in case that last batch of consoles is available.
It’s fine. Really. I’m not jealous of the shiny new gadgets at all.
Megan Farokhmanesh: All week I’ve watched my brilliant, kind, hardworking colleagues bitterly fight with digital carts for $500 disco bricks that barely fit into their TV stands. Like the rising of the tide, hope swelled eternal with each new drop window. And every time, my colleagues were thwarted by invisible forces — buyers with trigger fingers, a faulty internet connection, Jeff Bezos. Their failures, I’m not at all ashamed to say, have become my entertainment.
Like the rising of the tide, hope swelled eternal with each new drop window
Look, I also want one or both of the big fancy boxes, but I’m just not willing to throw that much money at something with barely any exclusive games yet. I know it would only be to taste fleeting happiness in the face of nonstop dread and insecurity about what the future might hold. And I think my colleagues know that, too, because I’ve asked them.
Anyway, I’m saving all my dead-eyed anxiety buys for the real champion’s choice, Black Friday. Can’t wait to pick up my new console without any trouble in about three months.


theverge--2020-11-13--Apple HomePod mini review: playing small ball

Two and a half years ago , Apple finally entered the smart speaker market with the HomePod .
It was a unique device — instead of prioritizing an accessible price and smart assistant features , it was laser-focused on audio quality and considerably more expensive than its closest competitors from Amazon and Google , while being less capable as a smart speaker .
As a result , the HomePod didn ’ t really take off .
Apple was forced to lower its price , and other retailers had to discount it aggressively in order to get anyone to buy it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s new smart speaker , the $ 99 HomePod mini , takes a different approach .
It ’ s smaller , simpler , and way less expensive than its bigger sibling , and thanks to Apple ’ s work on Siri over the past few years , it can actually do more than the original when it launched .
It ’ s clear that Apple designed this to complement the larger HomePod .
If you have an original in your living room , you can put the mini in various other places in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ much money or take up as much shelf space .
But the rest of the smart speaker world has obviously not stood still , and Amazon and Google have released the most compelling options in their respective lineups this year .
While Siri has gotten better , it ’ s still the HomePod mini ’ s Achilles ’ heel — well , that and the fact that you still need to be fully embedded in Apple ’ s ecosystem to get the most out of it .
The HomePod mini has a different @ @ @ @ @ @ @ you can tell they were cut from the same cloth .
Instead of a squishy-looking cylinder , the mini is a squat ball with a flat top .
It reminds me of a scented candle or an upside-down Magic-8 Ball wrapped in mesh .
Just like the original , you can get it in light or dark gray , and it has a similar soft fabric .
On top of the mini is the only interface on the device itself , a flat plastic touch-sensitive pad that you can use to invoke Siri @ @ @ @ @ @ @ adjust volume .
It has the same multicolored LEDs under it that light up and swirl around whenever Siri is listening or responding .
It will glow white when music is playing or green when you ’ re using the mini as a speakerphone for calls .
In my testing , I ’ ve found this light-up panel to be harder to see from across the room than the Echo ’ s glowing ring .
Unless you ’ re right next to the HomePod mini , it ’ s hard to tell when @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is responding .
It ’ s also much more fiddly to use to adjust volume ( especially when nothing is playing ) , and there ’ s no visual confirmation for how loud the speaker is set when you do adjust the volume , like you can see with an Echo or Nest Audio .
In all , it ’ s just less accessible than the buttons on Amazon ’ s speakers or even the touch-sensitive areas on Google ’ s — a rare miss in this department from Apple .
There ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Siri ’ s always-listening feature .
You have to either ask Siri to “ stop listening ” or dive into the HomePod settings in the Home app in iOS to toggle the feature , a slow and clumsy process .
Like the larger HomePod , the mini has a permanently attached power cord , though this time , it ends in a USB-C port .
( A 20-watt charging brick comes in the box . )
The cord is about six feet long , though I wish there was the option to just @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to put the speaker far from an outlet .
The HomePod mini has four microphones for picking up voice commands , but it does not have the room-tuning capabilities the original HomePod has .
Instead , Apple says the processor in the mini ( an S5 chip , the same as you might find in an Apple Watch ) analyzes the music being played and adjusts the speaker ’ s output for the best quality .
The microphones do an admirable job of hearing my voice commands , even from across the room @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the processor is quick to take action .
In my experience , Siri is typically faster to respond and do something than either Alexa or the Google Assistant , whether that ’ s to play music , answer a question , or control a smart home device .
With the first HomePod , Apple prioritized sound quality above all else .
That ’ s not quite the same with the HomePod mini , but you can still hear the effort that went into making the mini sound relatively good .
I say “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the HomePod mini sounds quite nice .
It ’ s considerably better-sounding than the similar-sized fourth-gen Echo Dot , and it puts out more bass than other small smart speakers .
The key thing to notice is that the HomePod mini outperforms other “ small ” smart speakers like the Echo Dot and Nest Mini , but it can ’ t compete with larger speakers like the regular Echo , Nest Audio , or Sonos One .
The HomePod mini is priced closer to those larger speakers , although it really belongs @ @ @ @ @ @ @ comes to the sound it can produce .
At 3.3 inches tall , the HomePod mini is about the same size as the fourth-gen Echo Dot and considerably smaller than the full-size Echo or Google ’ s Nest Audio .
As a result , it has just one speaker : a downward-firing full-range driver that is designed to evenly spread sound in all directions .
Two passive radiators help to accentuate lower bass tones , but they shouldn ’ t be confused with the multiple active speakers that are in the Echo and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , but I can ’ t say the HomePod mini sounds great .
And next to the larger Echo and Nest Audio , both of which cost the same , it simply can ’ t keep up .
It doesn ’ t have the presence , volume , or sound stage of either , and it certainly can ’ t match the Echo ’ s bass output .
As they say , there ’ s no replacement for displacement .
Unfortunately , there isn ’ t much you can do to improve that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be paired in a stereo configuration , but that doesn ’ t dramatically increase the amount of volume you get , and it does nothing for improving bass or punch .
Unlike the Echo or Nest speakers , you can ’ t pair the HomePod mini to a subwoofer or larger speaker system .
You are stuck with what it does out of the box .
The mini sounds better than other small speakers , but it can ’ t keep up with the new Echo or the Nest Audio Despite not being @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sound performance , the HomePod mini does sound pleasant for most any genre of music and for podcasts and other vocal performances .
It has good balance in the mid-tones and a very vocal forward sound profile .
You ’ ll hear the lyrics to your favorite song easily , without them getting overwhelmed by bass .
The bass that ’ s there can be heard but not felt .
The HomePod mini ’ s 360-sound works as advertised , too .
I can walk around the speaker , and the sound of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
This is great if you plan to put the mini in the middle of a room , but realistically , it will be on a shelf or closer to a wall , where it has less of an impact .
That ’ s why both Amazon and Google switched to more directional speaker designs this year , after years of using 360-degree speakers .
In all , the HomePod mini excels at casual listening and background music .
It ’ s great for playing music during dinner when you don ’ t @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to have some audio playing in the background as you work from home .
The mini is nice to listen to at low volumes or higher settings and doesn ’ t distort at all .
It won ’ t soundtrack a party , and it certainly doesn ’ t replace a proper sound system — but for its size , it is good .
The Ecosystem of the HomePod mini It won ’ t come as a surprise to many , but unless you are fully bought into Apple ’ s iOS ecosystem @ @ @ @ @ @ @ buying the HomePod mini .
In fact , I ’ d go even further : everyone in your home really needs to be using iPhones and Apple services to make the HomePod mini worth buying .
Setting up the mini requires an iPhone or iPad .
For any smart home control , you need to be using Apple ’ s Home app and HomeKit-compatible devices .
Asking the HomePod mini to place a phone call , read messages , or give you calendar updates requires you to use an iPhone .
The HomePod @ @ @ @ @ @ @ streaming like Google Cast or Spotify Connect , so the only way to send audio to it from a device is via Apple ’ s AirPlay .
You need an iPhone or a Mac to do that .
You need to be fully bought into Apple ’ s ecosystem and services to get the most from the HomePod mini You can tap an iPhone to the top of the HomePod mini to transfer whatever you ’ re playing on your phone to the speaker and then tap it again to transfer the audio @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be expanding this with a new interface and more features for iPhones with the U1 chip ( any model released in 2019 or later , except for the SE ) in the future , but I wasn ’ t able to test that for this review .
Apple has made some small strides toward allowing the HomePod to directly play music , podcasts , and audiobooks from sources other than Apple Music , and there ’ s now an API that apps can tap into to become the default option on the HomePod @ @ @ @ @ @ @ controls to play music and have it play from a different service than Apple Music .
But right now , the only app that ’ s taken advantage of it is Pandora , and there ’ s no word when others , such as Spotify or YouTube Music , will hop on board .
( Given Spotify ’ s frequent lawsuits and criticism of Apple ’ s locked-down platforms , I wouldn ’ t hold my breath for it anytime soon . )
Another thing I ’ d like to see is the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ music , podcasts , and audiobooks , for example , using Spotify for music , Pocket Casts for podcasts , and Audible for audiobooks .
Right now the default service setting limits all three categories to one app .
None of this is a problem if you ’ re fully bought into Apple ’ s world , but the reality is that few individuals ( and , by extension , families ) are .
Both of Apple ’ s major smart speaker competitors have services and ecosystems of their own , but they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ choice for preferred services and work with both iOS and Android devices .
Back in 2018 , my colleague Nilay Patel rightly pointed out that the state of Siri on the original HomePod can be summed up by the fact that it can not handle multiple timers .
I ’ m happy to say that the HomePod mini can support multiple timers , and you can even label them now .
Siri has gotten other improvements over the years as well .
It can now differentiate between voices , so I get a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on my calendar ” than my spouse does when they ask the same question .
It also prevents a random person from sending messages or placing phone calls from my iPhone using the HomePod mini , a problem we ran into when reviewing the original HomePod .
You can also run Siri Shortcuts from the HomePod , provided you ’ ve gone through the legwork to program them on your iPhone .
Siri can also do a bunch of things with Apple ’ s apps , such as notes , calendar , reminders @ @ @ @ @ @ @ actions with third-party apps that have added support for SiriKit commands .
A new feature as of software version 14.2 is the ability to give you an itinerary at the start of your day , including a weather report , upcoming appointments , commute traffic , and a news blurb from NPR .
You can ask for a different news source , such as Fox or CNN , but that ’ s about as far as you can customize this feature .
Either way , it ’ s nice to see Siri catch @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Google Assistant have offered for years .
I ran into a number of weird bugs with Siri during my two weeks or so testing the HomePod mini .
When asking Siri to play an album from Apple Music , it would play songs out of order instead of how they appear on the album .
When I use the HomePod mini to place a call , neither myself nor the other party could hear anything until I transferred the call to my iPhone and then back to the HomePod .
While Siri is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ my spouse ’ s and provide personalized answers , it didn ’ t know my spouse by name and referred to them as “ secondary user 1 , ” despite Siri having all of their information on the iPhone .
Some of these bugs , such as the Apple Music one , were resolved during my testing period or didn ’ t happen every time .
But collectively , they are demonstrative of why many people still have a negative perception of Siri .
Bugs aside , Siri is still behind where Amazon @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
It does the basics mostly fine , such as playing music , giving weather reports , and setting timers and reminders .
But Google still reigns supreme when it comes to answering random facts and Alexa is constantly being improved with proactive features that make it feel more like an actual assistant than a voice-controlled remote .
The smart home capabilities of the HomePod mini are largely unchanged from the HomePod .
It can control smart home devices that are set up in the Home app on the iPhone and can be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ also act as a Home hub , which allows you to control your smart home devices with your iPhone from anywhere you have a data connection .
The mini does support a new smart home protocol called Thread , which allows devices to connect to it over longer distances and using less power than Wi-Fi or Bluetooth .
( Smart home nerds will remember Thread as the standard that Google originally pushed and adopted by Eero routers before effectively stalling and going nowhere for years . )
A handful of smart lights have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ HomeKit ( Apple ’ s smart home platform ) , but for now , the Thread ecosystem is quite small .
HomeKit itself does have a wide range of compatible smart home devices , including lights , contact sensors , cameras , thermostats , door locks , smart plugs , and more , all of which can be controlled by voice through the HomePod mini .
It ’ s not as broad an ecosystem as Alexa and Google offer , but it ’ s still comprehensive .
The mini adds support for Thread @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that take advantage of it Also new for either HomePod is an intercom feature that lets you broadcast messages from a HomePod to another HomePod or Apple device .
You can have it sent to a specific HomePod or blast it to all of the HomePods in the home as an announcement .
You can even intercom using Siri from your phone or Apple Watch to broadcast messages to anyone that is at home .
But despite its name , Intercom isn ’ t really a two-way intercom .
It ’ s effectively @ @ @ @ @ @ @ instead of opening a live audio .
It ’ s fine for letting the family know you ’ re on the way home from the grocery store or telling the kids it ’ s time for dinner from another floor of the house , but I didn ’ t find it particularly necessary in my home .
Both Google and Amazon offer similar features on their smart speakers , but they have more two-way live communication options than the HomePod .
When the HomePod originally launched , it felt like Apple was operating @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rest of the smart speakers , one that didn ’ t make sense for a lot of people .
The HomePod mini at least feels like it ’ s in the same ballpark as the rest .
At $ 100 , compared to the original HomePod ’ s $ 350 launch price , the mini is priced low enough that you can envision buying more than one and spreading them throughout your home .
It does most of the things you expect a smart speaker to do and sounds good when doing them @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bought into Apple ’ s ecosystem , including services , it ’ s hard to fault the HomePod mini ’ s price or capabilities .
It also provides an escape from some of the privacy concerns and baggage that come with the Echo or Nest smart speakers , including the increasingly common ads that show up in Alexa ’ s responses .
The HomePod mini is good but still behind the pack But it feels like Apple is still two years or more behind Amazon and Google when it comes to smart speakers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Echo and Nest Audio , the HomePod mini struggles to keep up in both sound quality and features .
Apple has shown that it ’ s willing to improve things and listen to feedback when it comes to smart speakers , so I ’ ll be interested to see how it continues to develop .
Hopefully , now that the HomePod mini is here , it starts to move a little faster .
Correction : An earlier version of this review said it wasn ’ t possible to use third-party apps as default @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is incorrect , you can set a third-party app as the default to handle requests for music , podcasts , and audiobooks , but you can ’ t set separate apps for those categories .
We regret the error .

Two and a half years ago, Apple finally entered the smart speaker market with the HomePod. It was a unique device — instead of prioritizing an accessible price and smart assistant features, it was laser-focused on audio quality and considerably more expensive than its closest competitors from Amazon and Google, while being less capable as a smart speaker. As a result, the HomePod didn’t really take off. Apple was forced to lower its price, and other retailers had to discount it aggressively in order to get anyone to buy it.
Fast-forward to now and Apple’s new smart speaker, the $99 HomePod mini, takes a different approach. It’s smaller, simpler, and way less expensive than its bigger sibling, and thanks to Apple’s work on Siri over the past few years, it can actually do more than the original when it launched. It’s clear that Apple designed this to complement the larger HomePod. If you have an original in your living room, you can put the mini in various other places in your home without having to invest as much money or take up as much shelf space.
But the rest of the smart speaker world has obviously not stood still, and Amazon and Google have released the most compelling options in their respective lineups this year. While Siri has gotten better, it’s still the HomePod mini’s Achilles’ heel — well, that and the fact that you still need to be fully embedded in Apple’s ecosystem to get the most out of it.
7.5 Verge Score Apple HomePod mini $ 99 The Good Compact design
Accessibly priced compared to big HomePod
Good sound for its size
Siri is fast The Bad Still hugely dependent on Apple devices and services
Doesn’t sound as good as similarly priced competitors
Volume controls on top are fiddly
Siri is still behind Google Assistant and Alexa in features and capabilities $99 at Apple$100 at B&H Photo How we rate and review products
The top of the HomePod mini has a touch-sensitive panel that lights up when Siri is listening or responding to commands.
HomePod mini Design
The HomePod mini has a different look than the larger HomePod, but you can tell they were cut from the same cloth. Instead of a squishy-looking cylinder, the mini is a squat ball with a flat top. It reminds me of a scented candle or an upside-down Magic-8 Ball wrapped in mesh. Just like the original, you can get it in light or dark gray, and it has a similar soft fabric.
On top of the mini is the only interface on the device itself, a flat plastic touch-sensitive pad that you can use to invoke Siri, play or pause music, or adjust volume. It has the same multicolored LEDs under it that light up and swirl around whenever Siri is listening or responding. It will glow white when music is playing or green when you’re using the mini as a speakerphone for calls.
The USB-C power cable is permanently attached to the HomePod mini.
The HomePod mini’s light-up panel is harder to see than the Echo’s light ring
In my testing, I’ve found this light-up panel to be harder to see from across the room than the Echo’s glowing ring. Unless you’re right next to the HomePod mini, it’s hard to tell when Siri has heard your voice command and is responding. It’s also much more fiddly to use to adjust volume (especially when nothing is playing), and there’s no visual confirmation for how loud the speaker is set when you do adjust the volume, like you can see with an Echo or Nest Audio. In all, it’s just less accessible than the buttons on Amazon’s speakers or even the touch-sensitive areas on Google’s — a rare miss in this department from Apple.
There’s also no physical switch to disable Siri’s always-listening feature. You have to either ask Siri to “stop listening” or dive into the HomePod settings in the Home app in iOS to toggle the feature, a slow and clumsy process.
Like the larger HomePod, the mini has a permanently attached power cord, though this time, it ends in a USB-C port. (A 20-watt charging brick comes in the box.) The cord is about six feet long, though I wish there was the option to just swap it for another if you want to put the speaker far from an outlet.
The HomePod mini has four microphones for picking up voice commands, but it does not have the room-tuning capabilities the original HomePod has. Instead, Apple says the processor in the mini (an S5 chip, the same as you might find in an Apple Watch) analyzes the music being played and adjusts the speaker’s output for the best quality.
The microphones do an admirable job of hearing my voice commands, even from across the room and while something is playing, and the processor is quick to take action. In my experience, Siri is typically faster to respond and do something than either Alexa or the Google Assistant, whether that’s to play music, answer a question, or control a smart home device.
The HomePod mini is about the same size as the new Echo Dot but considerably smaller than the full-size Echo.
HomePod mini sound quality
With the first HomePod, Apple prioritized sound quality above all else. That’s not quite the same with the HomePod mini, but you can still hear the effort that went into making the mini sound relatively good.
I say “good” because, for its size, the HomePod mini sounds quite nice. It’s considerably better-sounding than the similar-sized fourth-gen Echo Dot, and it puts out more bass than other small smart speakers.
The key thing to notice is that the HomePod mini outperforms other “small” smart speakers like the Echo Dot and Nest Mini, but it can’t compete with larger speakers like the regular Echo, Nest Audio, or Sonos One. The HomePod mini is priced closer to those larger speakers, although it really belongs in the small speaker class when it comes to the sound it can produce.
At 3.3 inches tall, the HomePod mini is about the same size as the fourth-gen Echo Dot and considerably smaller than the full-size Echo or Google’s Nest Audio. As a result, it has just one speaker: a downward-firing full-range driver that is designed to evenly spread sound in all directions. Two passive radiators help to accentuate lower bass tones, but they shouldn’t be confused with the multiple active speakers that are in the Echo and Nest Audio.
The HomePod mini doesn’t provide a visual confirmation of volume levels, which is frustrating.
So it sounds good, but I can’t say the HomePod mini sounds great. And next to the larger Echo and Nest Audio, both of which cost the same, it simply can’t keep up. It doesn’t have the presence, volume, or sound stage of either, and it certainly can’t match the Echo’s bass output. As they say, there’s no replacement for displacement.
Unfortunately, there isn’t much you can do to improve that, either. Two HomePod minis can be paired in a stereo configuration, but that doesn’t dramatically increase the amount of volume you get, and it does nothing for improving bass or punch. Unlike the Echo or Nest speakers, you can’t pair the HomePod mini to a subwoofer or larger speaker system. You are stuck with what it does out of the box.
The mini sounds better than other small speakers, but it can’t keep up with the new Echo or the Nest Audio
Despite not being quite up to the Echo’s sound performance, the HomePod mini does sound pleasant for most any genre of music and for podcasts and other vocal performances. It has good balance in the mid-tones and a very vocal forward sound profile. You’ll hear the lyrics to your favorite song easily, without them getting overwhelmed by bass. The bass that’s there can be heard but not felt.
The HomePod mini’s 360-sound works as advertised, too. I can walk around the speaker, and the sound of the music just doesn’t change. This is great if you plan to put the mini in the middle of a room, but realistically, it will be on a shelf or closer to a wall, where it has less of an impact. That’s why both Amazon and Google switched to more directional speaker designs this year, after years of using 360-degree speakers.
In all, the HomePod mini excels at casual listening and background music. It’s great for playing music during dinner when you don’t want to drown out conversation or just to have some audio playing in the background as you work from home. The mini is nice to listen to at low volumes or higher settings and doesn’t distort at all. It won’t soundtrack a party, and it certainly doesn’t replace a proper sound system — but for its size, it is good.
The HomePod mini sounds good for its size.
The Ecosystem of the HomePod mini
It won’t come as a surprise to many, but unless you are fully bought into Apple’s iOS ecosystem, you shouldn’t even consider buying the HomePod mini. In fact, I’d go even further: everyone in your home really needs to be using iPhones and Apple services to make the HomePod mini worth buying.
Setting up the mini requires an iPhone or iPad. For any smart home control, you need to be using Apple’s Home app and HomeKit-compatible devices. Asking the HomePod mini to place a phone call, read messages, or give you calendar updates requires you to use an iPhone.
The HomePod mini doesn’t support cross-platform audio streaming like Google Cast or Spotify Connect, so the only way to send audio to it from a device is via Apple’s AirPlay. You need an iPhone or a Mac to do that.
You need to be fully bought into Apple’s ecosystem and services to get the most from the HomePod mini
You can tap an iPhone to the top of the HomePod mini to transfer whatever you’re playing on your phone to the speaker and then tap it again to transfer the audio back to your phone. Apple will be expanding this with a new interface and more features for iPhones with the U1 chip (any model released in 2019 or later, except for the SE) in the future, but I wasn’t able to test that for this review.
Apple has made some small strides toward allowing the HomePod to directly play music, podcasts, and audiobooks from sources other than Apple Music, and there’s now an API that apps can tap into to become the default option on the HomePod. That allows you to use voice controls to play music and have it play from a different service than Apple Music. But right now, the only app that’s taken advantage of it is Pandora, and there’s no word when others, such as Spotify or YouTube Music, will hop on board. (Given Spotify’s frequent lawsuits and criticism of Apple’s locked-down platforms, I wouldn’t hold my breath for it anytime soon.)
Another thing I’d like to see is the ability to set separate default services for music, podcasts, and audiobooks, for example, using Spotify for music, Pocket Casts for podcasts, and Audible for audiobooks. Right now the default service setting limits all three categories to one app.
None of this is a problem if you’re fully bought into Apple’s world, but the reality is that few individuals (and, by extension, families) are. Both of Apple’s major smart speaker competitors have services and ecosystems of their own, but they also allow for much more freedom of choice for preferred services and work with both iOS and Android devices.
Siri has gotten better since the original HomePod mini, but it’s still behind Amazon and Google’s virtual assistants.
Siri on the HomePod mini
Back in 2018, my colleague Nilay Patel rightly pointed out that the state of Siri on the original HomePod can be summed up by the fact that it cannot handle multiple timers. I’m happy to say that the HomePod mini can support multiple timers, and you can even label them now.
Siri has gotten other improvements over the years as well. It can now differentiate between voices, so I get a different answer for “what’s on my calendar” than my spouse does when they ask the same question. It also prevents a random person from sending messages or placing phone calls from my iPhone using the HomePod mini, a problem we ran into when reviewing the original HomePod.
Agree to Continue: Apple HomePod mini Every smart device now requires you to agree to a series of terms and conditions before you can use it — contracts that no one actually reads. It’s impossible for us to read and analyze every single one of these agreements. But we’re going to start counting exactly how many times you have to hit “agree” to use devices when we review them since these are agreements most people don’t read and definitely can’t negotiate. The HomePod mini requires an iPhone or iPad to set it up, which means you have to have agreed to the standard iPhone terms: The Apple terms of service agreement, which you can have sent to you by email
Apple’s warranty agreement, which you can have sent to you by email The HomePod also requires you agree to: The HomePod Terms and Conditions
iCloud Terms and Conditions You have the option of allowing the HomePod to access your messages, reminders, calendar events, and other information when your iPhone is on the same Wi-Fi network as the HomePod. Final tally: four mandatory agreements, one optional agreement.
You can also run Siri Shortcuts from the HomePod, provided you’ve gone through the legwork to program them on your iPhone. Siri can also do a bunch of things with Apple’s apps, such as notes, calendar, reminders, and Maps, and some limited actions with third-party apps that have added support for SiriKit commands.
A new feature as of software version 14.2 is the ability to give you an itinerary at the start of your day, including a weather report, upcoming appointments, commute traffic, and a news blurb from NPR. You can ask for a different news source, such as Fox or CNN, but that’s about as far as you can customize this feature. Either way, it’s nice to see Siri catch up to something that Alexa and the Google Assistant have offered for years.
I ran into a number of weird bugs with Siri during my two weeks or so testing the HomePod mini. When asking Siri to play an album from Apple Music, it would play songs out of order instead of how they appear on the album. When I use the HomePod mini to place a call, neither myself nor the other party could hear anything until I transferred the call to my iPhone and then back to the HomePod. While Siri is able to distinguish between my voice and my spouse’s and provide personalized answers, it didn’t know my spouse by name and referred to them as “secondary user 1,” despite Siri having all of their information on the iPhone.
Some of these bugs, such as the Apple Music one, were resolved during my testing period or didn’t happen every time. But collectively, they are demonstrative of why many people still have a negative perception of Siri.
Bugs aside, Siri is still behind where Amazon and Google are with their virtual assistants. It does the basics mostly fine, such as playing music, giving weather reports, and setting timers and reminders. But Google still reigns supreme when it comes to answering random facts and Alexa is constantly being improved with proactive features that make it feel more like an actual assistant than a voice-controlled remote.
HomePod mini Smart home
The smart home capabilities of the HomePod mini are largely unchanged from the HomePod. It can control smart home devices that are set up in the Home app on the iPhone and can be integrated into Home automations. It can also act as a Home hub, which allows you to control your smart home devices with your iPhone from anywhere you have a data connection.
The mini does support a new smart home protocol called Thread, which allows devices to connect to it over longer distances and using less power than Wi-Fi or Bluetooth. (Smart home nerds will remember Thread as the standard that Google originally pushed and adopted by Eero routers before effectively stalling and going nowhere for years.) A handful of smart lights have been announced with support for Thread in HomeKit (Apple’s smart home platform), but for now, the Thread ecosystem is quite small. HomeKit itself does have a wide range of compatible smart home devices, including lights, contact sensors, cameras, thermostats, door locks, smart plugs, and more, all of which can be controlled by voice through the HomePod mini. It’s not as broad an ecosystem as Alexa and Google offer, but it’s still comprehensive.
The mini adds support for Thread, but there are few devices yet that take advantage of it
Also new for either HomePod is an intercom feature that lets you broadcast messages from a HomePod to another HomePod or Apple device. You can have it sent to a specific HomePod or blast it to all of the HomePods in the home as an announcement. You can even intercom using Siri from your phone or Apple Watch to broadcast messages to anyone that is at home.
But despite its name, Intercom isn’t really a two-way intercom. It’s effectively sending recorded audio messages to the devices instead of opening a live audio. It’s fine for letting the family know you’re on the way home from the grocery store or telling the kids it’s time for dinner from another floor of the house, but I didn’t find it particularly necessary in my home. Both Google and Amazon offer similar features on their smart speakers, but they have more two-way live communication options than the HomePod.
The HomePod mini is small enough to fit in most places in your home.
When the HomePod originally launched, it felt like Apple was operating in a completely different world from the rest of the smart speakers, one that didn’t make sense for a lot of people. The HomePod mini at least feels like it’s in the same ballpark as the rest.
At $100, compared to the original HomePod’s $350 launch price, the mini is priced low enough that you can envision buying more than one and spreading them throughout your home. It does most of the things you expect a smart speaker to do and sounds good when doing them. If you’re already fully bought into Apple’s ecosystem, including services, it’s hard to fault the HomePod mini’s price or capabilities. It also provides an escape from some of the privacy concerns and baggage that come with the Echo or Nest smart speakers, including the increasingly common ads that show up in Alexa’s responses.
The HomePod mini is good but still behind the pack
But it feels like Apple is still two years or more behind Amazon and Google when it comes to smart speakers. And compared to the equally priced Echo and Nest Audio, the HomePod mini struggles to keep up in both sound quality and features.
Apple has shown that it’s willing to improve things and listen to feedback when it comes to smart speakers, so I’ll be interested to see how it continues to develop. Hopefully, now that the HomePod mini is here, it starts to move a little faster.
Photography by Dan Seifert / The Verge


theverge--2020-11-13--Guide to streaming: from Disney Plus and HBO Max to NBA League Pass and Crunchyroll

Share All sharing options for : Guide to streaming : from Disney Plus and HBO Max to NBA League Pass and Crunchyroll There is a plethora of streaming services available for anyone with a credit card handy .
Hulu and Netflix are general entertainment providers offering licensed content and originals for subscribers .
Others , like anime provider Crunchyroll and NFL Sunday Ticket , are targeted at specific interests .
Streaming services like Disney Plus and Apple TV Plus are flashy newcomers that are trying to find their place in an overly crowded space .
It ’ s getting trickier @ @ @ @ @ @ @ money every month .
Netflix and Hulu used to be sufficient ; subscribers could watch their favorite shows and popular originals like Stranger Things or The Handmaid ’ s Tale .
Now , between live sports , movies , original TV shows , and even nightly news , no single service offers everything .
It ’ s getting more complicated than ever to figure out where to spend your money Take a look at the most popular shows streaming today : Friends and The Office were two of the most-watched shows on Netflix @ @ @ @ @ @ @ proper WarnerMedia home now that HBO Max has launched , and The Office will leave Netflix in 2021 and be a staple of NBCUniversal ’ s new streaming service , Peacock .
New CW shows , which would normally arrive on Netflix after their seasons aired on TV , are now destined for either HBO Max or CBS All Access .
ER and other NBC favorites are on Hulu now , but they will eventually wind up on Peacock .
Having trouble following along ?
So are we .
Some streaming services are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Instead of listing every platform under the sun , we ’ ve listed a few key categories and the best streaming option in those sections .
Note : some services may be duplicated depending on the category .
• Pros : Different types of streaming options , incorporation of retail shopping , original series and popular licensed content • Who it ’ s for : People who use Amazon to shop regularly • Cost : $ 8.99 a month for Prime Video only / $ 12.99 a month or $ 120 a year @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Free for anyone who purchased a new Apple product , low cost for standalone subscribers , star-studded shows • Who it ’ s for : People looking to stay up to date on the conversation • Cost : $ 4.99 a month , or free for one year for anyone who ’ s purchased a new or refurbished Apple product recently • Top original shows : Dickinson , The Elephant Queen , For All Mankind • Who it ’ s for : Star Trek fans and people looking to binge past classics .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ streaming service .
• Cost : $ 5.99 a month for ad-supported and $ 9.99 a month for ad-free • Pros : Exclusive home for Disney TV shows and movies , low cost , entirely family-friendly , large library of shows and movies • Who it ’ s for : Families and Disney aficionados • Cost : $ 6.99 a month or $ 69.99 a year .
It can also be bundled with ad-supported Hulu and sports streaming service ESPN Plus for $ 12.99 a month ( see below ) .
• Top @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Story , High School Musical : The Musical : The Series • Who it ’ s for : HBO Max is a general entertainment streaming service .
It ’ s also a great option for anyone looking to upgrade their HBO Now accounts .
• Cost : $ 14.99 a month .
People with HBO Now , AT & T TV Now , or standard HBO cable subscriptions can get it for free .
• Top original shows : The Wire , Succession , Game of Thrones , The Sopranos , Love Life @ @ @ @ @ @ @ shows , large quantity of shows and movies , reality TV programming , variety of genres to choose from • Who it ’ s for : Everyone .
Hulu is a general entertainment streaming service .
• Cost : Ranges from $ 5.99 for an ad-supported plan to $ 60.99 a month for a subscription that includes live TV • Pros : Large quantity of movies and TV shows , easy-to-use interface , variety of genres to choose from , interactive programming • Who it ’ s for : Everyone .
Netflix is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Cost : Ranges from $ 8.99 for a basic plan to $ 15.99 for top-tier • Top original shows : Stranger Things , The Umbrella Academy , You , When They See Us • Who it ’ s for : Peacock is a general entertainment streaming service • Cost : A free ad-supported tier comes with a smaller portion of 7,500 hours of television and film content .
Peacock Premium ( the full 15,000-plus hours of content and access to everything ) with ads will cost $ 4.99 a month , but it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Peacock Premium Ad-Free will be $ 9.99 a month or $ 4.99 a month for Comcast subscribers .
• Pros : Low cost , different types of streaming services , something for everyone • Who it ’ s for : With a sports streaming service , general entertainment platform , and family-friendly option , the Disney Streaming Bundle is made for a wide array of people • Pros : Exclusive home for Disney TV shows and movies , low cost , entirely family-friendly , large library of shows and movies • Who it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ aficionados • Cost : $ 6.99 a month or $ 69.99 a year .
It can also be bundled with ad-supported Hulu and sports streaming service ESPN Plus for $ 12.99 a year .
• Top original shows : The Mandalorian , Imagineering Story , High School Musical : The Musical : The Series • Pros : Catalog of classic Nickelodeon shows , full seasons available to stream , low cost • Who it ’ s for : Cord-cutters looking for HBO in their TV package • Cost : $ 55 per month @ @ @ @ @ @ @ month for 60-plus channels • Who it ’ s for : Cord-cutters looking to bundle a live service with streaming • Pros : Cheaper than competitors , different package offerings , ability to rent new movie releases • Who it ’ s for : Cord-cutters not trying to break the bank • Cost : Sling ’ s three different packages come in at $ 30 a month ( Sling Orange , 30-plus channels , or Sling Blue , 40-plus channels ) and $ 45 a month ( Sling Orange and Blue , 50-plus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for : Cord-cutters looking for local broadcasts • Pros : Vast library of British television shows , top series like Doctor Who , classic British series • Who it ’ s for : Anyone looking to watch classic British television • Pros : Classic cartoons all in one spot , family-friendly , new shows , wide variety of content • Who it ’ s for : Adults looking for a nostalgic kick and families • Top original shows : The best part of Boomerang is the collection of classics , like Scooby-Doo , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Quest , Yogi Bear , Paddington Bear , and Tom and Jerry • Pros : The biggest selection of anime titles , ability to read manga , streaming titles not long after airing in Japan • Cost : $ 7.99 a month , $ 22.99 for three months , or $ 79.99 a year • Who it ’ s for : Anime fans looking for access to original and licensed shows as well as next-day offerings • Cost : There are three plans .
The $ 5.99-a-month ( $ 59.99 annually ) Premium @ @ @ @ @ @ @ simultaneous streams .
The $ 7.99-a-month ( $ 79.99 annually ) Premium Plus plan comes with ad-free streaming , offline viewing , and two simultaneous streams .
The $ 99.99 annual Premium Plus Ultra plan comes with all of the above plus exclusive member perks .
• Who it ’ s for : If we ’ re being honest , people looking to share pirated content • Cost : A free tier includes playback of anything on your server , as well as podcasts , news , and web shows .
There are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ month , $ 39.99 a year , or $ 119.99 for a lifetime subscription , which gives people access to other subscription services and more apps .
• Pros : Huge selection of titles , cost-effective , original movies and TV shows , podcasts , and live-streaming events • Who it ’ s for : Horror aficionados who want more than what ’ s on Netflix or Hulu • Pros : Thematically programmed with special features , a wide array of titles , more than 1,000 classic and contemporary movies • Who it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ classic films and additional material on beloved titles • Who it ’ s for : University students and library users where Kanopy is available • Who it ’ s for : HBO Max is a general entertainment streaming service .
Also a great option for anyone looking to upgrade their HBO Now accounts .
• Cost : $ 14.99 a month .
People with HBO Now , AT & T TV Now , or standard HBO cable subscriptions can get it for free .
• Top original shows : The Wire , Succession @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Love Life • Pros : Budget-friendly , good selection of new and older series , easy-to-use interface • Who it ’ s for : People who want prestige series on a budget • Who it ’ s for : Fans of specific Starz shows • Who it ’ s for : UFC fans and people looking for a cost-effective way to keep up with sports that air on ESPN • Pros : Plenty of games available to watch , different pricing tiers , single-team subscription , off-season plans • Who it ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ keep up with teams outside of their regional network • Cost : Currently , MLB.TV is not accepting new subscriptions .
Previous prices were $ 24.99 a month ( giving people the ability to cancel a little easier ) or $ 116.99 a year for full-league coverage .
A single team subscription was $ 89.99 a year .
• Compatible devices : Roku , Apple TV , Chromecast , Amazon Fire Stick and Fire TV , Android TV , PlayStation 4 , and Xbox One • Pros : Subscription packages for individual teams @ @ @ @ @ @ @ international • Who it ’ s for : Basketball fans trying to keep up with their team or the NBA at large • Cost : There are four different options : NBA TV ( live games , $ 6.99 a month or $ 49.99 annually ) , One Team ( $ 59.99 annually gets you access to every single game from one team ) , All Teams ( $ 99.99 annually , every single game ) , and All Teams , No Commercials ( $ 124.99 annually , gives you every single game @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Sunday NFL game that ’ s not broadcasting in your city , Red Zone • Who it ’ s for : Football fans who don ’ t live in the same town as their favorite team and fantasy players who need to watch every single game • Cost : Currently , NFL Sunday Ticket is not accepting new subscriptions .
Previous prices were $ 293.94 a season for the games , $ 395.94 a season for the games and Red Zone / Fantasy Zone channels • Compatible devices : Roku , Apple TV @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Fire TV , PlayStation 4 , Xbox One , iOS and Android devices • Who it ’ s for : Hockey fans looking to not miss out on a big game or favorite team • Cost : Currently , NHL.TV is not accepting new subscriptions .
Previous prices started at $ 24.99 for one month of games , $ 119.99 a year for single team access , and $ 144.99 a year for the entire NHL season ’ s live games • Compatible devices : Roku , Apple TV , Chromecast , Amazon @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 4 , Xbox One , iOS and Android devices • Pros : Exclusive league games , available globally , fights are available to replay • Who it ’ s for : Boxing fans , MMA fans , people with interests in sports that aren ’ t the NFL , MLB , MLS , NHL , or NBA Update July 1st , 2020 , 11:15AM ET : The monthly price for YouTube TV has been updated .
Update July 16th , 2020 , 11:40AM ET : Information about Peacock has been updated .

There is a plethora of streaming services available for anyone with a credit card handy. Hulu and Netflix are general entertainment providers offering licensed content and originals for subscribers. Others, like anime provider Crunchyroll and NFL Sunday Ticket, are targeted at specific interests. Streaming services like Disney Plus and Apple TV Plus are flashy newcomers that are trying to find their place in an overly crowded space.
It’s getting trickier to figure out where to spend your money every month. Netflix and Hulu used to be sufficient; subscribers could watch their favorite shows and popular originals like Stranger Things or The Handmaid’s Tale. Now, between live sports, movies, original TV shows, and even nightly news, no single service offers everything.
It’s getting more complicated than ever to figure out where to spend your money
Take a look at the most popular shows streaming today: Friends and The Office were two of the most-watched shows on Netflix, but Friends has returned to its proper WarnerMedia home now that HBO Max has launched, and The Office will leave Netflix in 2021 and be a staple of NBCUniversal’s new streaming service, Peacock. New CW shows, which would normally arrive on Netflix after their seasons aired on TV, are now destined for either HBO Max or CBS All Access. ER and other NBC favorites are on Hulu now, but they will eventually wind up on Peacock. Having trouble following along? So are we.
Some streaming services are better suited for your personal needs. Instead of listing every platform under the sun, we’ve listed a few key categories and the best streaming option in those sections. Note: some services may be duplicated depending on the category.
Photo by Robyn Beck / AFP via Getty Images
Top eight breakdown
Pros: Different types of streaming options, incorporation of retail shopping, original series and popular licensed content
Who it’s for: People who use Amazon to shop regularly
Cost: $8.99 a month for Prime Video only / $12.99 a month or $120 a year for full Amazon Prime
Top original shows: The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, Transparent, Good Omens, Bosch
Compatible devices: Smart TVs, Blu-ray players, Roku, Google TV, TiVo, Nvidia Shield, Amazon Fire TV, Fire TV Stick, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Android devices, iOS devices, Fire Phone, Fire tablets
Amazon Prime Video / $8.99 per month (video only); $12.99 per month or $120 annually (full Prime) Subscribe
Pros: Free for anyone who purchased a new Apple product, low cost for standalone subscribers, star-studded shows
Who it’s for: People looking to stay up to date on the conversation
Cost: $4.99 a month, or free for one year for anyone who’s purchased a new or refurbished Apple product recently
Top original shows: Dickinson, The Elephant Queen, For All Mankind
Compatible devices: Amazon Fire TV, Apple TV, Browser, iOS, Roku
Apple TV Plus / $4.99 per month Subscribe
Pros: Low cost, popular original series, big library of content
Who it’s for: Star Trek fans and people looking to binge past classics. CBS All Access is a general entertainment streaming service.
Cost: $5.99 a month for ad-supported and $9.99 a month for ad-free
Top original shows: The Good Fight, Star Trek: Discovery, Strange Angel
Compatible devices: Amazon Fire TV, Android, Android TV, Apple TV, Browser, Chromecast, iOS, Xbox, Roku, PlayStation
CBS All Access / $5.99 per month (ad-supported) or $9.99 per month (ad-free) Subscribe
Pros: Exclusive home for Disney TV shows and movies, low cost, entirely family-friendly, large library of shows and movies
Who it’s for: Families and Disney aficionados
Cost: $6.99 a month or $69.99 a year. It can also be bundled with ad-supported Hulu and sports streaming service ESPN Plus for $12.99 a month (see below).
Top original shows: The Mandalorian, Imagineering Story, High School Musical: The Musical: The Series
Compatible devices: Amazon Fire TV, Android, Android TV, Apple TV, Browser, Chromecast, iOS, Xbox, Roku, PlayStation
Disney Plus / $6.99 per month or $69.99 if you pay annually Subscribe
Pros: Includes HBO content, heavy focus on human curation, incredibly large movie and TV show library
Who it’s for: HBO Max is a general entertainment streaming service. It’s also a great option for anyone looking to upgrade their HBO Now accounts.
Cost: $14.99 a month. People with HBO Now, AT&T TV Now, or standard HBO cable subscriptions can get it for free.
Top original shows: The Wire, Succession, Game of Thrones, The Sopranos, Love Life
Compatible devices: Android, Android TV, Apple TV, Browser, Chromecast, iOS, Xbox, PlayStation
HBO Max / $14.99 per month Subscribe
Pros: Next-day programming for certain shows, large quantity of shows and movies, reality TV programming, variety of genres to choose from
Who it’s for: Everyone. Hulu is a general entertainment streaming service.
Cost: Ranges from $5.99 for an ad-supported plan to $60.99 a month for a subscription that includes live TV
Top original shows: The Handmaid’s Tale, Castle Rock
Compatible devices: Amazon Fire TV, Android, Android TV, Apple TV, Browser, Chromecast, iOS, Xbox, Roku, PlayStation
Hulu / Starting at $5.99 per month ad-supported, up to $60.99 a month with live TV Subscribe
Pros: Large quantity of movies and TV shows, easy-to-use interface, variety of genres to choose from, interactive programming
Who it’s for: Everyone. Netflix is a general entertainment streaming service.
Cost: Ranges from $8.99 for a basic plan to $15.99 for top-tier
Top original shows: Stranger Things, The Umbrella Academy, You, When They See Us
Compatible devices: Amazon Fire TV, Android, Android TV, Apple TV, Browser, Chromecast, iOS, Xbox, Roku, PlayStation
Netflix / Starting at $8.99 per month and up to $15.99 Subscribe
Pros: Live news, some live sports, ad-supported cheaper tier, next-day programming
Who it’s for: Peacock is a general entertainment streaming service
Cost: A free ad-supported tier comes with a smaller portion of 7,500 hours of television and film content. Peacock Premium (the full 15,000-plus hours of content and access to everything) with ads will cost $4.99 a month, but it will be free to Comcast subscribers. Peacock Premium Ad-Free will be $9.99 a month or $4.99 a month for Comcast subscribers.
Top original shows: Brave New World, Intelligence
Compatible devices: Xfinity One, Xfinity Flex, Amazon Fire TV, Apple TV, Chromecast, Roku, iPhone, iPad, browsers, Android phone and tablet
Peacock / Starting free and up to $9.99 per month Subscribe
Image: Disney
Bundle options
Pros: Low cost, different types of streaming services, something for everyone
Who it’s for: With a sports streaming service, general entertainment platform, and family-friendly option, the Disney Streaming Bundle is made for a wide array of people
Cost: $12.99 a month
Compatible devices: Amazon Fire TV, Android, Android TV, Apple TV, Browser, Chromecast, iOS, Xbox, Roku, PlayStation
Disney Plus, Hulu, and ESPN Plus bundle / $12.99 per month Subscribe
Family content
Pros: Exclusive home for Disney TV shows and movies, low cost, entirely family-friendly, large library of shows and movies
Who it’s for: Families and Disney aficionados
Cost: $6.99 a month or $69.99 a year. It can also be bundled with ad-supported Hulu and sports streaming service ESPN Plus for $12.99 a year.
Top original shows: The Mandalorian, Imagineering Story, High School Musical: The Musical: The Series
Compatible devices: Amazon Fire TV, Android, Android TV, Apple TV, Browser, Chromecast, iOS, Xbox, Roku, PlayStation
Disney Plus / $6.99 per month or $69.99 if you pay annually Subscribe
Pros: Catalog of classic Nickelodeon shows, full seasons available to stream, low cost
Cost: $7.99 a month or free with Amazon Prime Video Channels subscription
Top original shows: SpongeBob SquarePants, Hey Arnold!, iCarly
Compatible devices: Amazon Fire TV, Android, Android TV, Apple TV, Browser, Chromecast, iOS, Xbox, Roku, PlayStation
Nick Hits / $7.99 per month or free with an Amazon Prime subscription Subscribe
Pros: Free, recognizable programming
Cost: Free
Top original shows: Sid’s Science Fair, CyberChase Shape Quest
Compatible devices: iPhone, iPod Touch, iPad, Android Phone, Android Tablet, Kindle Tablet, Leap Motion (OS X)
PBS Kids / Available for free Subscribe
Live TV
Pros: Includes HBO, cloud DVR capabilities, multiple prestige channels
Who it’s for: Cord-cutters looking for HBO in their TV package
Cost: $55 per month for 45-plus channels; $80 per month for 60-plus channels
Compatible devices: Amazon Fire TV, Apple TV, Chromecast, Roku, Browsers, iPhone / iPad, Android Phone, Android Tablet, Samsung Smart TV, and Android TV
AT&T TV Now / $55 per month for 45-plus channels; $80 per month for 60-plus channels Subscribe
Pros: Comes with Hulu, on-demand playback, affordable pricing
Who it’s for: Cord-cutters looking to bundle a live service with streaming
Cost: $54.99 a month
Compatible devices: Apple TV, Chromecast, Roku, iPhone, iPad, Browsers, Android Phone Android Tablet, Android TV, Xbox, LG Smart TV, Samsung Smart TV, Vizio Smart TV, Amazon Fire TV
Hulu with Live TV / $54.99 per month Subscribe
Pros: Cheaper than competitors, different package offerings, ability to rent new movie releases
Who it’s for: Cord-cutters not trying to break the bank
Cost: Sling’s three different packages come in at $30 a month (Sling Orange, 30-plus channels, or Sling Blue, 40-plus channels) and $45 a month (Sling Orange and Blue, 50-plus channels)
Compatible devices: Amazon Fire TV, Apple TV, Chromecast, Roku, iPhone, iPad, Browsers, Android Phone, Android Tablet, Android TV, Xbox, Samsung Smart TV, LG Smart TV, and Vizio Smart TV
Sling TV / Package start at $30 per month and go up to $45 per month Subscribe
Pros: Easy-to-use interface, excellent DVR capabilities, local networks
Who it’s for: Cord-cutters looking for local broadcasts
Cost: $64.99 a month
Compatible devices: Apple TV, Chromecast, Roku, iPhone, iPad, Browsers, Android Phone Android Tablet, Android TV, Xbox, LG Smart TV, Samsung Smart TV, Vizio Smart TV, Amazon Fire TV
YouTube TV / $64.99 per month Subscribe
Photo by Stefan Etienne / The Verge
Niche
Pros: Vast library of British television shows, top series like Doctor Who, classic British series
Who it’s for: Anyone looking to watch classic British television
Cost: $6.99 a month or $69.99 annually
Top original shows: Doctor Who, Absolutely Fabulous, Black Adder, Coronation Street
Compatible devices: Browsers, Roku, Chromecast, Apple TV, iPhone, iPad, Android devices, and Samsung Smart TVs
BritBox / $6.99 per month or $69.99 annually Subscribe
Pros: Classic cartoons all in one spot, family-friendly, new shows, wide variety of content
Who it’s for: Adults looking for a nostalgic kick and families
Cost: $4.99 a month or $39.99 annually
Top original shows: The best part of Boomerang is the collection of classics, like Scooby-Doo, Bugs Bunny, The Jetsons, Johnny Quest, Yogi Bear, Paddington Bear, and Tom and Jerry
Compatible devices: Android, iOS, Apple TV, Roku, Kindle, Browser, Amazon FireTV or Fire Stick
Boomerang / $4.99 per month or $39.99 annually Subscribe
Pros: The biggest selection of anime titles, ability to read manga, streaming titles not long after airing in Japan
Who it’s for: Anime fans
Cost: $7.99 a month, $22.99 for three months, or $79.99 a year
Compatible devices: Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, Roku, Xbox One, PlayStation 4, Chromecast, iOS, Android, Browsers
Crunchyroll / $7.99 per month, $22.99 for three months, or $79.99 per year Subscribe
Pros: Wide array of DC TV shows, exclusive animated series, classic animated DC films, and digital comic books
Who it’s for: DC comics fans
Cost: $7.99 a month or $74.99 annually
Top original shows: Titans, Harley Quinn, Doom Patrol
Compatible devices: Amazon Fire TV, Android, Android TV, Apple TV, Browser, Chromecast, iOS, Xbox, Roku, PlayStation
DC Universe / $7.99 per month or $74.99 annually Subscribe
Pros: Exclusive anime series, expansive library, offline viewing
Who it’s for: Anime fans looking for access to original and licensed shows as well as next-day offerings
Cost: There are three plans. The $5.99-a-month ($59.99 annually) Premium plan comes with ad-free streaming and two simultaneous streams. The $7.99-a-month ($79.99 annually) Premium Plus plan comes with ad-free streaming, offline viewing, and two simultaneous streams. The $99.99 annual Premium Plus Ultra plan comes with all of the above plus exclusive member perks.
Compatible devices: Apple TV, iOS, Android, PlayStation, Xbox, Amazon Fire TV, Chromecast, Roku, Amazon Kindle, LG and Samsung smart TVs
Funimation / Ranges from $5.99 per month to $99.99 annually Subscribe
Pros: Ability to share content, good movie selection, host downloads
Who it’s for: If we’re being honest, people looking to share pirated content
Cost: A free tier includes playback of anything on your server, as well as podcasts, news, and web shows. There are also paid tiers at $4.99 a month, $39.99 a year, or $119.99 for a lifetime subscription, which gives people access to other subscription services and more apps.
Compatible devices: Browsers, iOS, Android, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Amazon Alexa, Amazon Fire TV, Android TV, Apple TV, Chromecast, Roku, Sonos, TiVo
Plex / Ranges from free to $119.99 for a lifetime subscription Subscribe
Pros: Huge selection of titles, cost-effective, original movies and TV shows, podcasts, and live-streaming events
Who it’s for: Horror aficionados who want more than what’s on Netflix or Hulu
Cost: $5.99 a month or $56.99 annually
Top original shows: Creepshow, Deadwax
Compatible devices: Apple, Android, Roku, Fire TV, Browsers
Shudder / $5.99 per month or $56.99 annually Subscribe
Image: Criterion
Prestige Film
Pros: Thematically programmed with special features, a wide array of titles, more than 1,000 classic and contemporary movies
Who it’s for: Cinephiles looking for classic films and additional material on beloved titles
Cost: $10.99 a month or $99.99 annually
Compatible devices: Amazon Fire TV, Android TV, Apple TV, Browsers, Chromecast, Roku
Criterion Channel / $10.99 per month or $99.99 annually Subscribe
Pros: Free, large catalog of classic movies, wide array of independent titles
Who it’s for: University students and library users where Kanopy is available
Cost: Free
Compatible devices: Apple TV, Chromecast, browsers
Kanopy / Available for free Subscribe
Photo by Presley Ann / Getty Images for WarnerMedia
Prestige TV
Pros: Includes HBO content, heavy focus on human curation, incredibly large movie and TV show library
Who it’s for: HBO Max is a general entertainment streaming service. Also a great option for anyone looking to upgrade their HBO Now accounts.
Cost: $14.99 a month. People with HBO Now, AT&T TV Now, or standard HBO cable subscriptions can get it for free.
Top original shows: The Wire, Succession, Game of Thrones, The Sopranos, Love Life
Compatible devices: Android, Android TV, Apple TV, Browser, Chromecast, iOS, Xbox, PlayStation
HBO Max / $14.99 per month Subscribe
Pros: Budget-friendly, good selection of new and older series, easy-to-use interface
Who it’s for: People who want prestige series on a budget
Cost: $8.99 a month
Top original shows: Billions, Shameless, The Affair
Compatible devices: Amazon Fire TV, Android TV, Apple TV, Chromecast, LG Smart TVs, Roku, Samsung Smart TVs, Xbox One
Showtime / $8.99 per month Subscribe
Pros: Low cost, award-winning shows, exclusive programming
Who it’s for: Fans of specific Starz shows
Cost: $8.99 a month
Top original shows: Outlander, Girlfriend Experiment, Power, Black Sails
Compatible devices: Kindle Fire Tablet, Amazon Fire TV and Stick, Android Phone, Android Tablets, Android TV, Nexus Player, Nvidia Shield, Razer Forge, Apple TVs, Browsers, iPhone, iPad, Roku, Xbox One
Starz / $8.99 per month Subscribe
Sports
Pros: Carries big UFC fights, a number of other live sports options, low cost
Who it’s for: UFC fans and people looking for a cost-effective way to keep up with sports that air on ESPN
Cost: $4.99 a month or $49.99 annually
Compatible devices: Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, Chromecast, Roku, Android TV, Android, iOS, Amazon Fire, Xbox One, PlayStation 4, browsers
ESPN Plus / $4.99 per month or $49.99 annually Subscribe
Pros: Plenty of games available to watch, different pricing tiers, single-team subscription, off-season plans
Who it’s for: Baseball fans trying to keep up with teams outside of their regional network
Cost: Currently, MLB.TV is not accepting new subscriptions. Previous prices were $24.99 a month (giving people the ability to cancel a little easier) or $116.99 a year for full-league coverage. A single team subscription was $89.99 a year.
Compatible devices: Roku, Apple TV, Chromecast, Amazon Fire Stick and Fire TV, Android TV, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One
Pros: Subscription packages for individual teams, ability to watch every game, international
Who it’s for: Basketball fans trying to keep up with their team or the NBA at large
Cost: There are four different options: NBA TV (live games, $6.99 a month or $49.99 annually), One Team ($59.99 annually gets you access to every single game from one team), All Teams ($99.99 annually, every single game), and All Teams, No Commercials ($124.99 annually, gives you every single game without ads)
Compatible devices: iPhone, iPad, Android Phone, Android Tablet, Kindle Fire, Roku 3, Apple TV, Android TV, Amazon Fire TV and Fire Stick, Xbox One, PlayStation
NBA League Pass / Plans start at $6.99 per month for live games, up to $124.99 annually for all games ad-free. Subscribe
Pros: Every Sunday NFL game that’s not broadcasting in your city, Red Zone
Who it’s for: Football fans who don’t live in the same town as their favorite team and fantasy players who need to watch every single game
Cost: Currently, NFL Sunday Ticket is not accepting new subscriptions. Previous prices were $293.94 a season for the games, $395.94 a season for the games and Red Zone / Fantasy Zone channels
Compatible devices: Roku, Apple TV, Chromecast, Amazon Fire Stick and Fire TV, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, iOS and Android devices
Pros: Three different subscription tiers, single team options
Who it’s for: Hockey fans looking to not miss out on a big game or favorite team
Cost: Currently, NHL.TV is not accepting new subscriptions. Previous prices started at $24.99 for one month of games, $119.99 a year for single team access, and $144.99 a year for the entire NHL season’s live games
Compatible devices: Roku, Apple TV, Chromecast, Amazon Fire Stick and Fire TV, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, iOS and Android devices
Pros: Exclusive league games, available globally, fights are available to replay
Who it’s for: Boxing fans, MMA fans, people with interests in sports that aren’t the NFL, MLB, MLS, NHL, or NBA
Cost: $19.99 a month or $99.99 a year
Compatible devices: Android, Fire OS, iOS, Amazon Fire TV, Apple TV, Chromecast, Roku, PlayStation, Xbox, and browser
DAZN / $19.99 per month or $99.99 a year Subscribe
DAZN / $19.99 per month or $99.99 a year Subscribe


theverge--2020-11-13--How to stream HBO Max

How to stream HBO Max

HBO Max has arrived .
Combining the vast content empire of AT & T ’ s WarnerMedia — HBO , Warner Bros. , New Line Cinema , DC Entertainment , TBS , TNT , CNN , Cartoon Network , The CW , Crunchyroll , and Adult Swim — into a single streaming service already gives HBO Max one of the broadest streaming catalogs around .
Additional licensed content , including the works of Studio Ghibli , titles from the Criterion Collection , shows from the BBC , and popular series like Friends and The Big Bang Theory , make it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ yet .
And that ’ s in addition to original shows and movies that will be exclusive to HBO Max .
But HBO Max is also one of the most expensive streaming services around , costing $ 14.99 per month — vastly more than Netflix , Hulu , or Disney Plus .
Interested in trying it out ?
Here ’ s everything you need to know about getting started with HBO Max How much does HBO Max cost ?
HBO Max costs $ 14.99 a month , making it one of the most @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is the same monthly cost as HBO Now , however — and HBO Max offers all the content that had been available on HBO Now , plus all that WarnerMedia stuff .
There ’ s also a free seven-day trial for anyone looking to give it a shot before they pay up , along with plans for a cheaper , ad-supported version of HBO Max set to launch sometime in 2021 .
What ’ s the difference between HBO Max and HBO / Go / Now ?
WarnerMedia ’ s streaming options have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , with the addition of HBO Max .
Here ’ s how things break down across all the various services : • HBO : the premium , paid cable TV channel .
Purchased through your TV provider as an add-on to your existing TV package , costs vary by subscriber .
• HBO Go : the online streaming app and website that lets you access HBO content if you pay for the HBO channel .
Included free with HBO ( the cable TV channel ) .
• HBO Now : the standalone streaming @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that lets people who don ’ t pay for cable get access to HBO .
Offers the same content that HBO Go does , although they ’ re different apps across all platforms .
In theory , HBO Now should be obsolete with the introduction of HBO Max , although that ’ s not quite the case yet .
• HBO Max : The new WarnerMedia service that combines the existing HBO Go / Now library — all of HBO — with additional content , including Warner Bros. blockbusters , popular TV shows @ @ @ @ @ @ @ classic films , Studio Ghibli titles , and new , exclusive originals .
Will I get HBO Max for free if I already pay for HBO or HBO Now ?
This is where things start to get a little tricky .
Depending on where you get your current HBO or HBO Now subscription — or which AT & T cellphone plan you have — you might already be getting free HBO Max .
For existing HBO customers : If you subscribe to HBO through a cable or internet TV provider , there ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ ll have access to HBO Max already .
Major providers like AT & T TV , Cox , DirecTV , Hulu , Optimum , Spectrum , Verizon Fios , and Comcast Xfinity are all supporting HBO Max — if you already have HBO through one of those providers , you should be able to log in using your usual credentials .
A full list of supported providers is available here .
For existing HBO Now customers : If you pay for HBO Now through HBO Now directly or through Apple , Google @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Fios , Consolidated Communications , or Liberty Cablevision of Puerto Rico , then your account will be converted to an HBO Max account .
AT & T customers : Some of AT & T ’ s wireless , internet , and TV plans also include free HBO Max , including AT & T ’ s Unlimited Elite wireless plan and AT & T Fiber ’ s 1 Gig plan .
If you pay for HBO Now through another provider , though — like , say , Amazon — then you won ’ t @ @ @ @ @ @ @ if you log in on another , non-Amazon device .
If that ’ s the case , you ’ ll have to wait until WarnerMedia works out a deal with your provider or switch your HBO Now subscription over to a different company ( or just subscribe directly through WarnerMedia ) .
What can I watch on HBO Max ?
HBO Max includes HBO ’ s entire content library , including shows like Game of Thrones , The Sopranos , Succession , and more .
But that ’ s just the start : @ @ @ @ @ @ @ amount of classic and modern Warner Bros. films , like the Harry Potter series , DC ’ s superhero movies ( including the upcoming Zack Snyder cut of Justice League planned for 2021 ) , and the entire Studio Ghibli catalog ( except Grave of the Fireflies for some reason ) .
Major popular TV series , like Friends , The Big Bang Theory , and The Fresh Prince of Bel Air , will also be available .
But like all major streaming services , HBO Max will also have exclusive content that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , including Love Life ( out now ) , the forthcoming Adventure Time : Distant Lands ( a spinoff from the popular animated series ) , and An American Pickle .
HBO Max also has numerous original shows and movies in production for the future , including a Gossip Girl reboot , Dune : The Sisterhood , a Green Lantern series , Grease : Rydell High , Station Eleven , and more .
Where is HBO Max available ?
Right now , HBO Max is only available in the United States at launch @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the service internationally — including Latin America and Europe — in the future .
What devices can I watch HBO Max on ?
HBO Max is available on Android , Android TV , Apple TV , Chromecast , iOS , PlayStation 4 , Xbox One , and Samsung smart TV platforms ( from 2016 and onward — in fact , the “ new ” app is actually just an update to the existing HBO Now apps on those platforms ) .
There ’ s also a desktop web player for streaming on Mac @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Notably missing from that list : Amazon ’ s Fire TV and Roku , neither of which can access HBO Max .
( Both platforms do offer HBO Now apps , but they haven ’ t been updated to HBO Max and can ’ t access the additional content ) .
Can I share an HBO Max account with friends and family ?
HBO Max can be streamed on up to three different devices simultaneously , so you can share an account with friends and family members .
The service also allows for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with options for parentally controlled “ Kid ” profiles on which parents can set content ratings limits .
HBO Max content can be downloaded locally , but there are a few limitations : users get a total of 30 downloads per account across all devices and user profiles .
Unwatched downloads also expire after 30 days or after 48 hours once you ’ ve started watching it .
Users will be able to renew expired downloads , although it ’ s not clear if there ’ s a limit as to how often @ @ @ @ @ @ @ so .
Additionally , only five copies of a show or movie can be downloaded at once across your various devices .
HBO Max also offers two different download options : “ highest quality , ” a larger file that will take longer to download , and a “ fastest download ” option that offers a smaller file that will download faster .
How do I sign up ?
HBO Max can be signed up for in a variety of ways : customers can go to HBO Max ’ s website and subscribe @ @ @ @ @ @ @ through a supported TV or internet service ( see the full list here ) .

HBO Max has arrived. Combining the vast content empire of AT&T’s WarnerMedia — HBO, Warner Bros., New Line Cinema, DC Entertainment, TBS, TNT, CNN, Cartoon Network, The CW, Crunchyroll, and Adult Swim — into a single streaming service already gives HBO Max one of the broadest streaming catalogs around.
Additional licensed content, including the works of Studio Ghibli, titles from the Criterion Collection, shows from the BBC, and popular series like Friends and The Big Bang Theory, make it one of the most high-profile streaming services yet. And that’s in addition to original shows and movies that will be exclusive to HBO Max.
But HBO Max is also one of the most expensive streaming services around, costing $14.99 per month — vastly more than Netflix, Hulu, or Disney Plus.
Interested in trying it out? Here’s everything you need to know about getting started with HBO Max
How much does HBO Max cost?
HBO Max costs $14.99 a month, making it one of the most expensive streaming services around. That price is the same monthly cost as HBO Now, however — and HBO Max offers all the content that had been available on HBO Now, plus all that WarnerMedia stuff.
There’s also a free seven-day trial for anyone looking to give it a shot before they pay up, along with plans for a cheaper, ad-supported version of HBO Max set to launch sometime in 2021.
What’s the difference between HBO Max and HBO / Go / Now?
WarnerMedia’s streaming options have grown… complicated, to say the least, with the addition of HBO Max. Here’s how things break down across all the various services:
HBO : the premium, paid cable TV channel. Purchased through your TV provider as an add-on to your existing TV package, costs vary by subscriber.
: the premium, paid cable TV channel. Purchased through your TV provider as an add-on to your existing TV package, costs vary by subscriber. HBO Go : the online streaming app and website that lets you access HBO content if you pay for the HBO channel. Included free with HBO (the cable TV channel).
: the online streaming app and website that lets you access HBO content if you pay for the HBO channel. Included free with HBO (the cable TV channel). HBO Now : the standalone streaming service that costs $14.99 per month that lets people who don’t pay for cable get access to HBO. Offers the same content that HBO Go does, although they’re different apps across all platforms. In theory, HBO Now should be obsolete with the introduction of HBO Max, although that’s not quite the case yet.
: the standalone streaming service that costs $14.99 per month that lets people who don’t pay for cable get access to HBO. Offers the same content that HBO Go does, although they’re different apps across all platforms. In theory, HBO Now should be obsolete with the introduction of HBO Max, although that’s not quite the case yet. HBO Max: The new WarnerMedia service that combines the existing HBO Go / Now library — all of HBO — with additional content, including Warner Bros. blockbusters, popular TV shows like Friends, Cartoon Network shows, classic films, Studio Ghibli titles, and new, exclusive originals.
Will I get HBO Max for free if I already pay for HBO or HBO Now?
This is where things start to get a little tricky. Depending on where you get your current HBO or HBO Now subscription — or which AT&T cellphone plan you have — you might already be getting free HBO Max.
For existing HBO customers: If you subscribe to HBO through a cable or internet TV provider, there’s a very good chance that you’ll have access to HBO Max already. Major providers like AT&T TV, Cox, DirecTV, Hulu, Optimum, Spectrum, Verizon Fios, and Comcast Xfinity are all supporting HBO Max — if you already have HBO through one of those providers, you should be able to log in using your usual credentials. A full list of supported providers is available here.
For existing HBO Now customers: If you pay for HBO Now through HBO Now directly or through Apple, Google Play, Samsung, Optimum, Verizon Fios, Consolidated Communications, or Liberty Cablevision of Puerto Rico, then your account will be converted to an HBO Max account.
AT&T customers: Some of AT&T’s wireless, internet, and TV plans also include free HBO Max, including AT&T’s Unlimited Elite wireless plan and AT&T Fiber’s 1 Gig plan.
If you pay for HBO Now through another provider, though — like, say, Amazon — then you won’t have access to HBO Max, even if you log in on another, non-Amazon device. If that’s the case, you’ll have to wait until WarnerMedia works out a deal with your provider or switch your HBO Now subscription over to a different company (or just subscribe directly through WarnerMedia).
What can I watch on HBO Max?
HBO Max includes HBO’s entire content library, including shows like Game of Thrones, The Sopranos, Succession, and more. But that’s just the start: it’ll also include a huge amount of classic and modern Warner Bros. films, like the Harry Potter series, DC’s superhero movies (including the upcoming Zack Snyder cut of Justice League planned for 2021), and the entire Studio Ghibli catalog (except Grave of the Fireflies for some reason). Major popular TV series, like Friends, The Big Bang Theory, and The Fresh Prince of Bel Air, will also be available.
But like all major streaming services, HBO Max will also have exclusive content that won’t be available anywhere else, including Love Life (out now), the forthcoming Adventure Time: Distant Lands (a spinoff from the popular animated series), and An American Pickle. HBO Max also has numerous original shows and movies in production for the future, including a Gossip Girl reboot, Dune: The Sisterhood, a Green Lantern series, Grease: Rydell High, Station Eleven, and more.
Where is HBO Max available?
Right now, HBO Max is only available in the United States at launch, but WarnerMedia is looking to expand the service internationally — including Latin America and Europe — in the future.
What devices can I watch HBO Max on?
HBO Max is available on Android, Android TV, Apple TV, Chromecast, iOS, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Samsung smart TV platforms (from 2016 and onward — in fact, the “new” app is actually just an update to the existing HBO Now apps on those platforms). There’s also a desktop web player for streaming on Mac, Windows, and Chromebook devices.
Notably missing from that list: Amazon’s Fire TV and Roku, neither of which can access HBO Max. (Both platforms do offer HBO Now apps, but they haven’t been updated to HBO Max and can’t access the additional content).
Can I share an HBO Max account with friends and family?
HBO Max can be streamed on up to three different devices simultaneously, so you can share an account with friends and family members. The service also allows for multiple user profiles to be created, with options for parentally controlled “Kid” profiles on which parents can set content ratings limits.
Can you watch HBO Max shows offline?
HBO Max content can be downloaded locally, but there are a few limitations: users get a total of 30 downloads per account across all devices and user profiles. Unwatched downloads also expire after 30 days or after 48 hours once you’ve started watching it. Users will be able to renew expired downloads, although it’s not clear if there’s a limit as to how often you’ll be able to do so. Additionally, only five copies of a show or movie can be downloaded at once across your various devices.
HBO Max also offers two different download options: “highest quality,” a larger file that will take longer to download, and a “fastest download” option that offers a smaller file that will download faster.
How do I sign up?
HBO Max can be signed up for in a variety of ways: customers can go to HBO Max’s website and subscribe directly through WarnerMedia or purchase a subscription through a supported TV or internet service (see the full list here).