HBO Go has hit the Apple app store, bringing full streaming of its shows and movies on iPhones and iPads — but as you might imagine, there are a couple catches.
First of all, you have to not only subscribe to HBO, but to a participating cable or satellite TV service, as well. And that doesn’t include Time Warner Cable or Cablevision — at least yet. Both of those cable companies have their own video stream apps (previous coverage). Otherwise, you have HBO Go access for no additional charge.
As for the app itself, it’s fantastic, with 1,400 titles and sharp streaming (we tested with WiFi, not 3G, which is also available.) We could watch for weeks reliving all the episodes of Entourage, Curb your Enthusiasm and the Sopranos as well as newer shows like Boardwalk Empire. There are a few gaps — Treme, for example, is not yet up to date — but it’s enough to keep HBO fans busy.
There’s no social media integration in the app, other than the ability to share shows on Facebook and Twitter. You can create custom watchlists, which would be a great way to tie into social media recommendations. Perhaps that will come in later versions.
Ideally, of course, HBO Go would be available outside the confines of a cable/satellite provider, but alas, such is the business as we know it today. But as competition from the likes of Netflix increases, perhaps HBO will be open to more direct-to-viewer business models, such as a “two tier” model that charges a premium for non-cable subscribers. Plop an HBO Go app on my Xbox, and we’ll pay in an instant.
