HBO Max has thousands of hours of streaming content available. That number is only getting larger as the service expands after its 2020 launch. Although it’s HBO branded, HBO Max does not offer live streaming. Still, does HBO Max have a DVR available for subscribers? Let’s explore the DVR options available for HBO Max, and what you can use as an alternative.
Does HBO Max Come With a DVR?
The HBO Max service has a lot of content, but it presently does not provide live TV. The lack of live TV means that there’s also no DVR option available through this service. 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 (though it will work for standard HBO content).
HBO Max On-Demand Programming
This service launched in 2020 with just a few hundred titles to its name. As of early 2021, HBO Max now has nearly 3,000 on-demand titles to offer. 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.
HBO Max Offline Viewing
Offline viewing is a nice alternative to a lack of DVR for on-demand streaming services. Most provide, including HBO Max, now offer some offline viewing options. Offline viewing allows you to download content you want to watch and view it offline sometime later. That’s perfect for many situations, including power outages, road trips, or times when you don’t have access to internet access for streaming.
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.
