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Max (HBO Max) — A Plain-English Guide

Last verified: August 2026

The Three Max PlansSame shows — the plan changes ads and picture.With AdsLowest price.Ads play duringmost shows.Ad-FreeNo ads. Savesome shows towatch offline.UltimateAd-free, plus 4Kpicture and moreoffline saves.Ads vs. no ads is the main thing most people weigh.Illustration — plan names and features change over time.
The three Max plan tiers and what separates them.
One Account, Any ScreenIt streams over your internet to the app on any device.NETinternetMaxone accountSmart TV / streaming stickPhone / tabletComputerOne login follows you from the TV to your phone.Illustration — supported devices and simultaneous streams vary by plan.
How Max streams to any device from a single account.

HBO drama + Warner Bros movies + Discovery/HGTV/Food Network. The "I want House of the Dragon AND Property Brothers" pick.

What's inside the 25-page PDF

  • The naming saga (HBO Max → Max → HBO Max again)
  • 3 plans: $10.99/$18.49/$22.99
  • HBO library: Game of Thrones, Last of Us, White Lotus
  • Discovery + HGTV + Food Network + TLC
  • Warner Bros movies + DC universe
  • B/R Sports add-on (NCAA, NBA, NHL)
  • 4K + Dolby Atmos on Premium
  • Account sharing & Extra Member pricing

The full guide is a 25-page printable PDF with screenshots, real prices, and Bill's recommendations for Portage County customers. Download it above — it's free, no email required, no signup.

Why I made this guide

I leave a printed copy of this guide with every customer after I install or troubleshoot max. It lives on a kitchen shelf next to the appliance manuals so they can reach for it the next time something acts up — or the next time a neighbor asks "is it worth it?"

No ads. No affiliate links. No fluff. Just what I'd want my own mother to know.

— Bill Davis

Need help with this?

Reading is one thing. Doing it is another. If you'd rather have me come do it for you, the first in-home visit is $99 flat — most jobs done in one trip.

📞 Call (330) 200-8042 📅 Book a $99 Visit

Would you rather I just do this for you?

No shame in it — plenty of folks would rather hand it off, and that's what I'm here for. I'll come to your home, set it up right, and make sure it's working before I leave. Flat $99 per visit — no jargon, no upsell, and every visit is 30-day come-back-free.

Not a hardware job? I can often fix it remotely for $49 — a secure screen-share, up to 2 hours, that you watch the whole time and can end whenever (included free for $39/mo Support Plan members, and it counts toward the $99 if it turns out I need to come out).