[Update: Jan. 08] HBO Max subtitle positioning issue (placement is too high) frustrating some viewers

New updates are being added at the bottom of this story…….

Original story (published on January 05, 2022) follows:

HBO Max is one of the main streaming services that are available out there. Like other similar services, it is available on many platforms.

However, for some time now, HBO Max users have been facing an annoying subtitle-related issue. Apparently, the positioning of these is not working correctly (1, 2, 3, 4).

According to multiple reports, the HBO Max subtitle positioning behavior is being erratic for some users. In most cases the placement is too high, while in others they are ‘jumping’ on the screen or does not line up well.

It appears that the behavior of subtitle positioning in HBO Max is not consistent for some users. There are several problems related to the same issue, according to reports.

-When I expand the video the mouse pointer stays on screen

-Subtitles alignment is not centered in fullscreen or when resizing(responsive mode. Resize window during playback to see when the alignment stop being in center)

-Caption settings not visible during fullscreen (exit fullscreen to see settings window)

-Subtitles in one or more matrix movies with Swedish subtitle need to be checked for £-signs or other signs. Forgot which move or if it was in all movies
Source

Something that most reports agree on is that subtitles are placed too high. They are practically located in the center of the screen, directly interfering with the image.

I think most newer shows have them further down, but in my opinion they’re still too high up, and would enjoy options on placement (as I don’t really “read subtitles”, but use them as support on occasions I can’t hear what they’re saying). Moreover, often I feel the linebreak is too early, where after only a few words it moves to a second line, making the entire subitle area more “squarish” rather than use a more horizontal layout.
Source

The problems with the HBO Max subtitles reportedly started after an update. More specifically, the v50.45 or 50.50 update would have caused them.

Yesterday there was an update to this shitty app across various platforms and guess what; they managed to make matters even worse. Now the subtitles show a little closer to the bottom of the screen but they show all over the place, sometimes too far to the right or to the left and sometimes in the center. It’s so unbelievable that these people can make something like that work, I’ve never seen anything so pathetic.
Source

Furthermore, affected users have reportedly suffered from the issue for a long time. There are related reports published about 3 months ago.

At the moment, there does not appear to be an official acknowledgment from the HBO Max team on these issues. Therefore, it only remains to wait for new related updates.

As new developments emerge on the subject, we will update this article with the relevant information. Finally, you can also check out the bugs/issues tracker dedicated to HBO Max.

09:36 pm (IST): HBO Max support has acknowledged the subtitle positioning issue and said that they are working on a fix. However, they did not provide any ETA for the fix.

Featured Image: Google Play

PiunikaWeb started as purely an investigative tech journalism website with main focus on ‘breaking’ or ‘exclusive’ news. In no time, our stories got picked up by the likes of Forbes, Foxnews, Gizmodo, TechCrunch, Engadget, The Verge, Macrumors, and many others. Want to know more about us? Head here.