CRM114

I don't understand this HBO Go. They advertise it and then when you go to the site, you can't use it unless you are a subscriber of one of the EIGHT companies they list? They don't say that in the commercial.

Do users of HBO Go pay an additional fee to use it? Weeks ago the site listed the exact same 8 cable companies. When you click on "Other Television Provider" it takes you to:

"HBO GO is currently not available from your television provider.

HBO GO is only available through participating TV providers. At this time, your TV provider does not offer HBO GO as part of your HBO subscription. Contact your TV provider and ask for HBO GO.

We’re frequently adding new TV providers, so check back with us soon to see if we’ve added yours to our list."

Even though it never even asked me who my provider is. Lame HBO. "We're frequently adding new TV providers..." Bullshit. You haven't added a single one since you announced the service. Why is this reliant on the local cable companies anyway?

Noonan

It's free for users. I'm guessing it's funded by those 8 providers, which is why it's only available to their subscribers.

Groucho

It's reliant on the the cable companies because that's how they verify that you're a subscriber. You actually login to the cable provider. I'm guessing that the delay is on the side of your cable company, since they have to build the screen for HBO to link to.

Eddie W

It would be nice if this was a standalone app & you could pay HBO directly. But it's not. It's a value-added benefit from the providers.

Hopefully one day HBO will offer their programming to those who'd be interested but not subscribed to a cable/satellite company. I'd certainly pay the $17 or so monthly subscription & not have to subscribe to one of the commericial infested base cable packages just to be able to do so.

CRM114

I just emailed my cable company so we'll see what their explanation is. It's lame that it was advertised as something that was available to HBO subscribers and not to subscribers of the über cable/satellite behemoths only.

starman9000

I talked to mine and they didn't get the concept at all. Just kept telling me "we'll look into adding HBOGO as a channel."

CRM114

Oh no. That's not good.

sven

I'm not even going to bother asking my cable company. Its a very small company that just has a few small counties in central Illinois. We live in the very heart of Illini country and we still don't even have the Big Ten Network.

I know for a fact they've lost a lot of customers to Dish/DTV because of it too. So what do they do? Add the BTN? Heck no they pay my uncle good money to make REALLY bad commercials making fun of the satellite providers.

pinata242

My parents have no idea it exists. I stole their access. I still sleep at night. Totally worth it.

DJariya

<iframe width="640" height="390" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/EisaBTzuqsU" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

Watch this promo. There is a disclaimer at the bottom (although small) that says..."Through Participating TV Providers" The OP must have blinked and missed it.

HBO Go is one of the reasons why I'm keeping my HBO subscription. The back catalogue of their TV shows and movies is pretty impressive. They post the new Saturday HBO Movie premiere literally the night it airs.

The one section that could use work is the HBO Sports documentaries. HBO Sports has produced so many great documentaries and the majority of stuff posted is boxing clips and excerpts from Real Sports.

CRM114

My cable company is also a mom and pop serving a few counties (in fact, it was the first cable company in the US). There are a lot of people here though. We have the BigTen network (Penn State fans freaked and it was there within days) and we have tons of HD channels, etc.

The ONLY reason I'm not on DirecTV is because of Comcast SportsNet and the channel's unavailability on satellite. Need to see my Phils and Flyers.

CRM114

I thought the claim was that every HBO series was available?

DJariya

Scripted. They have pretty much every show from the last 10-15 years (every episode) The documentaries are posted on a rotating basis. And as I just said, the HBO Sports documentaries section needs work.

rfduncan

Translation: Your provider isn't paying us extra to allow you to access this feature. The end user gets it free by paying for HBO. What's not to understand?

This. I also watch True Blood but I now watch HBO GO more than regular HBO. Since it started this month I have already watched all of Boardwalk Empire, EXTRAS and Little Britain USA on demand. Currently working through In Treatment. I intend to watch several shows I'd missed including Generation Kill and Deadwood. I also plan to re-watch last season's True Blood to be caught up when it starts again in June. Since I have DirecTV this is the only way I can get HBO "on demand". I watch an episode every day at lunch from my iPad. I love it.

superdeluxe

They want you to go and see if you have it..and if not..complain to your cable provider.

Nope



That statement was there from the beginning..when they were still adding new providers (Like COMCAST).

Many cable companies have their own online viewing application, That was the issue with Comcast..Comcast had Xfinitytv.com and it had to be married with HBOGO.

So maybe it is a issue with the cable provider's own online sites.

clckworang

What do you mean? I have an HBO on demand channel, and I use DirecTV. It's channel 1501. Or are you referring to the downloading lag time? That's a big knock against Direct's on demand system compared to the one I had with Time Warner. Then again, I was never happy with the video quality of Time Warner's on demand service, so I don't mind the download time.

Tom Banjo

Exactly. I'd love it if it was an app with a monthly fee. But I'd prefer it was $10 at the most. It would be nice to be able to watch Game of Thrones and True Blood.

rfduncan

Yes. That's NOT on demand if I have to wait for it to go out over the internet and download instead of streaming it ON DEMAND which is what HBO GO does. AND with this application, I don't have to be in front of my TV unlike my options on DirecTV's DVR.

That would allow HBO to start the "a la carte" concept which would probably topple many cable providers in the long run if it caught on. Premium channels wouldn't be slave to the providers to deliver their content. First thing that would probably happen is all the providers would completely drop HBO as a premium channel option.

Isn't this what Netflix is sort of angling to do soon? Broadcast exclusively on demand streaming over the internet?

CRM114

My cable co just replied that it is currently in testing and will be available "very soon." In cable television speak, that's at least a year away.

superdeluxe

COmcast said it was in testing..and It took about 2 weeks to get from in testing to having it.

OldBoy

i love having this on my Droid. Saw Get Him to the Greek the other day. very simple set up with DirecTV, just log on with account name and password and that was it. very nice!

CRM114

Yet there are the same 8 providers listed as there was three weeks ago. You'd think you'd at least see a handful of others added since then.

BurnCard

Exactly, I've heard the "Why don't they throw them on itunes or their app for a few bucks an episode?" Cable companies are already crying poverty over DVD, and they'd panick because that would mean rather than spending $80 a month for their service and HBO, people can watch Game of Thrones or Boardwalk Empire or whatever and pay HBO directly. They wouldn't allow that to happen in a million years.

pinata242

Cable providers are already artificially inflating broadband ISP costs and implementing arbitrary bandwidth cap penalties to offset the loss of TV customers.

Raul3

My brother in law is going to share his account with us too.

I don't think we will sub to HBO until True Blood starts again.