62sunbeam

Q: HBO Now very unstable and crashes

dont get me started about how I have to scroll through every single different series to get to the Sopranos even when resuming an episode or how my most recently watched shows aren't in their own section like Netflix.

 

MY real problem is the fact that the sound and picture studder frequently and several times a viewing session the Apple TV just crashes and goes back to the home screen after it resets.

 

is this and HBO Now app issue or an issue with my Apple TV?

 

its an Apple TV 2 by the way and my wifi signal si strong and shows a better than 40mb/sec download speed to my iPad when right next to the Apple TV.

 

thanks

 

eric

Posted on Apr 20, 2015 8:58 AM

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Q: HBO Now very unstable and crashes

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  • by sterling r,

    sterling r sterling r Apr 23, 2015 8:56 AM in response to 62sunbeam
    Community Specialists
    Apr 23, 2015 8:56 AM in response to 62sunbeam

    Howdy 62sunbeam,

     

    It sounds like you're trying to watch some streaming content on your Apple TV via HBO Now, but that specific app seems to have issues with playback. I would start troubleshooting the Apple TV by restarting it in this manner:

     

    How to restart your Apple TV

    Restart your Apple TV by selecting Settings > General > Restart.

    If you can't restart your Apple TV because it's unresponsive, try the following:

    • Hold down Menu and Down on the Apple Remote for six seconds, and then release when you see the indicator light on the Apple TV blink rapidly.
    • Unplug the Apple TV power cord for three seconds, and then plug it back in.

     

    If that does not seem to resolve the issue, I would next use iTunes to restore the Apple TV software:

     

    If you see the "Connect to iTunes" screen on your Apple TV

     

    Thank you for using Apple Support Communities.

    All the very best,

    Sterling

  • by sleepr0,

    sleepr0 sleepr0 May 1, 2015 5:39 PM in response to sterling r
    Level 1 (0 points)
    May 1, 2015 5:39 PM in response to sterling r

    I'm having similar issues. HBO Now buffers, lags and cashes Apple TV (latest version) continually. Netflix, on the other hand, is utterly reliable. I can watch it all day.

     

    Either HBO has insufficient bandwidth/cloud storage or the Now app is just unstable.

  • by lintriago,

    lintriago lintriago May 22, 2015 7:42 PM in response to 62sunbeam
    Level 1 (4 points)
    Apple TV
    May 22, 2015 7:42 PM in response to 62sunbeam

    Worse app I have ever used.  I love HBO content but the app *****.  First there was the incessant buffering issues and crashes which seem better but now my sound cuts out every so often.  Netflix runs flawlessly.

     

    And HBO's customer service is awful.  It's like they don't even read your email but send you some random link that is unrelated.  Lazy lazy lazy.

  • by kemyst,

    kemyst kemyst May 28, 2015 8:09 PM in response to lintriago
    Level 1 (0 points)
    May 28, 2015 8:09 PM in response to lintriago

    I have exactly the same problem. When I navigate to any show that is more than 1 menu deep on the HBO Now app, Apple TV will crash in <60 seconds Every time.

     

    I have found a work around.

    1. Add the show you want to watch to the Watchlist.

    2. Quit the app (or press play & just wait till it reboots Apple TV).

    3. Open the HBO Now app

    4. Go straight to your Watchlist, no detours

    5. Select play without going to any other menu.

     

    Seems to play for hours that way. Even switching to the next episode in a series still works.

  • by Vanderdecken,

    Vanderdecken Vanderdecken Jun 11, 2015 6:31 PM in response to sterling r
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Jun 11, 2015 6:31 PM in response to sterling r

    How stupid do you really think us Apple TV owners are? half the time the box reboots itself to save us the trouble.

     

    This does not happen with the other apps in Apple TV. You got 15 days to fix this before I cancel my HBO Subscribe.

  • by kemyst,

    kemyst kemyst Jun 11, 2015 6:42 PM in response to Vanderdecken
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Jun 11, 2015 6:42 PM in response to Vanderdecken

    +1 on canceling!

     

    I'm waiting for Amazon Fire TV or Hulu to build an HBO client that actually works.

  • by bitemeappleihateyou,

    bitemeappleihateyou bitemeappleihateyou Jul 3, 2015 8:57 AM in response to 62sunbeam
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Jul 3, 2015 8:57 AM in response to 62sunbeam

    I am actually shocked that when I googled for issues with this app I found very little. I use this on my iPhone. It is hands down the worst app I have. It is ridiculously difficult to navigate. The only way I have found to navigate to an earlier season of anything is to re-enter that series name in the search bar. I mean, come on! I was just watching S2E3 of GOT yesterday you stupid app! Why would I want to watch the final episode of S5 now?????? Netflix and Hulu should have been consulted during the design phase. BUT THE WORST PROBLEM is the constant sound and video lag. The sound starts lagging the video, it progressively lags further and further behind, until it gets so bad that I have to rewind to get it to sync up again. And sometimes I have to do that several times...per lag. Which means I have to do this dozens of times per episode. GOT, John Oliver, VEEP, Bill Maher...doesn't matter. They all have this issue. And I don't think it's a problem with my bandwidth because I have this same issue when I use this app at work. And I DON'T have this issue with Netflix or Hulu at either location. Again, I am stunned that there isn't a deluge of complaints about this awful app!

  • by Lupple,

    Lupple Lupple Jul 9, 2015 10:58 AM in response to 62sunbeam
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Jul 9, 2015 10:58 AM in response to 62sunbeam

    I also have freezes, crashes, audio stutter problems with HBO Now on my Apple TV. Like many of the other posts say, I don't have problems with steaming any other content via my Apple TV.

    I have contacted HBO customer service multiple times now. The first few times I got 'cut and paste' responses that didn't address my issues and basically told me to 'restart' my Apple TV. Duh. That was the first thing I tried, the first time it ever crashed. Last night, after yet another crash mid-way through a program, I took a minute to contact them again by responding to the last lame canned email response they sent. Here's the latest from them:

     

    "Dear LIsa,

    Thank you for contacting HBO NOW Customer Support. Please find your solution details below:

     

    There are many things that can cause issues when playing video with HBO NOW, but the most common cause of frequent buffering, poor video quality, and unresponsiveness is the speed of your Internet connection. Connection speed can be a complicated topic, but there are some basic things that you can do to understand and affect it.

    If you suspect that you are having connectivity issues, you should try the following steps before moving on to any focused troubleshooting:

    1. Disconnect the power to each item of networking equipment (routers, modems, etc.) that you use to get your network signal.

    2. Check all cables and connections by removing each cable at its connection points and reconnecting it. Ethernet cables should have their locking tabs intact and should audibly snap into position when seated. Coaxial cables should be firmly locked into place with their threaded collars.

    3. Reconnect the power to your network devices, starting with the device closest to the source of your connection (usually a cable modem, DSL modem, or similar device). Let each device power up before connecting the next.

    4. When all of your networking equipment is done initializing, try playing video again to see if you still have issues.

    HBO NOW requires a reliable, high-speed Internet connection with download speeds of at least 3 Mbps while streaming video. It adjusts video quality automatically based on the strength of your connection. If your download speed is too low, or if your connection is not reliable (meaning that the download speed varies significantly over time) HBO NOW may switch to a lower quality stream, which may be unsatisfactory for you. You can check your Internet conection speed from most devices:

    Device Used

    Method of Diagnosis

    Laptop or desktop computer

    Use diagnostic tools, or an online speed analyzer

    Apple TV

    From the Home screen, navigate to Settings > General > Network and then select Test Network

    iOS Devices

    Use a speed testing app (you can find several in the App Store)

    If you use HBO NOW on a device that is connected with WiFi, you can try to determine whether any issues you experience are WiFi related by trying HBO NOW on a device with a wired connection. WiFi connection speeds can be affected by the signal strength, interference, and other factors.

    It will be helpful for you to keep a record of any playback issues you are having with HBO NOW. Internet usage varies substantially from day to day and at different times of day. The same is true of HBO NOW usage. When you try to watch streaming video at times of peak usage for your area, you can encounter issues related to both the number of users of your Internet service provider and the number of people trying to stream video with HBO NOW. If you have issues with video playback, but you are always trying to play video at the same times of day, you should try streaming at other times to help determine whether you have a general connectivity issue or Internet service that performs poorly during times of peak usage.

    If you find that you have a slow Internet connection, contact your broadband provider to learn about your options.

    NOTE: Some older devices that are supported by HBO NOW, such as older iPhones and iPod touch devices that run iOS 7 will not run the HBO NOW app as well as newer devices.

    For additional information, we encourage you to visit the HBO NOW Help Center here , where you can find immediate answers to most frequently asked questions about HBO NOW.

    Sincerely,
    HBO NOW Customer Support"

     

    I haven't done any of these things they recommend specifically since receiving this email but they have all been done since I got HBO Now and had the issues. My connection speed is good, no problems with other streaming or devices.  Other people seem to be having the same problems... Why won't HBO get a clue and correct things from their end? Maybe once subscriptions drop off?

  • by kemyst,

    kemyst kemyst Jul 9, 2015 11:09 AM in response to bitemeappleihateyou
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Jul 9, 2015 11:09 AM in response to bitemeappleihateyou

    Well, its July and you're in luck. The exclusive deal Apple had with HBO is over. The incredibly bad app on the iPhone and the Apple TV will die quickly. Hopefully, it served its purpose to get more content producers to offer over-the-top direct bundles without a ridiculous monthly cable subscription.

     

    If you can wait a few more weeks, I'm sure Hulu & Amazon will release an HBO app that will actually work. We can all put our horrific AppleTV/iPhone experiences behind us. Its really disturbing that Apple just does not seem to care in the slightest & has not responded.

     

    To Lupple, The HBO Now customer support looks even more ridiculous. Surely they must know their app isn't stable by now? These are likely unrelated to your connection, unless you are running the Apple TV over WiFi, which is unreliable. Lots of other people are having your issues with rock solid connections, its the problem with the app and/or the HBO Now servers. I voted with my wallet and cancelled my subscription.

  • by Vanderdecken,

    Vanderdecken Vanderdecken Jul 26, 2015 8:57 AM in response to Lupple
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Jul 26, 2015 8:57 AM in response to Lupple

    HBO needs to get a clue about good Customer Service starting with blaming the customer for your poor workmanship is not a good idea. These standard boilerplate response that the fault lies in either the customer or the equipment of others and not your own product takes bravado to say the least.

     

    Apple is no better in that their responses to customer issues are nearly aloof or nonexistent if the problem does not get enough attention. Just be cause only a few people have a problem with your product does not mean it is an insignificant issue. You might gain customers in Plate Tectonic market share moves but you lose them all through minor erosion (See Grand Canyon, Appalachian mountains. While many rivers will wear their  beds over time major floods will also change them instantly.)

     

    HBO needs to man up and hire some better development teams; Stop blaming the customer for food poisoning.

  • by sleepr0,

    sleepr0 sleepr0 Jul 26, 2015 4:39 PM in response to Vanderdecken
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Jul 26, 2015 4:39 PM in response to Vanderdecken

    I bought the newest version of Apple TV and HBO Now is now stable. I reset the older one and it's stable there as well.

     

    Try a complete Apple TV reset. That should do it. I know, I know - passwords take forever to enter on it. It's worth it though

  • by elaineret,

    elaineret elaineret Aug 8, 2015 12:40 PM in response to sleepr0
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Aug 8, 2015 12:40 PM in response to sleepr0

    We had fairly good luck with the HBO Now during most of the free trial period, as soon as that ended we started having constant problems. We have restored our apple TV twice and it didn't fix anything. There is obviously a huge programming issue with HBO Now and AppleTV. Nothing will probably be done to fix it unless they lose a lot of subscribers. I don't see a single Apple tech comment on the discussion board. Apple needs to have software engineers monitor these boards for problems so that they can take them to development teams.

  • by hooperx2001,

    hooperx2001 hooperx2001 Aug 17, 2015 12:29 AM in response to 62sunbeam
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Aug 17, 2015 12:29 AM in response to 62sunbeam

    This continues to be a showstopper...HBO NOW streaming times are ridiculous. Constant starts/stops. The most unreliable app, with ugly, patchy video. Color is washed-out. One episode stopped midstream, couldn't get it restarted, so I went to Apple TV and bought the single episode to finish. That worked. I've virtually re-engineered my home wifi to get a better outcome, and although I'm comfortable with my wifi, the problem still exists. Other apps are no problem. I had always assumed that HBO would be the ones to get it right. I was wrong. I'm on the ragged edge of canceling....and haven't pulled the plug because the resources at HBO's disposal are virtually infinite by corporate standards. So, I assume they will work overtime to get a better product. But, the clock is running...

  • by West5_Girl,

    West5_Girl West5_Girl May 4, 2016 9:57 PM in response to sterling r
    Level 1 (4 points)
    May 4, 2016 9:57 PM in response to sterling r

    I am having the same problem with the HBO Client crashing when attempting to buffer a show.  I tried the steps above and even did a factory re-install to the AppleTV and no luck.  I am paying for a subscription that i can't watch the desired content.  HBO needs to address this issue since it's obvious that Showtime and Netflix are working as expected.