HBO Go has awful video quality

[desura]

Is it because now is prime GOT season? Or does their technology simply suck?

 

[irishScott]

Both?

 

[ch33zw1z]

I've only used it a couple times at a friends house. I was not impressed. Of course, I'm used to netflix which is virtually trouble free and great quality

 

[Dari]

Maybe it depends on the platform you're using it on. On the PS3 it sucks hard. On the 360 and PC it's perfect.

 

[squarecut1]

The navigation on HBOGo sucks big time too.

 

[Dari]

The navigation on HBOGo sucks big time too.

Yes, it does. But at least it exists. And it has many of our favorite shows. Showtime's Anytime is nowhere to be seen.

 

[KidNiki1]

HBO Go runs like crap on my PS3, but runs just fine on my nexus. I really think it depends on the platform.

I do agree that the navigation sucks no matter where you are using it.

 

[Anubis]

it also wont work outside the US which is fucking stupid

 

[Sho'Nuff]

Is it because now is prime GOT season? Or does their technology simply suck?

Really? I watch GOT and a lot of other shows using HBO go on my tablet and the picture quality is fine. Perhaps something is messed up with your connection?

 

[bearxor]

Is it because now is prime GOT season? Or does their technology simply suck?

When have you tried to do HBO Go?

I never have a problem with it outside of my Chromecast dropping connection and then having to restart it, but that's not a HBO Go problem.

This season, I actually watched (almost) every episode of GoT, Veep and Last Week Tonight on HBO Go. The first time I've done that.

Typically, especially during the big shows like GoT, HBO Go will be just terrible for premieres and finales. Almost impossible to connect usually.

So this past weekend, I watched it live through my DTV box. Honestly... I could not tell a difference between watching it on HBO Go through the Chromecast and watching it in 1080i off DirecTV.

Just need HBO to get that Go app out for the FireTV so I can get rid of this almost useless (to me) stick of Chromecast and claim one of HDMI ports on my receiver back.

 

[desura]

Really? I watch GOT and a lot of other shows using HBO go on my tablet and the picture quality is fine. Perhaps something is messed up with your connection?

possible though unlikely.

Heck, when I stream like the freaking dailyshow it has better video quality.

It does seem a little better over an ethernet connection...but still I'd like to watch it on a tablet and it just looks horrible.

 

[purbeast0]

sounds like your connection is messed up.

i watch GoT through HBO go on my 120" screen and while it doesn't look anything like a bluray quality, it definitely looks like a cable feed. but the first 5 seconds or so it's definitely not at it's best quality, probably while it's buffering. it's noticeable when it switches over. sometimes throughout the show i'll see it flicker back/forth though, but not very often.

i'm using the xbox360 app with a wired connection fwiw.

 

[mnewsham]

I watch HBOgo all the time on my computer, almost never have any problems with the stream.

 

[mnewsham]

.but still I'd like to watch it on a tablet and it just looks horrible.

Tablet > USB OTG > USB Ethernet adaptor > router.

Depending on the tablet it will work.

 

[squarecut1]

HBOGO sucks maybe not on tablets and computers, but it definitely does on set top boxes. For example Apple TV 3.

Sometimes if you make that cardinal mistake of rewinding, you can just about go make a cup of tea, and by the time you are back, you might have the video back after it goes through its endless circle loop. In fact sometimes the whole thing is so bad that you just give up.

 

[desura]

I watch HBOgo all the time on my computer, almost never have any problems with the stream.

I'm also used to blu-ray quality since that's how I watched the previous 3 seasons.

 

[squarecut1]

I can never watch anything more than short clips on a tablet or a smallish laptop. On 17 inch one.. maybe. To each his own though

 

[mnewsham]

I'm also used to blu-ray quality since that's how I watched the previous 3 seasons.

I have the blurays right here and comparing side to side there really isn't much difference, the HBO stream is a bit more jittery and a few instances of tearing. But all in all not a huge deal.

 

[purbeast0]

I have the blurays right here and comparing side to side there really isn't much difference, the HBO stream is a bit more jittery and a few instances of tearing. But all in all not a huge deal.

you must have terrible eye sight or are watching on like a 20" screen if you can't tell the difference between compressed "HD" from HBO-GO and uncompressed 1080p of a bluray.

or you just don't care about the difference so you don't notice them, which is basically what my wife does.

 

[mnewsham]

you must have terrible eye sight or are watching on like a 20" screen if you can't tell the difference between compressed "HD" from HBO-GO and uncompressed 1080p of a bluray.

Yes... considering that contradicts what I said outright, that's exactly it.

As I said, you can tell which is which obviously, but the compressed HBOgo stream isn't terrible either. Can I tell it's a stream? Of course. but it ain't shit.

 

[purbeast0]

Yes... considering that contradicts what I said outright, that's exactly it.

As I said, you can tell which is which obviously, but the compressed HBOgo stream isn't terrible either. Can I tell it's a stream? Of course. but it ain't shit.

i was commenting on where you said you had them side by side and there really isn't much difference.

 

[mnewsham]

i was commenting on where you said you had them side by side and there really isn't much difference.

Since when is "There really isn't much difference" and "can't tell the difference between the compressed 'HD' from HBO-GO and uncompressed 1080p" even close to the same thing?

I stated there was a difference, I even went on to expand and mentioned tearing and how jittery it was. What more do you want...? The stream quality doesn't even approach "awful" quality. It isn't a bluray obviously but it isn't bad.

 

[Kev]

Yup every platform I have watched it on (PS3, 360, AppleTV, iPad, PC) has had issues. Stuttering is the worst, especially on 360. The video is always potato quality for the first 30 seconds after you start or skip ahead. The actual interface for tv series is terrible, why can't they just do what netflix does.

 

[chimaxi83]

HBO Go plus Chromecast on my TV looks great. There is some random bs pause/buffer though, about once per show I'm watching.

 

[shortylickens]

Amazon prime now has almost everything HBO ever made. Go with that instead.