The new Disney+, Hulu, & Max bundle saves subscribers money, but 4k streamers lose on the deal.
The new streaming bundle that saves customers up to 38% if subscribing to all three services individually is great for plain ol’ HD streaming, but sadly rules out the Ultimate Ad-Free Max plan that offers 4k UHD, Dolby Vision/HDR10, and Dolby Atmos.
In Max’s own words, “The Max Ultimate Ad-Free plan is not available with the Disney+, Hulu, Max Bundle.”
That leaves home theater nerds like ourselves with only one option for Max, the $20.99 per month Ultimate Ad-Free plan.
The new bundle offers two options: one with ads for $16.99 per month and the other an ad-free version for $29.99 per month.
The partnership between Disney Entertainment and Warner Bros. Discovery was first talked about back in May, but pricing and tier option were yet to be revealed until today.
You would think Max could offer a 4k add-on for an extra $5 per month. Luckily, both Disney+ and Hulu offer 4k without having to pay more (although, Disney charges more for Atmos). Apple TV, Paramount, and Peacock are among the services that don’t currently charge more for higher-quality video and audio specs.
Amazon’s Prime Video includes 4k UHD resolution with its basic plan, but charges more for both Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos.
The lack of 4k with the Disney+/Hulu bundle is not unlike Max’s handling of accounts through cable TV services. Customers who get Max access by subscribing to HBO through a service like DirecTV or Xfinity can only get the Ad-Free plan (which only allows up to HD (1080p) and 5.1 channel audio.
