With the exception, for the most part, of first-party content like Netflix’s Stranger Things andMax’s Game of Thrones,you always know where many shows will be streaming. That’s not the case for things not made directly by the streamer, however, and it’s not shocking to see shows jumping around on services. In some cases, you might see the same thing on multiple streamers at the same time.
It’s nice that Netflix puts the “Leaving Soon” banner over movies and shows getting ready to leave, but I wish the service would go a step further and put everything together neatly in a list on the app like they do onthe website. With therising costs, it’s only fair for Netflix to add more features.
HBO’s streaming platform with access to thousands of TV shows and movies, DC Universe content, HBO Original series content, and more.
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Max has a good thing going here
Other streamers should copy this
Although the lists are typically too long for me to watch absolutely everything, it helps me prioritize some things to focus on before they go. The reality is I have an ever-growing watchlist that I keep track of withLetterboxd, but even with that, I fall behind. Luckily, Letterboxd has a nice feature that tells me when something on my watchlist debuts on a streamer, so even if I’m not keeping track of where something’s going, this app does it for me.
At their core, the majority of these streamers work the exact same as each other, so small things like this list from Max are what standout for me and help differentiate them. I don’t understand why they can’t all copy this feature, so it’s something I chalk up to Max as a win right now.
I’m not saying Max is the best streamer, but it’s small things like that that help it stand out from the competition. It also helps that I’m a fan of A24 films, a distribution company that typically releases its movies first on Max.
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Max has been quietly adding value
While Max might have a bit of a bad reputation thanks to Warner CEO David Zaslav and his cancelation and removal of projects, the app itself has quietly become one of the best streaming apps available. The addition of live sports from the Turner networks, AEW simulcasting, and a lineup of hit shows like The Penguin and House of the Dragon, it’s a service that has a decent backlog of things to watch that don’t appear to be in danger of leaving any time soon.
The live sports are a nice touch that comes at no extra cost, although I’m worried about what the future holds as companies continue to invest more in them. There’s a strong possibility this could come at the cost of original programming, and we’ve already seen it become a reality in thecase of Prime Video.
Perhaps the biggest thing Max has going for it is thebundle with Hulu and Disney+. With streaming costs constantly rising, it’s important to save some cash where I can. In this case, paying $30 for an ad-free bundle including all three of those services is tough to beat. If you’re okay with seeing ads, you can drop the price of all three down to $17. It’s important to take small wins where you can, and that’s an area where Max lets you do that.
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There are still improvements to be made
Nothing’s perfect
A weird thing to me was when Max announced things like The Batman would be streaming on other platforms. For a time, The Batman was available on Tubi, which was odd because Warner Bros. owns the movie outright. The point of making streaming services like Disney+ and Max was for people to always know where certain things would be, but eventually we saw DC Comics content move over to other platforms. Even Netflix became the home to some of the DC properties for a little bit, a surprising thing to see considering the two platforms are meant to be rivals.
There are also some things I’d like to see Max copy that are currently available on other platforms. The big one is Amazon Prime Video’s X-ray mode that lets you instantly see what actor is on the screen. This is huge for people who see a face they recognize but can’t name the person. Often times, at least for me, it leads to me pausing the movie and looking up the cast. Apple TV+ has the same functionality, but it only works for Apple original shows.
I don’t want all of the streaming services to feel exactly the same as that’d sort of defeat the purpose of having them in the first place, but I feel like they could all borrow some inspiration from each other. First things first, I want to know what is leaving a streaming service and when it’s happening all from the confines of the app itself. What Netflix does currently works well for a lot of people, but I still want them to bring over Max’s best feature.
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