HBO Max is developing a Remedy for Apple TV 4K Playback Issues

For users of Apple TV 4K devices, sudden "can't play title" issues have started happening on the HBO Max app. The business currently has a short-term fix.

You're not the only one who has experienced abrupt "can't play title" errors when attempting to watch HBO Max material on your Apple TV 4K. The problem came up last week, and I discovered that others are also experiencing it.

The problem seems to only affect Apple TV 4K devices (all versions) running tvOS 16.1 and is present in the most recent version of the HBO Max app (52.50.1). (released Nov 16, 2022). For other people, the problem is sporadic and may be avoided by taking a few straightforward troubleshooting measures, such as forcing the program to close, signing out of the app, reinstalling it, or restarting the Apple TV.

According to Chris Willard, SVP of Communications at HBO, they are "informed and working on a fix." The development team is actively looking into the problem, according to the company's specialized support staff, who advise checking for upcoming updates to assist resolve it. They responded to my own ticket with this information.

The troubleshooting was ineffective for me. I received good guidance from HBO Max customer service during those attempts, but eventually it needed to be escalated. Soon after, I received an email with a solution that has assisted others in resolving the issue. It includes turning off HDR.

My TV does not now support HDR, however that is only a portion of the problem. To get started, select Settings from the Apple TV Home Screen, then select Video and Audio. You must adjust Format to SDR, Match Content to Disable, Match Dynamic Range to Off, and Match Frame Rate to Off in this section.

My problem changed the next day from being continuous to intermittent, but it did not work for me right away. Losing Dolby Vision HDR would be a bummer for anyone who have more recent, high-end TVs than I do.

A different solution to try was to adjust the resolution to 1080p or 720p, according to customer service. Thankfully, I didn't need to do that since only one of the problems since Monday have occurred. I hope you won't experience the same problem I had when attempting to watch a Thanksgiving classic in 4K.