I certainly hope Prime is still an improvement, because I watched the GOT season 8 premiere on HBO NOW, and the quality is abysmal (and my TV is just 55"). I can't believe HBO doesn't get more flak for their terrible streaming quality. Best show on TV and we get what appears to be a 5 mbps stream. Meanwhile Netflix looks close to UHD blu-ray quality. I'm always bummed when interesting new shows are announced on HBO rather Netflix or Amazon for this reason (and HBO calls themself a 'premium' TV service).

For now, subscribe to HBO through Amazon Channels/Prime Video. But at some point in May, Apple is going to offer a similar thing called Apple TV Channels, which will allow you to subscribe to and watch HBO, Showtime, Starz, etc. right inside the TV app on the ATV4K. We'll see but my hunch is that will emerge as the absolute best way to subscription to any of those services on Apple's own hardware. So maybe be ready to cancel HBO on Amazon after one month and then switch over to HBO on Apple TV Channels.

I certainly hope Prime is still an improvement, because I watched the GOT season 8 premiere on HBO NOW, and the quality is abysmal (and my TV is just 55"). I can't believe HBO doesn't get more flak for their terrible streaming quality. Best show on TV and we get what appears to be a 5 mbps stream. Meanwhile Netflix looks close to UHD blu-ray quality. I'm always bummed when interesting new shows are announced on HBO rather Netflix or Amazon for this reason (and HBO calls themself a 'premium' TV service).

It looks like it may be more than just a bit rate problem:
https://www.indiewire.com/2019/04/ga...ee-1202059546/

I certainly hope Prime is still an improvement, because I watched the GOT season 8 premiere on HBO NOW, and the quality is abysmal (and my TV is just 55"). I can't believe HBO doesn't get more flak for their terrible streaming quality. Best show on TV and we get what appears to be a 5 mbps stream. Meanwhile Netflix looks close to UHD blu-ray quality. I'm always bummed when interesting new shows are announced on HBO rather Netflix or Amazon for this reason (and HBO calls themself a 'premium' TV service).

Think it depends on your bandwidth and equipment as my GOT (and other shows) via HBOGo have fantastic near-UHD quality.

I have a 150 mbps connection and watch via an Apple TV 4K. Not sure how you can claim it’s near UHD quality when HBO doesn’t even offer 4K or HDR, which is the selling point of UHD.

Perhaps my display just does a way better job upscaling than yours (so, again, hardware-specific).

Unless you have your Apple TV 4K set to 1080, your display is not doing any upscaling.

The beta is a worthwhile update. Adds the ATV sleep on shutdown and app switcher. I've read more than once to force close an app with the Harmony app switcher, you need to double press the up directional button. I think we're all in agreement on that?

I've tried to force close an app by voice and Siri referred me to manual method with app switcher.

Outside is voice assistant and missing touch pad features, I don't see how Harmony could improve on the beta? I wish Harmony could get some voice assistant cooperation with OEMs. Touch and Siri would be worth a Harmony equipment upgrade! Until then, I'll use both remotes; I can't do without scrub and Siri.

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Think it depends on your bandwidth and equipment as my GOT (and other shows) via HBOGo have fantastic near-UHD quality.

I used to use the "Reboot" functionality for one of the Harmony buttons but I don't see "Reboot" available as a command under the Beta device for Harmony. Has anyone found a easy way to reboot without doing a bunch of key strokes in a sequence?

I noticed that reboot wasn't there way back but forgot about it.

Seems it used to be easy to do with Siri remote too? Had to look it up; appears to be a timing thing, while looking at White LED on box. Hold TV and menu buttons until it flashes and release. Seems to be the only way besides creating a sequence through menu.

https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT201836

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I used to use the "Reboot" functionality for one of the Harmony buttons but I don't see "Reboot" available as a command under the Beta device for Harmony. Has anyone found a easy way to reboot without doing a bunch of key strokes in a sequence?

Also for @brotony

I have the reboot command in mine and assigned it to an unused key. Are you sure you entered the beta device per instructions “Harmony Beta TV” with no other Harmony devices included?



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Mine is called "Harmony Beta Test Apple TV". Is there more than one on Beta?

Have to disagree. There is a significant quality difference between got via Blu ray and hbo streaming. In comparison Netflix does a much better job.

I have no idea why you claim it to be uhd quality... It's not even available in 4k/hdr which is almost criminal.




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And I might have to agree. My 4K display does a fine upscale from HBO Now, and formerly HBO Go, when coming through my AppleTV 4K or Firestick 4K and my Denon X2300W. I watched the latest GOT and it looked very, very good. Netflix looks better because most of their stuff is Dolby Vision 2160, IMO, while HBO is still 1080p. I have wired connections to my devices and my download is 90mbs.

Yes, there is more than one, maybe 3 or 4? I learned this because I was testing different activities and noticed different device names gave different available commands.

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Yes, there is more than one, maybe 3 or 4? I learned this because I was testing different activities and noticed different device names gave different available commands.


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The Apple TV will be doing the upscaling unless you have your menus set to 1080p


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Of course you are correct. My bottom line point is the same though. GOT looks great from HBO Now through that ATV. Perhaps those that are seeing less are using Wifi connections that get bottlenecked by neighboring users.

Well. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. For me i watch GOTs from HBO on cable and I see a lot of blooming etc due to heavy compression. The quality isn’t high. What looks “great” to one is crap to another.


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And that is why streaming is better provided you have the bandwidth to make a go of it. When I watched GOT, last many years, on Dish the picture couldn't compare to what I got with HBO Go. Now Dish doesn't have HBO at all so I am watching with Now it is beautiful.

I only found one - 'Harmony Beta Test Apple TV'. This does have the reboot available to assign.

Have to disagree. There is a significant quality difference between got via Blu ray and hbo streaming. In comparison Netflix does a much better job.

I have no idea why you claim it to be uhd quality... It's not even available in 4k/hdr which is almost criminal.

Well. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. For me i watch GOTs from HBO on cable and I see a lot of blooming etc due to heavy compression. The quality isn’t high. What looks “great” to one is crap to another.

And that is why streaming is better provided you have the bandwidth to make a go of it. When I watched GOT, last many years, on Dish the picture couldn't compare to what I got with HBO Go. Now Dish doesn't have HBO at all so I am watching with Now it is beautiful.

To be fair, OP said "near UHD". Also, it was a response to someone who claimed that it was "terrible" and seemed to assume that it had to be terrible for everyone else. I don't think it's close to UHD but it most definitely is not terrible for me.



No one here claimed HBO quality was great *everywhere* either. The discussion was about HBO Go/Now streaming, not cable/satellite. For me, the quality of HBO Go on the Apple TV 4k is certainly better than Comcast's HBO feed.

Totally agree. But for me- I have a 7.2.4 surround sound setup. So I’ll take some compressed video for better sound (5.1) vs steaming which in Canada is via crave and is 720p and 2.0 sound. Awful. Always trade offs.


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Streaming HBO from Crave is brutal!! It would be nice to get at least one of better picture or better sound. I might as well have added HBO to my cable package for the duration of GOT considering the poor quality of streaming.

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