There are ways around HBO Max not being directly available on Rokus.
Angela Lang/CNETHBO Max ($15 at HBO Max) made waves this month when parent WarnerMedia announced that major new Warner Bros. films, starting with Wonder Woman 1984 on Dec. 25, will be arriving on the streaming service at the same time they debut in theaters. That's great for HBO Max subscribers -- and DC fans -- who want to watch at home during the coronavirus pandemic, but people who use a Roku TV or streamer may feel left out.
Despite telling CNET in May that it has a Roku app ready, AT&T (which owns WarnerMedia and HBO Max) still has not come to an agreement with Roku that will bring the HBO Max app to millions of Roku devices. Luckily, there are a few workarounds that will allow Roku owners to watch HBO Max anyway. They're not as convenient as a dedicated HBO Max app -- something that's available on numerous other devices from Fire TV to Apple TV to smart TVs, game consoles and Android and Apple phones and tablets -- but they're better than nothing.
The easiest is to use AirPlay, which requires an Apple device and a 4K Roku streamer or TV. You could also use Roku's built-in screen mirroring, which works with most Android phones and Windows PCs. Here's how.
How to stream HBO Max via AirPlay on Roku
Recent 4K Rokus, including the Streambar and 4K Roku TVs, now support Apple's AirPlay 2.
CNET staffPer Roku's support page, the following devices are required for AirPlay:
If you don't have an Apple device and/or a compatible Roku, you can try Roku's screen mirroring function (see below).
To use AirPlay with Roku, the first step is to make sure your Roku is updated to the latest software and that your Apple device is on the same Wi-Fi network as your Roku.
After that, well, it's pretty simple.
1. Open up the HBO Max app on your device.
2. Open Control Center on iOS, which can be done by swiping up on older iPhones or iPod Touches that have a physical home button or by swiping down from the right corner on newer iPhones (iPhone X or later) and on iPads.
3. Tap on Screen Mirroring and select your Roku. You should see your iPhone mirrored on the Roku.
4. In the HBO Max app tap what you want to watch and it should play.
For a Mac you may need to go to System Preferences, then Displays to get the AirPlay option.
Put your iPhone, iPad or Mac's screen on your TV using AirPlay.
Jason Cipriani/CNETIn my experience, there have been times where the stream gets buggy, so it's not a perfect solution. But it often works fine even on my older TCL Roku TV.
Couple of things to note: WarnerMedia tells CNET that AirPlay streaming from the HBO Max app should work even when watching 4K HDR content -- Wonder Woman 1984 will be HBO Max's first such title. While notifications won't appear, as it is mirroring from your phone, if you exit the app to do something else, HBO Max will stop playing. A phone call will also disrupt the stream, so make sure "do not disturb" is turned on.
Although my CNET colleague David Katzmaier was able to stream HBO Max from his Mac to a Roku Ultra via AirPlay and a Chrome browser, I had issues when I used another Mac to stream via Safari. While the Mac appeared on the Roku, including the browser window with HBO Max in it, I was unable to get a picture on HBO Max.
In a statement, a WarnerMedia spokesman told CNET, "We don't support AirPlay from MacBooks but don't have any comment or reasoning to share today."
Read more: How to AirPlay to a TV from your iPhone, iPad or Mac
How to stream from an Android device
Mirror your Android phone or tablet to your TV's screen in just a few steps.
Jason Cipriani/CNETIf you have an Android phone, you can cast from it using screen mirroring. Available on Rokus for years, this feature has been found on most Android phones for a while (with the exception of Google Pixels, which don't support it) and brings your phone's screen onto the TV. Roku says that most of its TVs and streamers support the feature.
Enabling this feature, however, is a bit complicated, as different phone-makers have given it different names. Samsung, for example, calls it Smart View on its latest Galaxy phones, and it can often be accessed by pulling down on the notification shade.
Other names for the feature include:
- Smart View
- Quick Connect
- SmartShare
- AllShare Cast
- Wireless display
- Display mirroring
- HTC Connect
- Screen casting
- Cast
Once you find the name, it's pretty easy to set up. To get it working on a Galaxy S20 Ultra I simply needed to make sure my device was on the same Wi-Fi network as the Roku, opened Smart View from the notification screen and tapped on my Roku TV in the list of devices. I then saw a prompt on my Roku, clicked allow, and I was good to go.
If you don't see the Roku in the screen mirror list and you're on the same Wi-Fi network, make sure screen mirroring is enabled. You can check this by going to Settings, System and then Screen Mirroring. Make sure "Screen mirroring mode" is set to "prompt" (the default setting) or always.
Read more: Three easy steps to cast or mirror your Android phone screen on a TV
Note: Like AirPlay, this isn't the same as Chromecasting something to your TV. By mirroring, everything on your phone becomes visible which means notifications and text messages could appear and a call could disrupt the stream. This was the case when I tested it with a TCL 10 5G UW (which has screen mirroring located under the "cast" name in its notification shade).
You'll want to make sure "do not disturb" is turned on and be prepared to not look at your phone while watching.
How to watch using a Windows PC
You can also use Windows to screen mirror to your Roku. To access this on a PC, open the action center, which is the little chat bubble icon in the lower right. From there, tap on Connect, which should pull up available displays. Pick your Roku, and your Windows PC should now be visible on your Roku.
Another option is to tap the Windows button and search "project to a wireless display" into the search in the lower left. From there simply open up HBO Max in a browser, and you should be good to go.
I wasn't able to test this method myself, but Katzmaier got it working on both a Roku Ultra and Roku TV. He reported some breakup and stuttering at times, as well as a slightly softer image, but the video was still watchable overall.
Until HBO Max and Roku bury the hatchet, any of the methods above should allow you to watch on your Roku. And if AirPlay and screen mirroring seem like too much of a pain, it might be time for a new streamer that has an HBO Max app, something like the excellent Chromecast with Google TV.
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December 16, 2020 at 11:38PM
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How to watch HBO Max on Roku: Stream to your TV with Apple AirPlay, Android or Windows - CNET
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