The fact that HBO Max has been cutting its content library is no secret. Since merging with Discovery last year, its parent company Waner Bros. has been on a $3 billion cost-cutting purge. However, that’s not to say there’s nothing to watch. Far from it. And if you’re wondering whether there’s an HBO Max DVR to record all that great HBO content, the answer is – you don’t need one. HBO Max is completely on-demand, so it’s already recorded for you.
Does HBO Max come with a DVR?
While HBO Max has a lot of content, it presently does not provide live TV. (But with the way streaming services are constantly changing, it can’t be ruled out for the future.) The lack of live TV means that there’s also no DVR option available – because there’s nothing to record.
That said, if you sign up for the AT&T TV Choice or Ultimate packages, which provide HBO Max with the live TV channel package, you will get a DVR. However, that DVR will not apply to HBO Max content and only works with the live HBO channels.
What kind of on-demand programming is on HBO Max?
HBO Max launched in 2020 with just a few hundred titles to its name. As of Spring 2022, the service had over 3,000 on-demand titles and more than 10,000 hours of content to offer. And while dozens of series and movies have been removed, and shows in production or pre-production have been canceled, the service still is still putting out hit shows like Succession, Euphoria and The White Lotus.
For a list of 15 Emmy-nominated HBO Max shows, check out our article on How to Watch 2022 Emmy Nominees. Or for a deep dive into all its content and features, read our HBO Max Review for 2022.
While there is no DVR option available with HBO Max, you can download its movies and TV show episodes for offline viewing. That’s the on-demand streamer’s DVR equivalent.
Does HBO Max have offline viewing?
Seeing as a DVR only makes sense with live TV services, offline viewing is a nice feature for on-demand streaming services to have. And many providers, including HBO Max, now offer some offline viewing options.
Offline viewing allows you to download content to watch on your device without an internet connection. It’s a great option to have for many situations, including power outages, road trips, or times when you don’t have internet access – or it’s simply slow and overpriced, like on most commercial airlines.
There are a few restrictions with HBO Max for offline viewing.
- You can only download up to 30 unique items per account
- Any item you download will expire 48 hours after you start watching it
- The download includes all 5 profiles, meaning all 5 profile users must share the same pool of 30 downloads
- You can only download the same title up to 5 times at once across all profiles (e.g., the same title or TV show episode can only exist on 5 different devices at any given time)
These offline viewing limits are not completely uncommon or unheard of. Every service that offers offline viewing also has some distinct and fairly strict limitations. That said, the 48-hour expiration date on titles you start watching is definitely far more restrictive than competing services.
While HBO Max doesn’t currently offer a free trial, the ad-supported tier means you can try it out for a month at a reduced price.
Sam Cook is a full-time content strategist by day, a part-time freelance content writer since 2015. In another life, he was a high school English teacher for nearly a decade. Based in sunny New Orleans, he writes long-form educational content on technology, including Insurtech, Fintech, HRtech, and content streaming. He loves whittling down complex ideas within these areas that make decisions easier for buyers. When he’s not reading books with his son Miles and playing video games with the family, you can find him immersed in his growing collection of Euro-style board games.
