Channels & viewing

[Kelleycritt]

Amazon Prime HBO channel will not let us watch without purchasing on Roku. It lets me sign in to our Prime Video account. We have an HBO subscription through amazon and can access and watch this channel on every other device (iPhone, laptop, Vizio smart tv)  but not on either of our Roku streaming sticks. We have unplugged the Roku, checked for updates and restarted. We have logged out of the prime app, deleted the app, deregistered the Roku device on our amazon account, reinstalled the app, logged back in and reregistered the device. Nothing has been successful. Contacted Amazon and repeated same steps, they say it's a Roku issue but we can't find a way to contact Roku.

[AvsGunnar]

@Kelleycritt 

When you launch the Prime Video Channel from within Roku, is HBO showing up under the "Your Channels" category from within the Prime Video Channel/app.

You need to watch HBO by launching the Prime Video Channel  on your Roku and then watching it from within the Prime Video Channel (just in case you are not doing this.)   Other than my initial setup/linking of Amazon Prime to my Roku, I have never had to login/sign-in to Amazon Prime.  I just launch the Prime Video Channel on my Roku devices and find my subscriptions under "Your Channels".  I don't have HBO, but do have Showtime and Britbox.

This goes for any of the Channels purchased through Amazon...Showtime, Britbox, Acorn, etc.

Just making sure you are trying to access your HBO subscription correctly.

[Kelleycritt]

We have been accessing it through the Prime Video app for over 6 months. HBO shows up listed under our channels within the app. This a new issue, all of the sudden it acts like we don't have a subscription and has prices under each episode and movie. Can access HBO through the prime video app on every other device, but the Roku now, with no issues. We haven't had to login in either except for initial setup either, I had to this week with trying to trouble shoot by removing the app, deregistering the Roku on my amazon account and then reinstalling the app and reregistering the device. 

[AvsGunnar]

@Kelleycritt 

What is your roku model number and current Roku OS?  Try to manually update the Roku OS (Settings...System...System Update...Check Now.)

Interestingly, the issue you started having was reported by users back in Jan 2021, so not unique to you. (asking for subscription) There were a couple of workarounds to try (similar to your original posting, but in a specific order and did not work for everyone.  Does appear that HBO has finally recognized it is a problem with their app developed for the Roku and will be developing a completely new app for the Roku and others (they have not stopped trying to fix the current one.)

Here is an article to read on the workarounds and the info regarding the app development I mentioned above. https://piunikaweb.com/2021/08/13/hbo-max-app-crashes-on-roku-devices/  At bottom of article, updated August 13, 2021 mentions the new app development.  This article uses a Vulture tech article as reference detailing the problem located at https://www.vulture.com/article/hbo-max-app-crash-problem-fix.html

Maybe others who have found some temporary workarounds can offer some additional help and I will try to see if I can find some as well for you to try.  Does seem to be a HBO problem and affects the Roku platform primarily which is why you have no problems using it on your other devices.  Unfortunately, seems unfixable for many depending on which Roku device they are currently using.  Each time HBO released a fix, seemed to break it on another Roku device.  Wish I could give you better news currently.