TV Answer Man, I couldn’t watch HBO Max tonight because it kept saying it wouldn’t play this title. Do you know what’s up with this? And when it will be fixed? — Nan, Charlotte, North Carolina.
Nan, you were not alone. HBO Max yesterday afternoon suffered a technical snafu that prevented many subscribers from playing any title in the catalog. They could log in, but when they clicked on the Play button for a specific title, they were met with a message saying, “Can’t Play Title. We’re having trouble playing this video. Please try again later.”
The glitch generated considerable angst in the HBO Max audience with many subscribers expressing their frustration on social media sites.
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“I can open the app but when I try to play anything it kicks me out, occurring on multiple devices,” tweeted ‘Amanda Mae.’
“I’m currently impatiently waiting to watch GOT for the 5th time hoping for a different outcome for Jon Snow/Aegon Targaryen but I can’t because y’all playing with my emotions,” lamented ‘Dorian.’
The problem began around 4 p.m. ET and lasted a few hours before HBO Max’s Twitter customer service team tweeted that it had been resolved.
“Our team has resolved stream issues with #HBOMax. Please tweet us for further support, thank you,” @HBOMaxHelp wrote at 6:08. p.m. ET.
However, some HBO Max subscribers said they were still having issues late last night and this morning.
If you are still getting the “Can’t Play Title’ message, HBO Max suggests that you delete and reinstall the app.
Nan, hope that helps. Happy viewing, and stay safe!
Have a question about new TV technologies? Send it to The TV Answer Man at swann@tvpredictions.com. Please include your first name and hometown in your message.
— Phillip Swann
I was having some buffering issues and occasionally losing the HD quality to a SD quality for brief periods. I use an android TV and am hooked by Ethernet to a FiOS one gig router. Everything is updated and under optimum conditions. I’m tired of streaming services trying to find fault with everything except their own service. They have to get their act together.