HBO Max 'Dolby Vision' broken or not working on Roku devices after v11.0.0 update? Here's allegedly why

HBO Max is HBO’s streaming on-demand multimedia content service. It competes directly with other big names in the industry like Netflix, Disney Plus, Amazon Prime Video and others.

To improve the experience and image quality, HBO Max offers support for current standards as Dolby Vision, Dolby’s own HDR technology.

However, it seems that many users on Roku devices are facing issues when trying to activate the feature. According to multiple reports, the HBO Max Dolby Vision option is not working.

Currently, many HBO Max users on Roku devices are unable to activate ‘Dolby Vision’ HDR standard. The issue reportedly started a few days ago (1, 2, 3, 4, 5).

HBOMax streaming in HDR not DolbyVision

Anyone know why @hbomax isn’t streaming in Dolby Vision on Roku right now? Is it working on other devices? I’m only getting HDR.
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However, there are also users on other platforms (such as Amazon Firestick and LG WebOS) reporting similar situations. So, the issue is unlikely exclusive to Roku devices.

@HBOMaxHelp Dolby Vision is no longer working for any movies I’m trying on Firestick 4k Max and LG CX TV. The trailer that plays before the movie triggers it but shifts back when movie starts so not a hardware or settings issue. No change after restart, clear cache, reinstall.
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Most of the reports seem to come from users with the most recent Roku v11.0.0 update.

@hbomax Latest update to your Roku App has broken Dolby Vision. DV titles now play HDR10 only Please update your Roku App to fix this Thank you.
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Roku Ultra updated to 11.0.0. HBOMax no longer streams in Dolby Vision. “The Batman” plays in HDR, Dolby Atmos. DolbyVision is supported through LG app and Airplay. Same thing with Dune. Anyone else?
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But, the problem is also reportedly present in version 10.5. So, the fault is probably not on Roku’s side but on the side of the HBO Max app.

The HBO Max team is already aware of the issue and is working on a fix. This confirms that the problem comes from them and not from the affected platforms, but there are no details of an ETA for a fix yet.

Hi, thanks for getting in touch with us. Our team is actively working to make sure you can stream in Dolby Vision as soon as possible, and we appreciate your patience. Please let us know if you have any other questions. Thank you! ^LP
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Also, a user posted a conversation with the HBO Max support team. In the conversation, it was revealed that the company disabled Dolby Vision on Roku devices to investigate a ‘flashing issue’.

We will update this story as events unfold.

NOTE: You can also check the HBO Max bugs/issues tracker.

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