With Wonder Woman 1984 no longer on HBO Max, there are only two films (as of Feb. 6, 2021) that offer 4k/HDR resolution: Wonder Woman (2017) and The Little Things (2021). The rest of HBO Max’s library will only stream in HD at best. (See our ongoing List of 4k Titles on HBO Max.)
That could all change this year as HBO Max rolls out 4k to more titles. We’re looking forward to eight seasons of Game of Thrones, the Limited Series Chernobyl, and three seasons of Westworld (already available on 4k Blu-ray), but especially shows that have not been released to Ultra HD Blu-ray such as His Dark Materials and the upcoming disc release of Lovecraft Country. HBO Max has also announced a slate of movies that will be premiere on the streaming service well as in theaters.
Unfortunately, what HBO Max says is HD is not always what you might expect it to be. We took a look at a couple dozen newly-added movies and shows on HBO Max and given the “HD” quality a score of Poor, Good, or Excellent. Please note these scores are subjective but relative to other titles streaming on HBO Max (ergo, we are not comparing to 4k on Netflix or Ultra HD Blu-ray Discs).
HBO Max Streaming Quality
| Title | Video | Audio | Score | Category | Genre | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12 0z. Mouse | HD | Poor | Series | Comedy | It is animated though. | |
| 30 Coins “30 Monedas” [Spanish] | HD | 5.1 | Excellent | Series | Drama | If you can stand subtitles this is an addicting series. |
| Aquaman (2018) | HD | 5.1 | Good | Film | Action | Not super sharp but wide color range |
| Arhur’s Law “Arthurs Gesetz” [German] | HD | 5.1 | Good | Series | Drama | A weird color palette and cool cinematography highlight this dark drama. |
| Babylon 5 | HD | Poor | Series | Sci-Fi | Man this needs remastering | |
| Batman Beyond | HD | Good | Series | Action | ||
| Batman The Animated Series | HD | Good | Series | Action | Doesn’t look quite as good as Batman Beyond but decent. | |
| C.B. Strike | HD | Good | Series | Drama | ||
| Check It Out! With Dr. Steve Brule | HD | 5.1 | Poor | Series | Comedy | Almost unwatchable on a big screen. |
| Codename: Kids Next Door | HD | Good | Series | Comedy | ||
| Earwig and the Witch | HD | 5.1 | Excellent | Series | Animated | High quality animation from Studio Ghibli |
| Fake Famous | HD | 5.1 | Good | Film | Documentary | Not horrible quality for a doc. |
| In Other Words (2020) | HD | 5.1 | Good | Film | Romance | |
| Introducing Dorothy Dandridge (1999) | HD | 5.1 | Good | Film | Drama | |
| Safe House (2012) | HD | 5.1 | Poor | Film | Thriller | Color grade makes film look 50 years old, black levels crunched to death |
| The Graduate (1967) | HD | 5.1 | Good | Film | Drama | Criterion Collection title that could be better in digital |
| The Head | HD | 5.1 | Good | Series | Drama | |
| The Little Things (2021) | 4k/HDR | Atmos | Excellent | Film | Drama | Great looking and sounding film |
| The Mummy (1999) | HD | 5.1 | Poor | Film | Action | This digital presentation has a lot to be desired |
| The Shining (1980) | HD | 5.1 | Good | Film | Horror | Image does not always look good. Audio OK. |
| Tiger | HD | 5.1 | Excellent | Series | Documentary | Excellent quality from newly shot footage. |
| Tinker Tailer Soldier Spy (2011) | HD | 5.1 | Good | Film | Drama | |
| Up in the Air (2009) | HD | 5.1 | Good | Film | Drama | Video a little mushy at times but overall not bad HD |
