Forum Discussion

Loverbird's avatar
Loverbird
Channel Surfer
3 years ago
Solved

HBO Max Not Keeping Track of Series Viewing Progress

Since HBO just changed to Max, it doesn’t keep track of my viewing progress when I watch a series with seveal seasons/episodes. I manually have to keep track of the episodes watched so I know which episode comes next. Anyone else have this issue?

  • RokuTakashi's avatar
    RokuTakashi
    3 years ago

    Hi Community users!

    Thanks for letting us know about the concern you have encountered with the MAX not being able to track your viewing progress. 

    This issue of MAX not keeping track of viewing progress might be addressed by directly contacting the channel provider's support and letting them know about this ongoing issue. Most channels on the Roku platform are developed and maintained by the channel providers themselves.

    We appreciate your understanding regarding this matter.

    All the best,
    Kash

21 Replies

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  • lita0719's avatar
    lita0719
    Reel Rookie
    3 years ago

    Same issue. For any series started in Max since the switchover, the app does not keep track of all episodes watched on a given session, except for the very first one. When I return to the show later that day or next (for a new session), it asks if I want to start with episode 1 regardless of where I actually were. So I manually choose the correct next episode. And when I end that new session, only the episode I manually started with is recorded as having been watched, not any other ones. Then at next viewing session, the erroneous cycle repeats!

    Observation: I had two series in-progress when the switch took place, and both of them picked up exactly where I had left them while the app was HBO Max. The issue, at least in my case, is if the show is started in Max.

    Solutions I have tried: I have signed out (not just exited) from Max, deleted the app, done a system restart of Roku, reinstalled the Max app, restarted Roku again, signed up again into Max, restarted Roku once again… and the problem is still there! I see lots of similar complaints on Reddit.

    At this point I will do nothing else and wait for a technical resolution from either the app people and/or Roku techies. Someone deployed a troubled app, and it’s only fair to users that a corrected version be re-deployed. Or cancel the Max subscription. Many other options out there that actually work.

    • Loverbird's avatar
      Loverbird
      Channel Surfer
      3 years ago

      Thanks so much for this response. I was afraid I was the only one who had this problem but it appears others do, too, and I saw similar posts on Reddit. I am hoping the streaming wizards at HBO will figure it out fairly soon as I don’t have any issue with the other streaming platforms, I.e. Netflix, Prime, etc.

      • landolakes's avatar
        landolakes
        Newbie
        3 years ago

        Following. I am also having this issue. At first I thought it was just my two roku tv's not talking to each other about the show I'm watching on Max app, but even on the same TV it is inconsistent & the show I'm 10 episodes into doesn't even show up in "recently watched" so every time I open the app I have to search for the show and remember where I was...

    • lita0719's avatar
      lita0719
      Reel Rookie
      3 years ago

      Unfortunately, the same issues continue, no matter what maneuvers I try. I thought that after a couple of weeks the bugs would have been fixed, but it doesn't appear as if the geniuses that support the app are interested in providing customer support. Based on the posts here and other forums, I'm leaning towards saying that this is an HBO Max/Max app issue, not necessarily a Roku one. Or perhaps they are tied in. Regardless, the switch to Max really messed up things when it comes to properly keeping the users' viewing progress and history! Quite disappointing that this hasn't been fixed by now, they have had plenty of time to do so. 

      • Loverbird's avatar
        Loverbird
        Channel Surfer
        3 years ago

        I believe the issue lies with the Max app and is not glitch with Roku, as I have other streaming apps and have no issues with my other streaming services keeping track of my viewing progress.

  • byrdmanz's avatar
    byrdmanz
    Reel Rookie
    3 years ago

    Yes, I have the same issue. I also had an audio/video sync issue with Discovery shows.

    • Loverbird's avatar
      Loverbird
      Channel Surfer
      3 years ago

      Yes, I have an audio/video sync issue when I watch programming through my provider, Xfinity.

    • byrdmanz's avatar
      byrdmanz
      Reel Rookie
      3 years ago

      I reset the display settings in Roku to 720p to fix audio/video sync issue.

  • mockingjay's avatar
    mockingjay
    Reel Rookie
    3 years ago

    I am having the same exact issue. It's frustrating. They need to.fix this soon, otherwise,  I will cancel my subscription and watch movies on Netflix, Hulu,  and Paramount. 

  • RokuJechealR's avatar
    RokuJechealR
    Retired Moderator
    3 years ago

    Hi Loverbird,

    Welcome to the Roku Community!

    We're sorry to hear about the playback issue with the channel. Have you tried to remove the channel to see if it helps? If you haven't tried it yet, you can remove the affected channel and reinstall it.

    To ensure the process is successful, restart your device before adding the channel again. We recommend doing this from the Settings menu by navigating to Settings > System > Power > System restart (if you do not see a Power submenu, skip to the next step).

    Checking for a manual update to see if the issue is still occurring. To check for a manual update, navigate to Home > Settings > System > System update > Check now.

    For additional information, see these support site resources:

    If the issue remains unresolved, I'd recommend reaching out to the channel provider directly to report the issue and request additional support. Many channels on the Roku platform are developed and maintained by the channel provider directly, and they'll be able to best assist.

    All the best,

    Chel

    • Alseaj's avatar
      Alseaj
      Newbie
      3 years ago

      I have a Roku TV with the official new hbo max app and it doesn't track episode progress. It did before it forced me to install the new app, it doesn't now that I've logged in to the new one, it doesn't after I've uninstalled and reinstalled as you've suggested. Hbo really should have asked their users if they wanted access to My 600lb Life on their app before fore integrating their newly acquired content, instead of wither keeping both entities separate, or bringing some NatGeo over this way.

      • RokuTakashi's avatar
        RokuTakashi
        Community Moderator
        3 years ago

        Hi Community users!

        Thanks for letting us know about the concern you have encountered with the MAX not being able to track your viewing progress. 

        This issue of MAX not keeping track of viewing progress might be addressed by directly contacting the channel provider's support and letting them know about this ongoing issue. Most channels on the Roku platform are developed and maintained by the channel providers themselves.

        We appreciate your understanding regarding this matter.

        All the best,
        Kash

  • TTRams's avatar
    TTRams
    Reel Rookie
    3 years ago

    Checking in to confirm that it's a problem Roku. Deleting the app and adding it back appears to have solved my problem.

    • TTRams's avatar
      TTRams
      Reel Rookie
      3 years ago

      Update. It has again stopped working. Weird. 

    • Loverbird's avatar
      Loverbird
      Channel Surfer
      3 years ago

      Are you referring to the Roku or Max app re deleting it and adding it back in?

      • mockingjay's avatar
        mockingjay
        Reel Rookie
        3 years ago

        Roku app. And I have no option to delete the app. The option does not appear in the menu, yet it does for other apps...