[Updated] Max app borked Dolby Vision & 4K HDR on Apple TV (potential workaround); AT&T Ad-free subscription plan leaves users confused

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

Original story (published on May 24, 2023) follows:

Warner Bros. recently launched its new streaming service ‘Max’ which gives viewers access to 35,000 hours of content.

The company claims that most HBO Max subscribers will be automatically upgraded to the newer app to ease out the transition process.

However, ever since the upgrade, users have been facing issues while trying to login or access the service.

Although, those who were fortunate enough to get the access also soon got disappointed.

And this is due to the fact that subscribers (1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10) are unable to watch their favorite shows or movies in Dolby vision or 4K HDR quality on Max.

It has been also reported that the new app has broken the ‘Up Next’ functionality, is locked at 60Hz and doesn’t contain some features that were available in the older app.

This is understandably disheartening for users as on the older app, they could enjoy watching content in Dolby Vision or 4K HDR without any issues.

But luckily, they can smoothly stream content in the desired video quality on other streaming devices and consoles.

One of those impacted says that even though they can get Dolby Atmos audio output, they are unable to watch the content being streamed in 4K HDR or Dolby Vision quality.

@StreamOnMax updated Apple TV 4K app to max and lost 4k HDR, why? Can you help
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HBO Max using non native player completely breaks HDR, Dolby vision on Apple TV 🤦🏻‍♂️.
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Another user alleges that this is happening as the new app makes use of the non-native player.

Those affected are now requesting the app’s developers to fix the issue, so that they can enjoy watching their favourite content in the desired quality.

Luckily, we did come across a workaround that might help solve your problem temporarily. A Redditor suggests that you use the iOS app and Airplay to stream content in Dolby Vision or 4K HDR quality.

Affected users can also share their feedback with the company.

AT&T has recently transitioned from a 2-Tier subscription pricing model to a 3-Tier plan for Max and this has left many users (1,2,3,4,5) bewildered.

The restructuring has led to changes in the subscription offerings, with the previous top-level subscription no longer providing access to 4K content.

The company has introduced a new ‘Ad-Free’ 1080p subscription in its place. And to watch 4K content, users now need to upgrade to the ‘Ultimate’ subscription which comes at an additional cost of $4 per month.

However, it has been alleged that Max does not offer an option to upgrade by paying for the difference. It has been also mentioned that it refers them back to AT&T website for any subscription related changes.

In this regard, HBO has officially communicated that subscribers will enjoy the benefits of their old plan for at least 6 months after Max launches.

In the meantime, we will keep tabs on this topic and update this article as and when we come across any noteworthy information.

03:18 pm (IST): According to one of our readers, the playback of Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos content is again broken for them on Max.

Apologies if this isn’t the correct place to report something but are you aware of an issue with MAX (HBO) and the playback of Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos content? Seems like it’s broken across all platforms and does not play back in DV and DA. Was working as of yesterday. Is this a known issue? Thank you!

Thanks for the tip: Roman!

11:37 am (IST): Some users have now confirmed that the issue with Dolby Vision has now been resolved.

Note: We have more such stories in our dedicated HBO Section so be sure to follow them as well.

Featured image source: Max.

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