HBO will extend streaming support for older Apple TVs
2nd and 3rd gen units will keep HBO Now and HBO Go, but not for long.
Earlier this week, HBO announced that it would pull its HBO Now and HBO Go apps from older Apple TV devices on April 30th. Now it’s reversing that decision -- at least for now. An HBO spokesperson told Engadget that HBO Now will remain on 2nd and 3rd gen Apple TVs until May 15th and that HBO Go will be available for “a few additional months.” The spokesperson said that HBO made the decision to extend support “to provide impacted users more time to make any necessary updates.” This should be good news to viewers using old Apple TV units -- people need plenty of content to stay occupied while social distancing measures are in place. The extension is also more in line with HBO’s move to make much of its content free during the coronavirus pandemic.
The spokesperson said that the decision to pull the popular streaming apps from 2nd and 3rd gen Apple TVs was “business-as-usual device deprecation that was planned several months ago.” The spokesperson added, “We are always working with distribution partners to add new devices and retire devices when needed to make sure we’re providing the best streaming experience possible.”
When HBO finally does pull its apps from older Apple TVs, viewers will have to either buy a new streaming device, use AirPlay or ChromeCast or simply hook up their laptop to their TV with an HDMI cable. That’s not very convenient, but the Apple TVs in question came out at least eight years ago -- an upgrade to a newer one that’s capable of streaming in 1080p or 4K could be worth the price.
