HBO Max playback impacting Roku devices

I have appreciated pretty quick replies to my queries and I have tried everything and I still get the identical message when I try to access HBO Max through my Roku Express so I can watch it on my TV. 

The message is, "Something Went Wrong. Sorry, we're having trouble communicating with the service. Please close the app and try again."

I have restarted the Roku, unplugged the Roku, restarted the router, cancelled HBO, uninstalled the HBO app on the Roku, cancelled HBO, reinstalled the HBO Max app, and everything else that you and the web pages to which you've referred me have suggested. I bought a new (identical) Roku Express which resulted in the same frustration. I can, however, access HBO on my laptop. I'm stymied and frustrated. Sigh.

I can't figure it out. Am I the only person in the world getting this message? Do I need to get a way more expensive Roku? To reiterate, I've been accessing HBO using this same Roku for years. :(

ElkoNV

I apologize for the delay in response.

Did you restart your Roku device before re-installing the channel? That step is crucial when performing the troubleshooting. If you haven't tried the suggested order (remove > restart > re-install), we would recommend giving it a shot once again. We also suggest doing the restart from the Settings menu by navigating to Settings > System > Power (If you do not see a Power submenu, skip to the next step.) > System restart.

If the issue persists even after attempting the suggestions above, videos from other channels play fine, contact HBO Max's customer support team to report the issue and get help. Channels on Roku are maintained by the channel developer themselves. In this case, there's likely an issue within that specific channel that needs to be addressed with an update from them.

You can reach them here: HBO Max Help Center

All the best,
Kariza
 

Thank you for your suggestions. I've tried almost all of them and so far, I have hit nothing but dead ends.

Again, the message I received when I try to access HBO Max through my Roku Express device, is,

"Something went wrong. Sorry, we're having trouble communicating with the service. Please close the app and try again."

Here's all my information:

(1) I subscribe to HBO Max through Roku. 

(2) I have restarted my Roku device. I have also bought a new (albeit identical) Roku Express and have the same problem.

(3) When I try to uninstall HBO Max from my Roku by selecting it and hitting the Options, I do NOT have an uninstall option for HBO Max. The choices are My rating, Move Channel, Manage Subscription, Check for updates, Give us Feedback. I've tried all of them. 

(4) I have restarted my router.

(5) Understand, all my other channels (Netflix, Prime, Hulu) are working fine. Also, I have no trouble accessing HBO Max on my laptop.

OK, I guess the one thing I haven't tried is cancelling the HBO Max subscription and resubscribing. That seems like it will inevitably result in my paying more.

I am so very frustrated. Any suggestions? Is there any way to work through this by speaking to a human being in real time?

Again, thank you for trying to help.

on the channel store the "add channel button" is greyed out and does not work 

https://channelstore.roku.com/details/0529e360dc0e338a1ccad45a874a7dc6/hbo-max

and the channel can not be found on the roku device itself. 

ElkoNV

Thanks for the reply.

If you are removing a subscription channel billed to your Roku account, you must cancel the subscription first before you see the Remove channel option. No worries, if you resubscribe to HBO Max within the validity period of your membership, you won't be charged upon resubscribing. 

Keep us posted!

All the best,
Kariza

C0rrde

Appreciate the response.

Poland is not an official supported region for Roku, so you cannot add the HBO Max channel. Please be advised that any Roku Player or TV can be activated to any Roku account, however, channel availability/access will vary from region to region. Channels that are currently available in any given region are certified for the Roku devices sold in that region.

For more information, you'd want to contact any specific channel/service provider to inquire further about which Roku devices they support their channel (app) on in your current region.'

We appreciate your understanding.

All the best,
Kariza

The issue we are having with HBO Max is that it is switching the language to Spanish overdubs when our Roku is set up for English. This never happened before but has been a problem for the last 2 days or so. Please get HBO or whomever needs to fix this to fix it. Thanks.

JMW22

Thanks for the post.

Can you please specify the issue you are experiencing? What are the steps to reproduce the issue you are seeing? What troubleshooting steps have you already taken to try to resolve the issue?

With more detailed information, we will be able to assist you further.

Thanks,
Danny

Programs are playing in Spanish when the language for the Roku and the HBO App are set to English. This has been going on for over a week. Restarting the app and restarting the Roku did nothing to fix it. That is at my mother's house.

At my place in another state, HBO is mostly working fine but there have been some glitches where programs do not start or they stop midway through.

Thanks for the offer, but I already received many, many suggestions, have tried them all AND tried them on three different Rokus and I continued to be unable to access HBO Max (after years of being able to). I always got the same error message, which I described in a previous email. I deleted and re-installed apps, restarted rokus, modems, unsubscribed & resubscribed to HBO, and several more things. So, I bought a Chromecast and am having no problems. During the weeks of struggling, I'd have given anything to just be able to pick up a phone and talk to a Roku representative, but I guess that's a thing of the past. 

@RokuDanny-R 

Here is some information for the HBO issue I mentioned above. 

Model 3810X Roku Streaming Stick+

S/N YH003E278994 (2130A3278994)

Software: 11.0.0 build 4193-50

Timestamp: 2022-06-16T20:21:42Z

ISSUE ID: 94-240-261

ElkoNV JMW22

Thanks for the posts.

In general, for more information about a channel's features and functionality, you'll want to contact the channel provider support directly to inquire further. Many channels on Roku are developed and maintained by the channel provider themselves. 

In the meantime, can you please provide specific content titles that you are experiencing this issue with?

With more detailed information, we will be able to assist you investigate further.

Thanks,
Danny

RokuDanny-R 

The problem with HBO playing in Spanish at my mother's place is happening on every program. Today we chatted with support online and tried changing settings within the app as well as uninstalling the app and reinstalling it after a system restart. That did NOTHING and the problem persisted. She decided to cancel HBO until they get it fixed.

It's great to tell us to contact HBO, but we need a direct contact for that - someone that works with the app. I'm not going to waste time sending emails to a general support black hole.

RokuDanny-R 

Got a brand new Roku streaming stick 4K,  only app that doesn’t work. HBO max. 

cleared cache, deleted app, reinstalled, logged out of all devices.  

only thing that works, and it’s good for one watch is to log out of all devices, deleted max app from roku, re install to roku, launch, and login. I can watch one thing, and upon exiting app it will not launch again. 

what the heck is going on. Internet is fine, hbo works on all other devices. 

Hi  Cfrake

Welcome to the Roku Community!

To ensure the process of removing and re-adding the HBO Max channel is successful, restart your device before adding the channel back in. We recommend doing this from the Settings menu by navigating to  Settings > System > System restart > Restart. However, If the issue is only with the channel alone, this is a good indication that there is likely an issue within that specific channel that will need to be addressed with an update from the channel publisher. Channels on Roku are created and maintained by each channel publisher. In this case, you'll want to reach out to HBO Max support directly to share your feedback. 


Warm Regards,

Lianna