Per the announcement made earlier this year, HBO is finally removing its app from the 2nd and 3rd generation Apple TV. This means no longer the users will be able to access HBO on their old Apple TV box.
The company hasn’t shared a reason as to why it is ending support, but we believe it is related to cutting off some technical baggage as HBO Max will be released in May and lack of modern codec support.
Read More: Differences Between HBO Max, HBO Go, And HBO Now Streaming Services
Will this move affect other streaming services?
Apparently yes, ahead of the launch of HBO Max all-in-one streaming platform we will see HBO Go being removed too.
Initially, HBO Now launched as an exclusive partner with Apple, but the agreement did not live for long as the company soon realized Apple’s TV platform isn’t that large a market stake.
Read More: How To Fix HBO Go or HBO Now Not Working Issue?
Is this right?
The third-gen Apple TV is an 8 years old device so in terms of upgrade cycle and new technology, abandoning the older generations is fair. Since 2012 when the device was released a lot has changed, however, due to its price it has been trendy but now as HBO is ending support users of Apple TV 2nd and 3rd generation users will have to look for alternatives.
Read More: How to Force Quit Apps and Multitask on Apple TV
What options do old Apple TV users have?
Given that the removal of Apple TV mostly affects users who were using 2nd generation Apple TV. The only option they are left with is to buy a new streaming device. They can either buy a new Apple TV or can invest in Amazon Fire Stick to use the HBO app.
However, users having Apple TV 3rd generation can cancel the direct subscription to HBO and sign up through Apple TV channel. Once they do so, they will be able to access HBO through a TV app.
They can sign up and pay $14.99 monthly to watch HBO on Apple TV Channels using their Apple ID. Further, they can share the subscription with up to 6 members via family sharing.
Read More: 6 Most Common Apple TV Problems Along with their Quick Fixes
Are there any alternatives to Apple TV?
Users looking for an alternate can try using Amazon’s Fire TV stick or Roku’s lower-end device.
Since Apple TV 2nd and 3rd generations are quite old, HBO won’t be the only company ending support. Therefore, if you are using any of these older devices be ready to get the same news from other service providers. To save yourself from all this you can either get a new Apple TV box or can switch to other alternatives.
Do you think this is the right way to force users into buying new devices? What are your thoughts? Please share them in the comment box.
Read More:
Apple TV 4K: 10 Tips & Tricks You Must Know
15 Best Games For Apple Tv In 2020
HBO Max: All You Need to Know About this New Streaming Service
Subscribe Now & Never Miss The Latest Tech Updates!