HBO Max debuts today. I thought it wouldn't be that different from HBO Now I have currently, but!! [link]

The service will be home to a wide variety of programming from across the WarnerMedia parent company — a gigantic conglomerate whose brands include everything from the Warner Bros. film studio to the HBO premium cable network to the Turner family of cable networks. Consequently, it will boast plenty of high-profile HBO Max exclusives, like Friends, DC's superhero films, and a constantly curated list of classic films from the Turner Classic Movies library. But it will also feature non-WarnerMedia programming like the complete library of legendary Japanese animation house Studio Ghibli and the complete archives of South Park (eventually).

I've stopped watching anything on TCM after switching from Comcast, because for some unfathomable reason, FIOS TV package only has TCM on standard definition and I CANNOT watch SD content on my widescreen TV because of unfixable aspect ratio issues. Between this and the Criterion Channel, I think I'll be set for my old movie fix. I AM EXCITE!!

Urgh, HBO is really good at convincing me to give them my money

TCM, Ghibli, Friends and HBO would make me pop for it.

I'm still being cheap and running through the various 7-day free trials to knock out a bunch of movies. Not sure if I will pick anything up through this, likely not. I still plan on dumping prime after this year, I hate giving him $$.

a constantly curated list of classic films from the Turner Classic Movies library.

I'm in wait and see mode on that one. I have yet to see a title listed as part of this "curated" section that isn't already on Criterion or just something being branded "classic" because it was made more than ten years ago.

Then again, since TCM was always a super premium channel here, I've never watched it since it wasn't part of any cable package I ever subscribed to. It was one of the reasons I cut the cord in the first place. I was paying $75/month for almost nothing worth watching.

TCM can be fairly hit or miss because they're completist. Sometimes that's a good thing because there are a lot of overlooked gems out there. (Fans of screwball comedy, may I recommend It's Love I'm After? Bette Davis and Leslie Howard as two constantly bickering stage stars who can't live with each other and can't live without each other, Olivia de Haviland as a star struck Daughter of the House, and a supporting cast that includes Eric Blore, Bonita Granville, and Spring Byington). And then there are the movies that were forgotten for a reason (Wheeler and Woolsey come to mind.)

You can already record upcoming TCM movies on Hulu Live do we've been doing a lot of that while we can't get movies from the library. Do you get all the current HBO stuff with the new service as well? Because it looks like it's the same price I'm currently paying for HBO, I'm which case I'll just switch.

I have yet to see a title listed as part of this "curated" section that isn't already on Criterion or just something being branded "classic" because it was made more than ten years ago.

I've perused the list briefly and indeed, there is significant overlap with Criterion Channel. Lots of Kurosawa, early Australian works by Peter Weir, early British Hitchcock. I've added a few films I've been meaning to watch that's not on CC right now to my list (Malick's Tree of Life, some Jacques Tati stuff, Rio Bravo.) A lot of its usefulness will depend on how they are going to rotate/curate this part of the service. Obviously not at the amazing level CC folks do, I imagine, but it's something.

Do you get all the current HBO stuff with the new service as well? Because it looks like it's the same price I'm currently paying for HBO, I'm which case I'll just switch.

Yep. It's a bit like Disney+. There is a section called "HBO" that has all your old HBO stuff, plus sections for "TCM", "Adult Swim," "DC," "Studio Ghibli," etc. I haven't seen a ton of Ghibli (have only seen Mononoke, Spirited Away and Totoro) so immediately added most of the stuff I haven't seen to the list. Goodness, so many things to watch, so little time!

The switch from HBO Now I had (streaming only) to HBO Max was automatic and painless. I did hear that it was more tricky for folks who get HBO via their cable package. Also, HBO Max app is not yet available through Amazon Fire Stick or via Roku, which is a big downside.

Yes, for people who have HBO they can just upgrade for the same price but it depends how you access it. The Math Greek subscribes to HBO already, but Max isn't yet available for Roku so we haven't bothered.

FireOS is always the last to get new streaming services. Boo.