A Next Level Network
It is without a doubt that HBO is one of the most renowned names in the world of television programming. Its reputation for producing high-quality entertainment cannot be denied, and it is generally considered to be one of the best networks out there. Most people would likely concur with this assessment.
Do you really believe that there is another television network that can consistently produce top-quality television matches or even surpasses what HBO has done over the years? It seems as if they have built a reputation for themselves as being a very high quality source of programming, and they have never failed to deliver on that promise. Nearly everything they release is of exceptional quality, and this holds true year after year.
In light of the fact that some of you may be less familiar with HBO, I will give a small preview of their content. They produce high quality TV that has been popular for many years. Although I cannot list everything, I will give an example of what you can expect from them.
Of course there are some of the most popular drama series ever created, like The Sopranos, Oz, West World, and Game of Thrones. Next, you can't forget to mention the critically acclaimed and award-winning comedies, such as Curb Your Enthusiasm, Veep, Real Time with Bill Maher, Last Week Tonight with John Oliver, The Larry Sanders Show, and (more recently) Silicon Valley and Barry. In addition to all of those huge shows (many of which were more cultural phenomena than they were merely series), there are tons of movies, sitcoms, and other programmings that HBO has made possible over the years. Are you convinced yet that there is no other network who comes close to HBO's prowess when it comes to content?
As one of the oldest and most respected pay-based television networks in the United States, HBO has a long history and legendary status. HBO is known for its high-quality programming, which has made it one of the most popular media entities in the world. It was founded by cable pioneer Charles Dolan in 1972, and as of 2018 had around 140 million subscribers.
In 1965, Dolan won a franchise to build a cable TV system in the Lower Manhattan area of New York City. He did so and called it Sterling Information Services. Later it became known as Sterling Manhattan Cable. And later still, Time Warner Cable. This was the first underground cable television system ever put into place in the United States.
Sterling's company lost a lot of money in its first shaky years of operation. Running cable underneath the streets of New York turned out to be far from cheap, and it could cost $300,000 per mile. And in 1971, Sterling's entire base of subscribers numbered 400. This was not enough money to cover the costs of operation, and Sterling started to believe his dream may have been doomed.
That was, of course, until Sterling in collaboration with others finally had a brilliant idea to survey people around the US on whether they might be interested in simply paying per channel instead of the traditional package cable network deal. An overwhelming majority of citizens expressed interest, and so, Sterling and his partners began work on what would come to be called the Home Box Office, alluding to the broadcast of movies that it was to specialize in. And the rest, as they say, is history. HBO was born when one mad cable genius in New York City almost single-handedly came up with the idea. Sterling probably never saw the media landscape of today coming when he came up with this idea - but fortunately, HBO has changed with the times and provides its subscribers a couple of different options for streaming content.
From an Underground Cable System to Wireless Streaming Giant
HBO Go is one of the more popular options for streaming HBO content. It offers HBO content to be streamed on its website or through its app companion. The site can be seen as functional, with good design and overall functionality. However, it does not offer as much content as some alternatives. Let's take a look at it in more detail!
A search bar is located just beneath the carousel. Typing in a term will show you all the results for that specific topic. If you click on a result, the video will pop up with more information about the show, such as a cast list and trailer.
When you arrive at HBO Go's members? section, you will be impressed with how well it looks and feels. It is designed well, something that would probably be expected from a $2 billion network like HBO. At the top of the page, there is a very large banner advertising upcoming content on HBO Go. Different suggestions of shows to watch will cascade down, one after the other, so that you have a quick and easy way to browse new content. There is also a search bar located just beneath the carousel of content. Typing in a term will show you all of the results for that specific topic. If you click on one of these results, then the video for that specific show will pop up with more information about it, such as a cast list and trailer.
Some of the options available on HBO Go are even special playlists meant just for HBO subscribers. For instance, one such playlist is made up of all of the 2020 Golden Globe nominees. Another, which is a bit more specific, features some of the best HBO content from early 2000s. HBO Go gives its users plenty of different ways to enjoy its wide variety of quality content.
Below the banner, you will find a few categories to choose from. The page is divided into two sections: a Coming Soon section to view trailers for new upcoming content, and a Monthly Update section with information on what's new and what's leaving the service. This is a novel feature and I think other streaming services should adopt this approach. It can be frustrating trying to anticipate which of your favorite shows are going to be leaving a streaming site. I appreciate HBO's transparency on the matter. Everybody appreciates a heads up!
In addition to the main menu, you will find a section labeled "Obsession-Worthy Drama Series." Here, HBO Go has featured shows like Watchmen, Succession, His Dark Materials, and Chernobyl. Next, find Must Watch Comedies, Just-Added Movies, and Documentaries, Kids. Speaking of HBO Go?s children focused content, this might be the best streaming service out there for all ages. It is the only place where you will be able to stream Sesame Street.
HBO Go is an excellent source of documentary and series content, as well as stand-up comedy specials. It is the only place where you will be able to find many of the best comedy performances ever recorded. In addition, HBO Go is an excellent platform for discovering new documentaries and series.
One Very Annoying Flaw
Not everything about HBO Go is brilliant and perfect. Like every streaming site, HBO Go also has its flaws. And unfortunately, the most glaring one that I can think of is also one of the most annoying flaws of any streaming site that I have ever used. And that is the fact that the media player automatically minimizes when something new auto-plays. So, kicking back and relaxing while binging your favorite series is out of the question. You'll have to keep your computer nearby, at the ready, to keep clicking ?full-screen? over and over again, with each new episode that plays. This is extremely annoying if you ask me, but maybe I am just really lazy.
That being said, one flaw amongst many strengths is that HBO Go is an awesome streaming companion to any cable or satellite subscription. One can stream it on one's computer or take it with them on the app. No matter what life throws at them, HBO GO will be ready.
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