HBO Max finally launches on LG smart TVs in the U.S.

By Derek Malcolm August 3, 2021

If you’re an LG TV owner who’s been frustrated by having to access HBO Max through a set-top box or another streaming device and not natively through the TV, then it’s your lucky day. Today LG Electronics USA and WarnerMedia announced that the HBO Max app is now available on LG smart TVs in the U.S.

After being made available to some LG television models in Latin America and the Caribbean in June, the HBO Max app can now be downloaded from the LG channel store to LG OLED TVs, LG QNED Mini-LED TVs, and LG NanoCell TVs made in the 2018-2021 model years and running webOS 4.0 and up.

A navigation pane in HBO Max. — Image used with permission by copyright holder

The app can be opened with LG’s Magic Remote, either by navigating through webOS’s menu or by using the remote’s voice command feature and simply saying “HBO Max.” The addition rounds out LG’s streaming service apps, which have long included Apple TV+, Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Hulu, and others.

The WarnerMedia direct-to-consumer streaming service has been gaining traction since its launch in May of 2020 and now boasts more than 13,000 hours of content across HBO, Warner Bros., DC, Cartoon Network, Adult Swim, Turner Classic Movies, and more. Earlier in the pandemic year, Warner Bros. made headlines by announcing that they would release its entire 2021 movie slate simultaneously in theaters and on HBO Max.

LG and Warner Media noted in their press release that the availability of the HBO Max app comes in time for viewers to stream The Suicide Squad, which debuts in theaters and on the service on August 5th and will be available in 4K UHD, HDR10, and Dolby Vision for 31 days.

Editors' Recommendations

Topics

Contributing Editor, A/V

Derek Malcolm is a Toronto-based technology journalist, editor, and content specialist whose work has appeared in…

Entertainment

Everything coming to Max (formerly HBO Max) in August 2023

Two basketball players crouch in Winning Time.

In August, Max is leaving past hits like The Last of Us and current shows like And Just Like That... in the dust. August is all about ushering in the new and the bold, and Max has plenty of that in store for its loyal subscribers.

Max's August 2023 schedule has something for everyone. Like animation? Then get ready for Adventure Time: Fionna & Cake. Do you enjoy compelling sports drama? The second season of Winning Time will satiate your need. Want to relive old memories and watch classics like Annie Hall, Fargo, or the Nightmare on Elm Street series? Then Max is the place for you. Here's what coming to Max in August 2023:

Entertainment

Everything leaving Max (formerly HBO Max) in August 2023

A World War II soldier looks out over a war-torn landscape in a scene from Dunkirk.

All good things must come to an end: romances, seasons, even Twitter's company name. (Seriously, Elon, X???). That's never been more true for streaming content libraries. Every month, as more movies and shows are added to each of the many streamers out there, it seems just as much content leaves as well.

HBO Max isn't immune to this vicious cycle, and in August 2023, a fair amount of films are leaving the service for an undetermined amount of time. From several Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movies (no doubt to celebrate the new animated movie Mutant Mayhem) to the excellent Christopher Nolan movie Dunkirk to pretty much every Hellraiser movie ever made, there's a lot of good stuff leaving, so check out the list below and try to watch some of these gems before they leave Max for good (or at least a long while).

Audio / Video

Netflix kills Basic plan in U.S., U.K. as ads bring in more revenue

Netflix has pared down its subscription options, starting with accounts in the U.S. and U.K. As noted by U.K. site CordBusters, the $10-a-month Basic plan is no more, at least for new subscribers. That option got you the ability to watch ad-free on a single device, limited to 720p resolution.

The move isn't unprecedented — Netflix quietly did the same thing in Canada in June. On its pricing page, Netflix says that the change affects new and returning members. Current subscribers of the Basic plan can keep it "until you change plans or cancel your account."